I’m currently running Curse of Strahd on Roll20 with some friends. Recently the heroes had to venture out into the land, leaving behind the relative shelter of the local village.

Great! Bring on the random encounters!

But exactly how long will it take the group to go from point A to point B? I couldn’t remember.

Worry not! It’s conveniently located right there on my DM screen!

If you’ve ever run a game, any game, you have realized the need to keep certain maps, encounters, and rolls out of the public eye. Not that I’ve ever fudged a die roll…<cough>.

I’ve used the published gamemaster screens for most of the games I’ve ever run. Besides cool art and practical functionality they often list important details to aid in running a game. Your screen is a quick reference guide but not all screens are made the same. Take the Palladium Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle & Other Strangeness Game Shield for example. It was a themed game shield but of no use during a game. For some unexplained reason Palladium dedicated the ENTIRE screen to covering character generation tables. Useful for rolling up a character but not so much so when actually running the game.

When Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (5e) came out I dove right in. This included purchasing the 5e DM Screen when it became available. It had terrific artwork and several helpful tables.

I say several because there were a few that I questioned. While DC setting recommendations and bonuses for cover are useful I didn’t find the random “Something Happens” or “NPC Flaws” particularly helpful. The “Something Happens” table was a list of things like a strange noise or a star appears in the sky. At the same time one whole side of the screen was taken up by random NPC generation tables. I saw why they were there but I didn’t find them beneficial. Overall I liked the first 5e DM Screen but then I heard about a new version of it.

At first glance I thought the D&D DM Screen Reincarnated was just the same screen with new cover art. I was pleasantly surprised to find Wizards of the Coast had redesigned the entire screen.

Gone were the random NPC generation tables, now you had a concise listing of the actions you could take on your turn. Summaries of Concentration and Size comparisons are provided too.

The layout is updated in a manner that provides easy access to answers. For example, the “Setting a DC” list on the original screen was at the bottom. My notes would block it resulting in having to move everything to see it. The Reincarnated Screen puts this list at the top and adds a “Tracking DC” list, something the original didn’t have.

While the original 5e DM Screen was not bad there was definitely room for improvement. Fortunately the DM Screen Reincarnated includes those improvements. While having a “Quick Find”table (listed on the original DM Screen) I find the Object Hit Points and Object Armor Class tables more useful.

Personally I prefer the DM Screen Reincarnated. It contains more of what I need during a gaming session. If a random NPC does “pop up” I’ll fill in the details on the fly. I understand how a table might help but I believe it inhibits the creative process. When I’m running a game I’m looking for quick access to a rule or table. I’ll wing NPC generation when needed, as needed, although the random name generator was clever.

That’s my two copper on the original and reincarnated Dungeons and Dragons 5e DM Screens. Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments below!