Dungeon Master Screens are designed backwards. I fixed it.
I’ve played tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons for almost a decade. And I’ve been professionally running games for several months. And I now believe that Dungeon Master screens were designed backwards.
For the uninitiated, Dungeons & Dragons is a collaborative storytelling game. The Dungeon Master (DM) is the narrator of the story: they control the villain, the damsels in distress, the town guard, the shopkeepers, the weather, and the gods themselves. The Players are the heroes of the story, with super-human abilities like magic swords and the ability to jump off buildings without breaking an ankle. The game itself is mostly a mix of improv and dice rolling, and is a great creative and social outlet.
When you play in person (as opposed to online), the DM often keeps secrets, like notes and dice rolls, behind a Dungeon Master screen. This is often simply some cardboard or wood that physically separates the DM and the players. In my experience, most DM screens have cheat sheets on the back (the side facing the DM) and art on the front (the side facing the players). The cheat sheets on the back might include maps of the world, the price of magic items, a list of important character names, or any other information the DM needs on hand. The player-facing art often features dragons, castles, and other fantasy elements.
After teaching dozens of new players how to play D&D, I realized this was backwards. Many DMs know the rules by heart (or know how to look them up quickly), while most players have questions. Both new and experienced players need help remembering what they can do during their turn in combat. New players often ask what the difference between Intelligence and Wisdom is, or when they should use attack rolls versus damage roles.
A good DM will be able to answer these questions on the fly. But, answering player questions can interrupt the flow of the game. And, many players are afraid of asking questions, especially if they feel like they should have read the books or learned the rules by now.
So, I flipped it. I created a player-focused DM screen, which you can download for free. The outside of the DM screen explains common terms found on players’ character sheets, as well as what they can do during and outside of combat. You can put whatever you want on the inside of your DM screen; the DM-focused cheat sheets are useful. Personally, I keep all the art my players draw during my games there.
Many of my players have told me they love my player-focused DM screen. They study the cheat sheet as they prepare for their turns in combat. Even experienced players love the reminders!
