Dungeon Master Screens are a traditional tool of the Dungeons and Dragons referee. Part badge of office, part theatrical device and mostly just a useful reference tool, a good DM’s screen can make running a game much easier, especially if the planned story goes off the rails and the DM has to wildly improvise to keep the players entertained.
The Dungeon Master’s Screen Dungeon Kit is a handy four-panel cardboard screen, with a pretty illustration on the front that features both dungeons and dragons. It’s something nice for the players to stare at during play and though it’s a little dark, there’s plenty of detail. The DM Screen from the Dungeon Kit is well thought out. We’ve got listings of various statuses, a list of DC ratings, armour classes of objects, and a bunch of charts of tables that allow the DM to quickly invent dungeon encounters and related environmental hazards. We also note with amusement that this has come out round about the same time as Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons, making it the perfect dungeon themed accessory to go with the big book of dragons.
On the inside of the screen we get one panel dedicated to useful charts that remind the Dungeon Master of some of the basic rules. Two more panels are dedicated to various conditions characters can find themselves in; poisoned, stunned, charmed etc. All these things have a specific in-game effect and it’s easy to forget what they do, so this is handy. The last panel contains charts on notes on how to improvise a dungeon, which is something DMs often have to do.
Further assistance in creating a dungeon on the fly comes in the form of geomorph cards; mini-map cards that let you create twists and turns by shuffling cards. We also get the various conditions in card form, as well as a card-based initiative tracker. These can be stored in a tuck-box that also come with the kit. The only down-side is the cards and their box need to be assembled; the cards come on a perforated sheet and the box requires some folding and tucking. They’ll well designed and handy to use, but still it’s a little fiddly. Also the cards end up with slightly bobbly edges, unless you decide to use a craft knife.
Finally we get a laminated sheet with the rules on one side and a basic square grid on the other. This is so they players can create their own map of the dungeon. The entire thing is presented in a nice folder and if you don’t ‘make’ the cards you’ll have a nifty thing that will fit on your gaming shelf.
This is a nice and useful kit. Handy for DMs and looks quite pretty. It’s a nice companions to the Wilderness Kit, and an ideal gift for the D&D player in your life.
