Behind the Screens: 3 Wise DMs Reveal What They Want and Need Behind Their DM Screens and Offer Tips to Improve Your DM Set-Up

3 Wise DMs

The DM Screen. It’s one of the quintessential D&D visuals. But what goes behind it? What lurks behind that foot-high barrier between the characters and the gods? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave delve into how they use the DM screen, what they want to have behind it, and what they need to have behind it.

One thing you do need behind your screen though is dice… so check out our affiliate link with FanRoll dice for all your dice and dice accessories. Go to www.Fanrolldice.com/ref/2871 to get 10% off your entire purchase!

1:40 DM Dave’s vitamin-induced fever dream that led to this

topic.

3:00 First things first: Session Notes.

3:58 The most important thing behind the screen? Your

imagination!

4:30 The DM Screen.

6:05 A little D&D History tangent about the DM screen.

6:45 What’s behind depends on what game you’re running: terrain,

maps, and minis, oh my!

8:45 Even with a DM screen, you don’t have to hide the dice

rolls.

9:15 A laptop/tablet as a DM screen.

12:06 Even without terrain, maps, minis – still prepare some

good visuals.

15:10 How to easily introduce music into the session – also,

check out Matt Mercer’s DM Screen Gamemaster Tips https://youtu.be/YRMVTmbe-Is

17:45 No one sees the NPCs or landscapes the same way… set

it in their mind.

23:15 Take a lesson from block text: have some prepped

descriptors for important scenes and NPCs.

24:45 How Roll20 and VTT’s make the entire internet your DM

screen.

26:30 Think like a “Road DM.” What are the essentials?

32:10 Putting up the DM screen for one character – Character-specific

narrative outside of the game.

33:50 The Campaign 3-Ring Binder.

34:30 Fodder for another episode – the sequel to RPG Economics https://3wisedms.com/the-3-wise-dms-podcast/rpg-economics-what-can-payers-do-with-all-that-gold/

36:50 High Fantasy=Low Magic – another aside.

40:18 Final Thoughts