Top 10 Dungeon Master Screen

No. A screen is optional, not required. What you do need is some way to hide your notes, maps and dice rolls from players, and a screen is just the tidiest way to do it. Plenty of DMs run screenless, or prop up a book or a folder instead. Treat it as a nice-to-have that most DMs end up liking, rather than kit you can't start without.

Both work, so it comes down to what you value. A bought screen gives you printed reference tables and decent artwork, from around 15 GBP up to 40 GBP depending on material, which saves flipping through the rulebook. A DIY screen from cardboard, foam or a picture frame costs less and lets you pick exactly which tables you want. Buy for convenience, build for cost and full control.

Depends on your table. Vertical portrait screens keep eye contact, use less width, and fit small tables while giving you more to hide behind. Horizontal landscape screens give more room for maps and charts and suit running off a laptop, but they take up table space and push you further from players. Go portrait for small tables and player connection, landscape if you're reference-heavy or digital.

Aim for a screen your players can see your eyes over when they're seated. Too-tall screens wall you off and kill the body language that makes a session work. Some DMs even end up standing to see over a standard one. Shorter landscape screens around 8 inches keep that connection, while portrait screens near 11 inches hide more but risk the wall. Measure your table and chair height before buying a tall one.

It helps, but it isn't mandatory. The printed reference tables genuinely stop a new DM flipping through the rulebook mid-session, and hiding your notes builds a bit of confidence. That said, a cardboard box or the tables in a starter set will do the same job. Think of it as something that makes early sessions smoother, not a must-buy before you can run your first game.

Official screens have accurate, current references and good art, but the content is fixed. Third-party screens like the Stratagem Master's Tome and Hexers are usually customisable with your own inserts, and often better value. Choose official if you want guaranteed-correct references, third-party if you want flexibility. One catch: even the 2024 official screen omits some new rules such as Weapon Mastery, so keep a separate reference.

It's a redesigned four-panel screen with revised interior tables, including expanded travel and terrain and death saves, plus new Joy Ang art. It's an upgrade on the 2014 Reincarnated screen, but it notably leaves off Heroic Inspiration and Weapon Mastery. Worth it if you've moved to 2024 rules and want current references. Skip it if your 2014 screen still serves you fine.

They have their limits. Cardboard's structure gives out over time, and it reacts badly to damp and spills, so it won't take much abuse. Well-proportioned folds help one stand steady. If durability matters to you, a wooden, faux leather or magnetic-panel screen holds up far better. On a budget, cardboard still does the job, just treat it gently and keep the drinks well away from it.

Only if you want it as a centrepiece. Premium wooden and magnetic screens are durable, customisable and look the part, but you pay a lot more for the aesthetics and heirloom feel. A cardboard screen does the same functional job of hiding notes and holding reference tables for a fraction of that. Buy premium if the object itself matters to you, stick with cardboard if you just want the function.