Deluxe Dungeon Master’s Screen
Dungeon & Dragons Accessory (2 four-panel screens)
Product Code: 885960000, ISBN: 0-7869-3422-0
Wizards of the Coast, $14.95
The latest incarnation of the DM’s screen, released in February, 2004 for D&D 3.5 is a disappointing turn, once again, for a product from WotC. It is not bad as a whole, but it has its problems.
For what I consider too high of a price, you get a total of two DM screens, one for D&D 3.5, and one for D20 Modern. Both screens have good material presented on them, with page number references alongside each table — a nice touch! As always, the screens have different information than previous screens, but then again, that is the way it’s always been. I’ve never seen a so-called perfect screen.
The main problem I have with these screens is that they are the first ones that are sideways. By this, I mean that they are 8.5” high, and 38” wide, with three fold points. The issue I have with this is that they are not the normal 11” in height as every other shield that has preceded them has been. So, if you want to clip notes that are 8 1/2” by 11” and other papers to them, it doesn’t work very well, as they are not tall enough.
The high price, and a strange, shortened height take away dramatically from the value of these new DM screens. I’m going to give them a good try in my game anyway, because them are 3.5 compatible, but I really wish they had made them the standard 11” in height. Oh well, get them if you must, but try to get them on sale!
(review (c) February 2004 / David Flemming)