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What's on your DM screen?
As my campaigns progress I find myself using Obsidian Portal more and more. Most recently I've found that I'm spending too much time looking up the same information from multiple sources when running an encounter or respond to players in the middle of a play session. I think the solution is to build a "Dungeon Master's Screen" wiki page. That should give me one browser tab with most of the tables and lists I need available at a glance. Have any of you done the same? If so I'm curious what you came up with and what you think the vital information for your DM screen is.
I'm focused on D&D 4e material but I think the set of data I work with is probably similar to what DMs of other game systems rely on. So far my list consists of:
h2. In combat
h3. General actions
* Easy/moderate/hard DC values per level. Handy for spur of the moment skill checks but I'll probably need to customize it to the party to reflect their trained skills. (DMG page 42)
* Low/medium/high damage values per level. What sort of damage should an improvised attack or trap do at this level?
* Common attack modifiers. (PHB page 279)
* Cost of actions in combat. Is dropping prone free or a minor? (PHB page 289)
* Stealth rules. I seem unable to remember these consistently. (PHB2 page 277)
h3. Environment and terrain
* Suggested DC values for breaking common items. (PHB page 262)
* Defenses and HP for common objects. My players apparently like to break stuff. (DMG page 65)
* Suggested DC values for skill checks to traverse challenging terrain. (DMG page 61)
h3. Skill challenges
* Successes/failures and different difficulty levels
* Suggested easy/medium/hard DC values. Given the state of 4e skill challenges I'll probably have to completely replace this with something tailored to the party.
h3. Exploration
* Perception check DC values to hear characters or detect hidden items. (DMG page 37)
* Links to NPC name and character trait lists to generate them on the fly.
* Links to lists of random loot and flavor items.
h2. Non-combat game sessions
h3. Civilization
* Settlement characteristics. How are different settlements organized? What goods and services can players expect to find? (DMG page 153)
h3. Travel
* Overland and mount/vehicle travel speeds. (PHB page 261)
* Links to the wiki pages of my campaign's major locations.
h2. Planning encounters
* Encounter XP budgets (DMG page 56 & 57)
* Treasure parcels (DMG page 126)
* Links to my favorite monsters and NPCs for the campaign.
What's on your screen?
I'm focused on D&D 4e material but I think the set of data I work with is probably similar to what DMs of other game systems rely on. So far my list consists of:
h2. In combat
h3. General actions
* Easy/moderate/hard DC values per level. Handy for spur of the moment skill checks but I'll probably need to customize it to the party to reflect their trained skills. (DMG page 42)
* Low/medium/high damage values per level. What sort of damage should an improvised attack or trap do at this level?
* Common attack modifiers. (PHB page 279)
* Cost of actions in combat. Is dropping prone free or a minor? (PHB page 289)
* Stealth rules. I seem unable to remember these consistently. (PHB2 page 277)
h3. Environment and terrain
* Suggested DC values for breaking common items. (PHB page 262)
* Defenses and HP for common objects. My players apparently like to break stuff. (DMG page 65)
* Suggested DC values for skill checks to traverse challenging terrain. (DMG page 61)
h3. Skill challenges
* Successes/failures and different difficulty levels
* Suggested easy/medium/hard DC values. Given the state of 4e skill challenges I'll probably have to completely replace this with something tailored to the party.
h3. Exploration
* Perception check DC values to hear characters or detect hidden items. (DMG page 37)
* Links to NPC name and character trait lists to generate them on the fly.
* Links to lists of random loot and flavor items.
h2. Non-combat game sessions
h3. Civilization
* Settlement characteristics. How are different settlements organized? What goods and services can players expect to find? (DMG page 153)
h3. Travel
* Overland and mount/vehicle travel speeds. (PHB page 261)
* Links to the wiki pages of my campaign's major locations.
h2. Planning encounters
* Encounter XP budgets (DMG page 56 & 57)
* Treasure parcels (DMG page 126)
* Links to my favorite monsters and NPCs for the campaign.
What's on your screen?
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Comments
Mike aka Black Vulmea
"_Le Ballet de l'Acier_":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/le-ballet-de-l-acier - swashbuckling adventures in the age of the Three Musketeers and Captain Alatriste
Featured Campaign of the Month - August 2011
For my current game I've very much gone rather electronic and bring a laptop and a screen projector for the player view as well as a sound-scape program for ambient music and sounds. Most of the players bring laptops as well, so we've forgone the conventional clutter of miniatures, battle-maps and book stacks for piles of chords and power adapters.
It was meant to be experimental, but the players love how it speeds up combat and I love how easy it is to prep sessions on the compy.
_(This post may or may not have been paid by the creators of masterplan)_
Game Designer, Pro GM, multiple ENnie Award winner
GM of Planejammer: The Spelljoined (Pathfinder 1e) Campaign of the Year 2011 and still going strong!
GM of The Planewalker's Guild (Pathfinder 1e)
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Some nifty software you got there Morrinn. Pretty cool.
-Ken See
Long story short - no screen. I have a laptop on the side to pull open a book IF my wife is hogging my hardbacks :) I hate players bringing laptops - it's like driving and texting... Master plan looks good, but I have yet for a group to follow anything resembling a master plan, heh.