D&D: WotC Reveals New 50th Anniversary DM’s Screen
A new edition means a new DM screen, and this one, the 50th anniversary DM’s Screen, is wide enough for even your laptop.
Wizards of the Coast unveiled its new DM’s screen today. With all-new art, celebrating the 50th anniversary, and tables pulled from the new edition’s ruleset, there’s a lot to dig into. Want to know what info you’ll find? Well you can get a sneak peek at pretty much the whole thing in a new video taking us through the new DM’s screen.
WotC Shows Off 50th Anniversary DM’s Screen – New Art, New Rules, Same Idea
The new DM screen, like any DM screen, is full of helpful information that the DM will theoretically need to reference frequently. But it’s also been redesigned with the user in mind. There’s an increase in contrast, and the font size has been boosted for accessibility. WotC’s designers changed a fair bit.
Starting with the art on the front. You get a depiction of the various character classes people might play, along with many of the new dragons:
And on the backside of the screen, four panels full of rules references:
Starting on the left panel, there is a list of every condition. This is probably going to be a lifesaver for DMs, since the difference between Incapacitated and Stunned and Paralyzed will definitely grind the session to a halt as you try and hunt through the Rules Glossary.
In the middle, ironically, we have less “frequently accessed info” because the designers didn’t want DMs who play with laptops to try and clamshell their screens to get at what they need. So instead, we have:
- Rules for improvising and scaling damage by level
- A list of all the Actions + Concentration and Jump rules
- Common Object AC and Hit Points, Death Saving Throws, and Skills
- Costs for Food, Drink, and Lodging
- Typical DCs
- Lighting Rules and Obscured Areas
On the right are overland travel rules, rules for cover, rules for hearing and seeing at a distance, and the weather.
So be sure to check out the new DM’s screen, which is coming very soon!
