What's the name of this thing? Inside part looks like a cheat sheet, but I have seen images with different content inside these "walls".
Photo by Sargoth is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported (model rights reserved) / Red arrow added to original
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asked Oct 8, 2015 at 7:19
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That would be the Dungeon Master's Screen. Sometimes referred to as a DM Shield, or Game Master's Screen (especially in non-D&D games), they are designed to give the Dungeon Master quick access to frequently referenced rules, and to obscure dice rolls the DM doesn't want to players to see.
They are usually filled cheat sheets to status conditions, more obscure but frequently referenced rules such as how much light a candle generates, or how protected a target is with cover, etc. They also sometimes come equipped with tools for quick generator of names, items, or even encounters!
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1\$\begingroup\$ They come in all shapes and sizes, different numbers of folds, portrait or landscape. Homemade ones often use some sort of slip sleeve to make changing the pictures on the outside or sheets on the inside more easy, and can easily be put together from two or more sheets of cardboard (with optional slip sleeves) and some tape... \$\endgroup\$– RycochetOct 8, 2015 at 15:53
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3\$\begingroup\$ Is there any evidence that the term might predate the publication of the Advanced D&D product called just "Dungeon Master's Screen" (in the Wikipedia link)? I'm wondering whether TSR popularized an existing term or coined a new one. (I started gaming around the time of 1E, and never heard it called anything but "the DM screen," even at non-D&D tables, FWIW.) \$\endgroup\$ Oct 8, 2015 at 17:07
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\$\begingroup\$ @dodgethesteamroller - That sounds like a good followup question to ask. \$\endgroup\$– BobsonOct 8, 2015 at 20:05
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