Keepers Screens

[jovial1]

I'm going to be running COC for my friends again, so I must've done something right. After reading reviews of the current screen from Chaosium, I opted to buy a customizable GM screen. (It has surfaces with clear plastic pockets.). Since all of my CoC books are digital, I can print out whatever tables and references I choose to make this screen helpful.

My question for other Keepers is this: what charts/tables or other information would you consider essential for a Keepers screen? This applies to the surfaces that face the players, as well as my own.

Currently I have the sanity tables and the Resistance Table. I'm also planning to print Dan's percentage breakdown sheet to see if I can fit that as well.

[KeeperMurph]

Of you can stick anything in there then why not some common list of names, maybe the main game points the players need to find, or scenario npc names and info? I would think out of the box...

Oh and good luck man.

[jovial1]

Of you can stick anything in there then why not some common list of names, maybe the main game points the players need to find, or scenario npc names and info? I would think out of the box...

Oh and good luck man.

Thanks!

I hadn't considered tailoring it for the scenario at hand, but that's a pretty good idea. I'm considering "Uncle Silas' Books" to draw them to Arkham. There isn't a specific cult or myths threat involved, and with the podcasts suggestions about incomplete or incorrect tomes, I can neuter the books in question a little. I'll check the scenario for info that would be nice to have on the screen.

[trevlix]

Where did you buy the GM screen from? I've never seen customizable ones.

[jovial1]

Where did you buy the GM screen from? I've never seen customizable ones.

http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Worlds-Cus ... =Gm+screen

It's a little pricy at around $27, but the ability to put what you want/need on the screen is worth it. A buddy of mine uses one when he runs the DeadLands game I'm alternating with for my CoC.

[trevlix]

Thanks!

That is pricey...I wonder how difficult it would be to make on your own. Find a 3-sleeve binder in landscape. Mission on!

[KeeperMurph]

Maybe accounting book binders? With photo album sleeves?

[Thomas R. Knutsson]

Cardboard with post-it notes? Binders work also. It has happened I've used about three binders to create a GM screen, although I haven't had anything on them. I have three GM screens. One for fantasy, one for after the apocalypse games and western, and one for horror. I miss one for futuristic high-tech sci-fi though. Never really use the contents on them, just have them so the players have some nice mood setting picture(s) to look at, instead of straight at my secret notes and dice rolls.

[fox01313]

One alternative to this, discovered while trying to order the 6ed. screen from my local comic/game store to find that it's not available (guessing it's sold out as can still get it from Chaosium) is a mix of finding the image of the interior of the screen posed on YSDC to see what charts are made. Quickly taking those & other charts to remake them in excel or word. Then I found out from Fedex Kinkos will let you print stuff out on cardstock which is similar to what the keeper screen is printed on.

If you printed the stuff out from the charts you want, you can just buy 3 sheets of cardstock from them then tape them together with masking tape after using glue/clear tape to put your charts on the 3 cardstock pieces. If you are more skilled at making a jpg or pdf image you can assemble your stuff in a good quality image (letter sized) then print that directly on the cardstock for about the same cost as using their pc printers normally.

[Shannon Mac]

Thanks for the link.

And unless you have experience I wouldn't try a homemade GM screen as most of the ones that I've seen people make are eyesores on the table.