GM screens are pretty nifty. They provide a GM a summary of the most important rules and stats they need to run the game smoothly. They also serve to hide a GM’s campaign notes and materials (and rolls, if you’re that kind of GM) from the prying eyes of their players. But what if the game you’re playing doesn’t have a GM screen? Or what if there’s a really good collection of cheat sheets that you like even better than the official product? That’s where The World’s Greatest Screen™ (TWGS) comes in.
TWGS is a product produced by Hammerdog Games. It’s a custom GM screen that’s available in two different orientations (landscape and portrait) and a variety of different colors. TWGS has 4-panels on each side, and each panel has laminate pockets that allow you to put your own papers or cardstock panels for display. It’s infinitely customizable – you can print out your cheat sheets or a digital copy of a GM screen you purchased, and have that info available just as you would with a normal GM screen. If you switch to a new game, just switch out the old sheets and put new ones in, and you’re ready to go! You can also fold in one of the ends to convert it into a makeshift 3-panel screen, for those who need fewer panels and/or want more table-space. TWGS is also magnetic, which means you can use magnets to hang notes, maps, initiative markers, or anything else that might be useful for you to have in addition to your screen sheets.
Conveniently, a lot of RPG companies have begun selling heavy cardstock panel versions of their GM screens for people who use custom products like TWGS. These are usually higher quality and more durable than the normal cardstock you might be able to get at an office supply store, and they often look damn pretty, too! (You can check out a selection of them available on DriveThruRPG here.)
I bought both the landscape and portraits versions of TWGS so that I could accommodate any type of panels or cheat sheets I wanted. They have been indispensable for referencing rules and hiding my notes. I have only noticed a couple of minor downsides to TWGS after years of use. First, the panels are initially pretty stiff, and you may have to fold and unfold them a bit to make them less elastic. Second, the laminate pockets are prone to stains (as you can see from some of the photos, I accidentally got highlighter marks on the landscape screen that just won’t come off). However, as long as you’re careful and patient, TWGS products should last for years and years of use.
I hope that gives you a pretty good idea about what you can expect from The World’s Greatest Screen™. If you don’t already have one (or both), I wholeheartedly recommend you get it now – you’ll thank me later. If you do end up getting TWGS, feel free to drop me a line and let me know how you like it.
Do you have thoughts or questions about the article or suggestions for future content? Leave a comment below or drop me a line at jtdimino@d20radio.com.
J.T. Dimino
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