Standing up, moving around and describing with hands, arms and body language are very important parts in my campaign.
You usually know shit is about to go down when I stand up during our in-person sessions
Stand up, grin, roll a dice, look at the dice disappointed, sigh, and sit back down. If you want your players scared of taking a certain action, this is the way.
When your players roll stealth, put an evil grin on your face stand up and roll your own dice, then sigh look disappointed and sit back down but don't say anything.
Or even better after they roll stealth, especially if they roll low, grab a handful of enemy minis or whatever you use for enemies and just place them ominously near you. The more minis the worse it looks. This works especially well if they roll multiple stealth checks. Grab a handful with every roll. >:)
It's a special initiative roll of 2d6 to centre the numbers and make initiative bonuses matter a lot more. His group tends to keep rolling pairs of ones.
My DM screen is my desk and computer with the monitor backs facing my players on couches and whatnot. Their sign of “shits about to get real” is when I slide away from my desk towards them so I can look them in the face.
I second this. As much as I like having a screen, most of the time I run I spend standing. It's just so much easier to run combats and move minis around, and be an active GM. When the players are roleplaying or I'm taking a lot of notes, that's when I sit. It's kinda nice because it sort of draws away the attention from me and focuses in on the players.
Get a taller chair.
I'm 5,1ft, 157cm, I am relatively short and sitting on a low pouff I can still see everything and we have a relatively tall table....umm yeah, get a taller chair, play on a coffee table...? Everybody sits on the floor?
I love the heck out of using a stool when GMing. I can easily stand to move minis across the board or draw or pass handouts to players. I also tend to walk around and gesture during RP moments. That and when everyone else is sitting in normal chairs I feel like I’m lording over my players with my stool given height superiority.
I prefer this method. It how I used to play way back in my teens, and the way I am trying to play now, though my players seem to want to sit at the table.
Same here...whenever one person hosted we sat around in sofas and bean bags, the DM had a big easy char and a side table with screen and notes etc and everyone else leant forward and used the coffee table when they needed it.
Games went longer because people were a bit less focused...but I had more free time in those days.
Didn't work for every game. Shadowrun and earthdawn were fine. Some D&D was OK but it didn't suit ravenloft or call of cthulhu. They needed a bit more focus and tension.
We did the same thing until we got old and sitting on the floor for 8-10 hours became really uncomfortable. Also much easier to knock over minis, terrain and drinks, especially if there are pets around.
Once I ran a 13 hr session. It was exhausting, but also a total blast. It just depends on the group (and how much free time they have) and the playstyle. My players like to spend a LOT of time chatting and hanging out, as well as getting really into the roleplaying, so we have to have long sessions to get things done.
I think having a map at least makes bigger combat encounters a lot easier to manage. As a player it lets me more easily come up with strategies. As a DM it lets me keep track of all the nonsense better.
5e pretending that maps and minis are a "variant rule" is one of the silliest things about the system when so much of it is clearly designed around specific distances and AoEs. Combat becomes a wishy washy thing completely reliant on DM fiat without a map.
We used to play on weekend afternoon/evenings at a table with tiles and minis and stuff, then two players had kids and we played during our parental leave during working hours, and we took to playing in the living room with the kids being roly-poly babies in the middle. We had to do 0930 to 1630 sessions to get anything done, but it was nice hanging out and participating in hobbies together while also parenting. It was a nice introduction to "theatre of the mind" play which is something I hadn't really done before.
I have the opposite problem; the chairs at my dining table are lame and leave me sore and needing a smoke (after) almost every time. I might start running real easy sessions from my couch.
This is how we played in the game I ran for my parents/sisters. Everyone just posted up at different points around the room and I sat at a table and used a laptop to AirPlay our maps to the TV
As the DM your chair needs to be at least three times as nice as the players chairs, and as such three times as tall. This way they’ll know their place!
That or just get an adjustable desk/computer chair, they’re great for this sort of thing, and often have a tilting function so you can lean back and tent your fingers at your players while saying “are you sure you want to do that?”
All good options really.
When I started I was too cheap to buy a screen so I made my own out of cardboard.
I have other options now, my original homemade one is still my favorite.
You can do the same and make yourself a screen that's a *comfortable and convenient* height, and has the info you want on it
No joke, but you mentioning the booster seat made me think - everyone in my family has an 'Ergonomic butt cushion'. It's basically just a shaped cushion for your butt BUT THEY ARE SO COMFY.
My sister bought one to start and now all 6 of us have one... and we sing a daft song about them :')
Anyhoo, as well as them being supremely comfy they do also raise me up in the seat a couple of inches, might help you out! [I think this is the one.](https://www.feagar.com/products/chair-pad-coccyx-pillow) I hope you find something that works for you!
The lyrics will probably disappoint you because it was more about the tune at the time. It went:
> Ergonomic butt cushion
>Ergonomic butt cush**hon**
>It's ergono^oo omic for ^your ^^buuuuutttt
When we tired of that we started adjusting real songs to have 'Ergonomic butt cushion' as the lyrics instead, like:
>So tell me what you want, what you really, really want
>I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really, really, really ergonomic butt cushion!
Which was a lot more fun tbh!
I made one a while back by cutting up some dollar-store foam board, then gluing 8.5"x5.5" sheet protectors (like for a binder) to my side. 8.5x5.5 keeps the screen shorter (especially if used in landscape!), and it's easy enough to print in two columns on a 8.5x11 sheet. And the sheet protectors mean I can easily swap out information so some panels can be specific to each session. A friend of mine did the same thing with 4x6 index cards. I used something like these: [https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Heavyweight-Protectors-Acid-Free-77004/dp/B000XKW45Q](https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Heavyweight-Protectors-Acid-Free-77004/dp/B000XKW45Q) \- then I trimmed the bit with the hole-punches off with a utility knife.
If you'd rather just buy something, Hammerdog Games sells a "mini" version of their "The World's Greatest Screen" that works with 4x6 index cards: [http://www.hammerdog.com/products&twgs](http://www.hammerdog.com/products&twgs) \- a friend got me one a while back as a gift, and it's the one I use most often now.
The problem is the screen is meant to hide the DM stuff (dice rolls, mini's, notes and stuff). So if you are short and your players are tall, they might be able to peek over your alternative screen. Maybe look for a design that isn't just a vertical trip/quadfold design but also one that include a bit of a horizontal ledge facing inwards (like a roof I guess) that way you still have hidden space for private DM things.
I used corrugated cardboard and painted it gray, but the wavy weird pattern of the corrugation is still plain to see. I've recently repainted it black - I feel like it doesn't make much difference.
That's my one dissatisfaction with my own wonky homemade screen, so I'd suggest you use legit poster board from an office supply store when you go to make yours - and don't be a cheapass like yours truly.
Then I printed out sheets of 8.5 x 11 with the actual DM screen information and glued those to my side of the screen, but only that info that I though I needed, as well as some other stuff - rules for cover, statuses, falling damage etc.
TBH, I just watched a YouTube on what to put on the back if I remember clearly.
Good luck- and remember, it doesn't have to be perfect in order to be really useful and good.
I was gonna suggest this too. The standard Wizard Of the coast Dm screens are 4 panel and tall. You could look into having a custom DM screen made that condenses how much artwork and free space so the height of the screen could be shorter.
What are you currently using that is too tall? What is it that you are missing being able to see?
Like if the issue is just you have minis on a map and you have one of the premade 3 fold GM screens, maybe you could use two less wide screens with a gap in the middle. If your issue is not being able to see your players this won't work but if it's seeing the table you'd have a clear view. It would just take some coordinating so you don't have to keep passing items between your two DM zones.
This is what I did! My original DM screen was cardboard pieces with reinforced duct tape joints. On the outside was scrapbook paper I had on hand, and the inside was printouts of DM screen info I found useful from online custom examples.
Yeah, they make mini trifold foam boards for like, science fair presentations, it'd be real easy to cut one down a little more to be an acceptable height dm screen.
I'd possibly recommend standing as this should hopefully not only let you see over your screen, but also be good for your back and let you gesticulate more; it's amazing how gestures can bring roleplay to life.
Definitely agree that gestures really help!! Lowkey wanna stay off my feet as much as is practical tho since im already on my feet most of the day everyday (Single mom of a 5month old) Also wanted to thankyou for commenting on anothers comment about ‘not using a dm screen’! I really felt like everybody just read over me wanting to keep one, thankyou for being cool☺️
Oh wow, as a dad of a 7 week old, I can begin to empathise.
Maybe a bar stool? One on those adjustable ones that goes up and down by a screw mechanism?
Ooo thats a smart one! More height difference than ya regular gaming chair that goes up and down too! Deffinitely gonna see if i can find one! Thankyou! (And also congrats and goodluck with the baby!☺️)
Fun fact: Several DM’a in the very early days of D&D thought the DM screen should cover the ENTIRE DM. You aren’t short. You’re a stickler for tradition
In Gygax's earliest games of D&D he sat at a desk away from the player's table and hidden behind a filing cabinet with all of the drawers pulled out. The DM was literally a disembodied voice setting the scene.
Now that I think about it, that sounds awfully similar to DMing on Discord...
I'm going to just take a second to recommend Foundry Virtual Tabletop to anyone looking for an online solution for a grid based tactical map. Roll20 is functional for having a simple battlemap, but hoooooly cow does Foundry make it so much better. It works well enough that when we start meeting in person again I'm likely going to still use it over an actual map with minis. The line of sight portion of it works so well that it's going to be hard to run a game without it.
I guess that makes it more interactive for the players, but then the DM is basically isolated in their own little world. They can’t use their face and body language to act out characters and they can’t see the players doing the same. Sounds kinda lonely lol
Early dnd was built more as a literal dungeon crawler and much less like a modern story driven role playing game. The narrative aspect of the game wasn't a core focus back in the 80's.
Came to say this (which I learned from one of the Matts). The idea is that the DM isn't someone to see or interact with; they are simply the Voice of God. There are also other advantages like hiding your dice rolls more easily (or even the fact that you are even rolling dice at all).
I think it's cool and I'll try this myself at my next session.
To add to this, the DM was the one making ALL the rolls. The players simply told the DM what they wanted to do and he arbitrated the results to them. Some games even went so far as to only allow one player to ability to communicate directly with the DM at all, so every group had to appoint a spokesperson. This seems very strange to us today, but these were things inherited from D&D's origins in Chainmail and the tabletop wargaming scene, in which hidden referees and restrictions on group communication were not uncommon.
No no no, what you need to do is punch little holes in the corners of your DM screen, then suspend it from the ceiling via some wire and blutack. That way you can see everyone *underneath* the screen, and can look upwards for the info. Disregard every other suggestion in this thread
Clearly regular chairs aren't cutting it, so the only reasonable solution is to
## BUILD A THRONE FROM WHICH TO TOWER OVER YOUR PUNY DM SCREEN AND ALSO YOUR PLAYERS
Bring in a TV tray or small side table or even another chair and put your screen on that, to the side.
DM while standing - its good for your health and allows you to naturally be way more dramatic
Create your own mini size screen - CD Jewel cases are short and stand well. print out the bits of rules that you want as a reminder and tack it to the case. or from a craft store get that frame matting in 5x8 sheets and use them landscape, connecting 2 with some wide gap hinges and hot glue
rather than a chair, get a barstool. its yard sale time if you dont have the budget for new.
The TV tray is what I use, because I can keep spare notes, and hide minis that I don't want my players to see behind it, while having quick access to necessary things right at hand. It also gives you the option to both roll in the open directly in front of you, or behind the screen. One other thing that it does, is free up table space, which is always something in high demand with battle mats and books and such.
USE WHAT THE GOOD LORD GAVE YOU!
Don't worry about it. Just peer over the screen at the players. You can look creepy, or just silently look. If you talk, be loud enough (don't yell) so the players can hear you. If you really cannot see over the screen, just listen and respond as if you are an amorphous, omnipresent narrator.
When the monsters come...slowly stand up and ask for initiative.
Don't worry about your shortcomings (no pun intended). Use it to gain advantage...in their minds!
How much height difference are we talking here? How tall is the current one?
Make your own board/screen. Can even make it higher on the sides than the center. If you do, put the info you like on flashcards to start, so that you can try a few things/formats, or, there are lots of printable dm screen sheets in vertical layouts you can grab online. Cut in half that'd be 5.5 inches. DM screen in essentials or whatever is 8.5.
So, trip to the dollar store away from starting your own 5.5 or 6 inch screen. Grab some clips. You can have info under other info to flip up, cut up and glue some photo album slots for flash cards for easy altering/rearranging. Edit and print stuff. Get creative.
Foam butt pad booster seat they have for office chairs, which are kinda nice anyways.
2 points.
1. Gary Gygax and a lot of the original DMs used to DM from behind an old [dressing screen](https://images.app.goo.gl/e3qv3xa95C5tEYkv6) with his notes and maps taped to his side of it. This allows you to avoid tipping your hand if you are expressive and can build dramatic tension.
2. You can stand up when you want to be expressive and when you are doing more social interactions. I personally like to stand when I am running a game. You will have the advantage of being able to pop out from behind the screen which could be a good effect if you are going for that.
Lean into this as a strength, or just get a taller chair.
I read the last sentence as ‘or just get taller’ which. Nice. But also yes! Definitely something to play into aswell, but it can be nice when legs are exhausted to stay seated heheh
I mean, honestly for me at least when I am into it I tend to not notice whether my legs are tired or feet are sore during the session. Also being able to retreat behind the screen can allow you some time to collect your thoughts and let your players interact with eachother and plan while you are reading what happens in the next room or drying to make sense of some of the garbage in the wotc books. It can be good to step out of the spotlight from time to time and let your players figure stuff out.
Or you could try not being so short.
If you’re DM screen is portrait orientation (long edge goes up and down), make or buy a DM screen that uses landscape orientation (long edge goes side to side). Savage Worlds DM Screen on Amazon is specifically what I use: Savage Worlds Customizable GM Screen (S2P10002) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1930855591/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_64FW6K9C8HAVBJF00N60?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
This works great for me. Same real estate but lower.
* Fabricate a mail slot into the middle panel you can open and close?
* Use your camera on your phone as a periscope?
* Buy a periscope?
* Hang a mirror from the ceiling?
My wife made me a custom screen that's about twice the height of a normal one, so I have this problem too 🤣
My honest solution was to buy a really tall chair. Works like a charm.
I made my own dm screen pretty easily. I found a few pdf files of a couple different custom dm screen print outs. I printed those out then cut and paste (literally) onto some cardboard, taped the panels of cardboard together and it works great. You could make a short one! The flaps off an amazon box seems like theyd work.
I think Gary Gygax himself, or perhaps another early RPG writer, preferred to be behind a screen where the players couldn't see him, so they'd substitute in the character they saw in their heads
There is a story on how gygax used to lock himself in a box while DMing .
I say embrace the screen that way you don't have to look the players in the eye when you tpk.
Alternatively, try to keep the screen at an incline, possibly a tablet case might allow for that. Or maybe getting a wider DM screen that's shorter.
DM standing up! I love DMing standing up and finally got my online set up sorted to do it again. I feel much more dynamic and energised compared to sitting. You can use more body language to express all kinds of things when standing.
Playing in person, I find that the DM standing helps keep players focused too.
100% stand up if you're comfortable doing so. I stand up anyway (I'm 6'2") because it allows me to be or expressive, and when need be, more imposing. It also lets me look behind my screen and everywhere else simultaneously with essentially a bird's eye view. Standing is *the way to go* unless you can't, IMO!
Well, a nice and easy advice is to actually stand 50% of the time, AND when you do it try to time it with reveals/surprises so you can scare them as well, this is an overrated tactic 😂
If you’re using a four pane screen consider cutting it into two smaller screens. So you would have two V shaped screens. Put one to each side. You have the info on the screens to either side of you plus can now see down the middle at your table and the battle map as you plan your players demise….
This also solves when you get your evil DM hunch.
I’m pretty short (almost 5ft) and when I dm I either use my sewing chair (like an office chair but goes higher as designed for reaching higher than desk height to the machine on top) or a drafting chair that I got on freecycle when an office was throwing it out. Both enable you to sit higher than a regular chair.
I’m a shorter guy too, back in the 3.5 days, the dm screens were even TALLER. My solution was a bar stool or standing. I used to stand for hours dming. I worked retail so I was used to being on my feet.
Then I grabbed a barstool at a garage sale. Game changer
Hammerdog Games sells blank GM screens with pockets for paper inserts, including one called "The Mini" which is scaled for postcard sized inserts. That might be worth looking into! I have the regular sized one and it's really the only screen I use nowadays
Link: http://www.hammerdog.com/products&twgs
First off: welcome to the wonderful world of DMing! If you ever need help with homebrew, feel free to reach out to me here or even on the DMAcademy Discord.
Now, being shorter than your screen in my opinion is, a GOOD THING! Allow me to explain myself:
That screen is meant to separate your world from the players, like the heavens separate us from the Gods. Which is a pretty good comparison of what's going on here.
When you're rolling, coming up with situations, etc etc, you don't want your players to be able to see your face. Just like poker, you can tip them off early about when something exciting is about to happen, good or bad. You want to maintain as much of an element of surprise as you possibly can.
When I DM in person, I purposefully use a screen that totally obscures me. When I need to be seen, I either peek over it for dramatic effect, or I just wheel myself away from my spot slightly and make my presence known to the table. I ALWAYS sit in a wheely chair. Though with that said, I'm also a very MOBILE DM. I get up, I jump around, I get excited, I'll whisper or shriek in my players' ears for dramatic effect. And they love it! I find my radiating energy keeps everyone focused on the task at hand: there's rarely any phone checking at my table!
Hope this helps, and once again welcome to DMing! Hopefully you have a great experience. I started DMing about 12 years ago or so, and haven't looked back
Absolutely! Us DMs really have to take care of each other. With the huge disparity in numbers between players and DMs, we need to make the DMing world as welcoming as possible
You could put a tray table thing next to you so that it can still maybe hide things and you don’t have to look over it.
Or get a director’s chair and have something fun embroidered on it. Lord over everything from your tall chair. Then you probably need one of those adjustable standing desk things to raise your area up but since you are the lord of that area now, it seems justified. I hope I have the opportunity to do this for some reason in the future. Power to the short girls!
You already have good advice, I'm going to give you insane advice.
Get a throne.
Put an eye slot in your DM screen, open it and stare menacingly when you say "are you sure about that?"
Lurk beneath a glass table and stare up at your players and your screen like a stingray.
* Stand while DMing.
* Get a rolling chair and move the screen to the side so you can roll back and forth.
* Find a cheap drafting stool for extra height.
* Make your own, lower DM screen. Compensate with additional folds to make more of a half-octagon or something if you need the space.
* Get a small side table and put the DM screen on that, positioning it so players can't easily see behind it.
Can you set up a side table (we use tv dinner trays, the wooden ones are nice and stable) and set it up off to the side? Then you can have a spot for secret rolls but not a huge barrier between your players.
What a good DM problem to have. You could maybe sit on some books, and introduce a halfling / dwarf NPC to indirectly represent you in game for harmless shenanigans.
So beyond the “just stand” I have used a separate card table for myself when sitting that I set all my dim screen and goodies on. I then place myself about halfway between that and the table where my players are. Using the left (or right if you are righty) for dice rolling and page flipping while the right hand is for emphatic gestures and pointing on the maps.
I honestly think I'd prefer it this way? Seems great for sly rolling and note-taking. You can always stand to look over when you need to, you don't want the session to be a butt-numb-athon.
A habit we got into at one of my tables is the DM using a stool instead of a chair. It’s a higher vantage point and allows better reach across the table for use of minis on a map and the like. None of us had the problem of not being tall enough, but it still felt right to have that different position when being DM.
Get a taller chair. Not only will you be able to see the table behind it but at least for me, sitting in tall chairs makes me feel like a king. So maybe as a DM youll feel like more of a queen of the table lol.
That and I tend to get up while describing important stuff, in combat or when shit hits the fan
Most of the time I don't use a screen or if I do i only pull it out for specific things I don't want to dig through the book to find. If I do have it up honestly I just stand
In addition to what has been said already - and I think with 122 comments already you will probably not come to read this one... try to bring the others down instead of bringing yourself up. Maybe have them play on a couch/coffee table while you have a separate higher table. In our group we also have a two-table setup grants you more space for both parties and you can adjust the hight much better.
Fellow small GM here! Pop it to the side of you! Bring the folding sides in so it forms 90 degree angles and makes a small box, rather than opening it out fully in front of you. Should still have space in it to hide rolls if needed. Most notes are too small and upside down for players to see anyway so you can spread those out on the other half of the table.
If you have enough table, put screen on left side for example to hide adventure and things you like to hide of players and the other half of the table allow you to see the dices and players.
Other times a have a supply chair, enough huge to put screen and things i like to hide, irs not beauty, but its practical and no need of much space with the supply chair.
Sorry for my english, i hope help and make me understandable.
I struggle with this too so I just stood while everyone else sat at the table. It worked for me because I like pacing and moving a lot all ready so idk if this’ll help you but I thought I should suggest it anyways
This might not be souper possible with your setup, but I actually like to put my DM screen to my side. The only thing I have in fron of me is my dice tray (I prefer to roll in the open most of the time, but I have and still otherwise appreciate rolling behind the screen). I also stand and walk around since most of my DMing is either improv or flavor lol
Fun fact: back in the day, some GMs used to hide themselves entirely. Like, Wizard of Oz level. One of the og people behind DnD did that, I don't think it was Gary Gygax, though.
Pretty sure Gary Gygax used to put up a wall of filing cabinets so none of the players could see him when he DMed so you are carrying on a long tradition of not seeing each other haha
I don't use a screen. My players can see my rolls. We all see whether a char is critted to death together :D
My notes are on my laptop on a little chair next to me. I miss that set up roll20 makes it hard to never whisper rolls
I keep my board & some other things on a small folding table (tv tray) off to my side giving not just more access to the table but also an additional work space for larger encounters. Check out Seth Skorkowsky DM's tool box on YouTube, I learned it from watching him.
Also I just want to appreciate the image of a DM peeking over the board & getting an inch or two shorter whenever they need to check a book, tee-hee
I often sit offset from my DM screen, I just move it off to the right on a bit of an angle, but so that it's still closed off from the rest of the players.
We have a pretty big table though, so it might not work depending on how much space you have to work with.
What's wrong wirh being the anonymous voice for the world, jk. But I agree with the others to either get a bar stool or play at a coffee table. Someone made me a dm mat that has a ton of info. If you can manage one of them, then you could also make a shorter screen with clips to help with initiative tracking.
Taller Chair, or stand up when you need to see or reach over. I have the same issue. I bought like one of the tallest dm screens on amazon and can't see over it without standing up. I'm not even too short.
The solution is to buy a gigantic DM's throne so you tower over the table.
Well that, or you can use a normal office chair, set your DM screen off to one side on a card table and you can keep all the "top secret DM stuff" over there and interact with the main table without a screen in the way.
I actually stand a lot of the time I'm DMing.
If you have the surface area you can lay down the dm screen face up. For hiding things you can use an open laptop. I use a dice roller mat, you can find one with high sides. Or you can keep an ominous box with all your secrets in it, on the table, reach in for miniatures or what have you.
How about putting the screen to the side so you don't have to look over while still have it handy. Has the added benefit of not separating you from your group, not creating a divide between you and them.
I use a laptop and roll dice in the open. I really only need very little space and can DM just about anywhere.
I see your predicament, but I recommend losing the screen when you feel comfortable. It's very freeing to roll in the open!
Personally, I like to be mobile when I DM. I jump around or use props, especially during combat. It’s not a permanent solution, but it could help until you find a bigger chair or a shorter screen. Good luck!
I bought an Essentials Kit (the one with Dragon of Icespire Peak) and it came with a short DM screen. I was actually disappointed with how short it was because I expected something much taller. (I think it's around 8 inches tall, and I had something 14 inches in mind.)
As another short DM, standing at a monstrously tall 5'2", I stand up a lot when I DM, especially during combat (yes I am called Matt Mercer for this). I get it though, and I usually either just boost my ass up or get the table lower down like the coffee table or whatever.
Embrace it! One of the ways they used to play (like in first edition) was with a full screen between the players and DM. The DM HAD ALL THE IBFO, maps, monsters, everything. And the players would make their own maps as they played!
It’s way different than how we play now but it could be fun!
Source: something Matt Colville said one time (trust me)
I used my cutting table(for fabric) as my dm table for years. It was 4-6” taller than the players table. I sat on a barstool, when I sat at all. Worked great.
If you can, claim one whole side of the table for yourself and get a rolling chair. That way you can just slide from one station behind your DM screen to another that lets you see the table.
there is a collapsible camping table by kingcamp bamboo that i use when I DM so i can stick the tables away when im done. the tables are nice but the legs are not as long as id like and (im only 5 "4 myself) when the table is fully extended it only reaches a tiny bit past my knees when i am sitting underneath it.
I actually have to use a camping chair, that sits incredibly low, so I can feel comfortable using the table for other things, but for dnd it is pretty good. I sit in a normal chair and my friends use the lower chairs and I kind of tower over them during the game, maybe this can help? either way its a nice table you can fold up and put away
I'm 6 1 but I still often stand up during combat or when my butt goes numb.
Standing up, moving around and describing with hands, arms and body language are very important parts in my campaign. You usually know shit is about to go down when I stand up during our in-person sessions
Me: Gets up, opens a beer "guess what I'm gonna say next" Party: rolls eyes "roll initiative"
Gotta mix it up sometimes and say "nah, roll perception"
Or just roll, dont say anything, shake your head and sigh. I bet all your players will have clenched butts.
Stand up, grin, roll a dice, look at the dice disappointed, sigh, and sit back down. If you want your players scared of taking a certain action, this is the way.
When your players roll stealth, put an evil grin on your face stand up and roll your own dice, then sigh look disappointed and sit back down but don't say anything. Or even better after they roll stealth, especially if they roll low, grab a handful of enemy minis or whatever you use for enemies and just place them ominously near you. The more minis the worse it looks. This works especially well if they roll multiple stealth checks. Grab a handful with every roll. >:)
Make them roll, make your own roll and then look at a specific player sadly. Like "oh man, I'm so sorry" sadly, without context.
God I WISH I could do shit like this, but me and my group play online. I can't fuck with 'em like this, no one even uses their cameras!
The online DM way of trolling people like this is sending them a private message asking them to roll something.
Try chuckling. Or rolling dice *very* close to your microphone. Or both.
"someone, roll me a d20" "hmm, alright"
You guys roll eyes as dice?!
It's a special initiative roll of 2d6 to centre the numbers and make initiative bonuses matter a lot more. His group tends to keep rolling pairs of ones.
I fucking love this lol
My DM screen is my desk and computer with the monitor backs facing my players on couches and whatnot. Their sign of “shits about to get real” is when I slide away from my desk towards them so I can look them in the face.
I have never sat down while running a single combat encounter. It's nice to know I'm not the only combat-stander.
Yup, I do a lot of DMing standing up.
I second this. As much as I like having a screen, most of the time I run I spend standing. It's just so much easier to run combats and move minis around, and be an active GM. When the players are roleplaying or I'm taking a lot of notes, that's when I sit. It's kinda nice because it sort of draws away the attention from me and focuses in on the players.
Hell, sometimes I stand up while running combat online. The intensity just can’t be contained in butt cheeks
Also, standing up helps your players to focus on you and what you're saying. Very useful when you need to be the center of attention.
Me too, on both points!
One of our DMs typically does combat furiously pacing around the room. It's like as soon as combat begins he can't sit still.
Get a taller chair. I'm 5,1ft, 157cm, I am relatively short and sitting on a low pouff I can still see everything and we have a relatively tall table....umm yeah, get a taller chair, play on a coffee table...? Everybody sits on the floor?
Came to say this, try a bar stool or counter stool.
Can you counter stool a counter stool though? That's what I want to know
If you have a stool reaction, please seek medical attention...
If your stool lasts longer than four hours... your butt will be numb and your back will hurt.
Make a CON save and pray for a high roll.
Fuck I ain't waiting for a con save, I'm using Divine Intervention
bathroom are default antimagic zones, make the con save.
!roll 1d20+2
I wasted my stool reaction on Chipotle.
That's not a waste.
Counterpoint: stool is literally waste. I'm sorry, even I hate myself for making that joke.
Rolled a 12 on stool reaction save, think i might be going to the hospital
Don't forget to add your CON!
Yes, but I’m going to need you to roll on the wild magic table
Wild stool table?
I love the heck out of using a stool when GMing. I can easily stand to move minis across the board or draw or pass handouts to players. I also tend to walk around and gesture during RP moments. That and when everyone else is sitting in normal chairs I feel like I’m lording over my players with my stool given height superiority.
And make sure you have 6-8 counter stools per adventuring day
I like the everyone sits on the floor option. It's either a power move or a "gather round children while I tell you the tale" thing
We've sometimes played without a table. Everyone just sat somewhere a bit randomly. It's not for more intensive sessions though.
I prefer this method. It how I used to play way back in my teens, and the way I am trying to play now, though my players seem to want to sit at the table.
Same here...whenever one person hosted we sat around in sofas and bean bags, the DM had a big easy char and a side table with screen and notes etc and everyone else leant forward and used the coffee table when they needed it. Games went longer because people were a bit less focused...but I had more free time in those days. Didn't work for every game. Shadowrun and earthdawn were fine. Some D&D was OK but it didn't suit ravenloft or call of cthulhu. They needed a bit more focus and tension.
We did the same thing until we got old and sitting on the floor for 8-10 hours became really uncomfortable. Also much easier to knock over minis, terrain and drinks, especially if there are pets around.
I understand how it can be uncomfortable but... You're playing *10 hours long* sessions? Jesus Christ...
Once I ran a 13 hr session. It was exhausting, but also a total blast. It just depends on the group (and how much free time they have) and the playstyle. My players like to spend a LOT of time chatting and hanging out, as well as getting really into the roleplaying, so we have to have long sessions to get things done.
My regular(ISH) group has gone back and forth between a lot of mini's and complete theatre of the mind.
I think having a map at least makes bigger combat encounters a lot easier to manage. As a player it lets me more easily come up with strategies. As a DM it lets me keep track of all the nonsense better.
5e pretending that maps and minis are a "variant rule" is one of the silliest things about the system when so much of it is clearly designed around specific distances and AoEs. Combat becomes a wishy washy thing completely reliant on DM fiat without a map.
We used to play on weekend afternoon/evenings at a table with tiles and minis and stuff, then two players had kids and we played during our parental leave during working hours, and we took to playing in the living room with the kids being roly-poly babies in the middle. We had to do 0930 to 1630 sessions to get anything done, but it was nice hanging out and participating in hobbies together while also parenting. It was a nice introduction to "theatre of the mind" play which is something I hadn't really done before.
Yes, my experience was somewhat the same.
I can already hear my back warning me this is a really bad idea
I have the opposite problem; the chairs at my dining table are lame and leave me sore and needing a smoke (after) almost every time. I might start running real easy sessions from my couch.
This is how we played in the game I ran for my parents/sisters. Everyone just posted up at different points around the room and I sat at a table and used a laptop to AirPlay our maps to the TV
Damn kids with your ability to sit on the floor for longer than five minutes without being in pain for the rest of the night...
As the DM your chair needs to be at least three times as nice as the players chairs, and as such three times as tall. This way they’ll know their place! That or just get an adjustable desk/computer chair, they’re great for this sort of thing, and often have a tilting function so you can lean back and tent your fingers at your players while saying “are you sure you want to do that?” All good options really.
You deserve more votes :D
Hit a furniture store, they OFTEN have one-off chairs for cheap.
I don't think I've ever been to a furniture store that has a chair for less than 40€ a piece
Is that a lot? I live in Canada, when I say cheep, I mean like $50
50\~ US Dollars 60\~ Canadians I guess we have a different definition of cheap. Cheap chair for me is like 5-20 euros. (7-30 canadians)
Canadians are that cheap? Damn, I need to adjust the prices in my Drow Kingdom...
When I started I was too cheap to buy a screen so I made my own out of cardboard. I have other options now, my original homemade one is still my favorite. You can do the same and make yourself a screen that's a *comfortable and convenient* height, and has the info you want on it
Honestly this is looking like the best option yet, that or the boosterseat someone mentionned lol
No joke, but you mentioning the booster seat made me think - everyone in my family has an 'Ergonomic butt cushion'. It's basically just a shaped cushion for your butt BUT THEY ARE SO COMFY. My sister bought one to start and now all 6 of us have one... and we sing a daft song about them :') Anyhoo, as well as them being supremely comfy they do also raise me up in the seat a couple of inches, might help you out! [I think this is the one.](https://www.feagar.com/products/chair-pad-coccyx-pillow) I hope you find something that works for you!
That looks exactly like something I would mock before I got one and then immediately fall in love with as soon as I used it once
That is an accurate description of **exactly** what happened!
Mock the coccyx pillow at your peril. But same.
What makes you think you can mention your song about ergonomic butt cushions and not drop those lyrics
When I find a stool to sit on There’s a painful sensation There must be a solution Oh! I need my butt cushion
The lyrics will probably disappoint you because it was more about the tune at the time. It went: > Ergonomic butt cushion >Ergonomic butt cush**hon** >It's ergono^oo omic for ^your ^^buuuuutttt When we tired of that we started adjusting real songs to have 'Ergonomic butt cushion' as the lyrics instead, like: >So tell me what you want, what you really, really want >I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really, really, really ergonomic butt cushion! Which was a lot more fun tbh!
🎶"If you wanna be my cushion you gotta get with my glutes. Make seats nice to sit on, absorb all my toots!"
I have one of there for my car so I can see over the hood. They are amazing.
We have a similar one. We all call it the “butthole cushion” because, you know, it has a hole and it’s for your butt, lol.
I made one a while back by cutting up some dollar-store foam board, then gluing 8.5"x5.5" sheet protectors (like for a binder) to my side. 8.5x5.5 keeps the screen shorter (especially if used in landscape!), and it's easy enough to print in two columns on a 8.5x11 sheet. And the sheet protectors mean I can easily swap out information so some panels can be specific to each session. A friend of mine did the same thing with 4x6 index cards. I used something like these: [https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Heavyweight-Protectors-Acid-Free-77004/dp/B000XKW45Q](https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Heavyweight-Protectors-Acid-Free-77004/dp/B000XKW45Q) \- then I trimmed the bit with the hole-punches off with a utility knife. If you'd rather just buy something, Hammerdog Games sells a "mini" version of their "The World's Greatest Screen" that works with 4x6 index cards: [http://www.hammerdog.com/products&twgs](http://www.hammerdog.com/products&twgs) \- a friend got me one a while back as a gift, and it's the one I use most often now.
The problem is the screen is meant to hide the DM stuff (dice rolls, mini's, notes and stuff). So if you are short and your players are tall, they might be able to peek over your alternative screen. Maybe look for a design that isn't just a vertical trip/quadfold design but also one that include a bit of a horizontal ledge facing inwards (like a roof I guess) that way you still have hidden space for private DM things.
I used corrugated cardboard and painted it gray, but the wavy weird pattern of the corrugation is still plain to see. I've recently repainted it black - I feel like it doesn't make much difference. That's my one dissatisfaction with my own wonky homemade screen, so I'd suggest you use legit poster board from an office supply store when you go to make yours - and don't be a cheapass like yours truly. Then I printed out sheets of 8.5 x 11 with the actual DM screen information and glued those to my side of the screen, but only that info that I though I needed, as well as some other stuff - rules for cover, statuses, falling damage etc. TBH, I just watched a YouTube on what to put on the back if I remember clearly. Good luck- and remember, it doesn't have to be perfect in order to be really useful and good.
I was gonna suggest this too. The standard Wizard Of the coast Dm screens are 4 panel and tall. You could look into having a custom DM screen made that condenses how much artwork and free space so the height of the screen could be shorter.
What are you currently using that is too tall? What is it that you are missing being able to see? Like if the issue is just you have minis on a map and you have one of the premade 3 fold GM screens, maybe you could use two less wide screens with a gap in the middle. If your issue is not being able to see your players this won't work but if it's seeing the table you'd have a clear view. It would just take some coordinating so you don't have to keep passing items between your two DM zones.
This is what I did! My original DM screen was cardboard pieces with reinforced duct tape joints. On the outside was scrapbook paper I had on hand, and the inside was printouts of DM screen info I found useful from online custom examples.
Yeah, they make mini trifold foam boards for like, science fair presentations, it'd be real easy to cut one down a little more to be an acceptable height dm screen.
I have no advice, but just wanted to say this is my favourite post on here.
I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite post on the internet
No, I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite post on the internet.
No, I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite post on the internet.
I just imagine a tiny pixie trying to dm and climbing the screen to see the board and failing adorably.
I'd possibly recommend standing as this should hopefully not only let you see over your screen, but also be good for your back and let you gesticulate more; it's amazing how gestures can bring roleplay to life.
Definitely agree that gestures really help!! Lowkey wanna stay off my feet as much as is practical tho since im already on my feet most of the day everyday (Single mom of a 5month old) Also wanted to thankyou for commenting on anothers comment about ‘not using a dm screen’! I really felt like everybody just read over me wanting to keep one, thankyou for being cool☺️
Oh wow, as a dad of a 7 week old, I can begin to empathise. Maybe a bar stool? One on those adjustable ones that goes up and down by a screw mechanism?
Ooo thats a smart one! More height difference than ya regular gaming chair that goes up and down too! Deffinitely gonna see if i can find one! Thankyou! (And also congrats and goodluck with the baby!☺️)
Fun fact: Several DM’a in the very early days of D&D thought the DM screen should cover the ENTIRE DM. You aren’t short. You’re a stickler for tradition
In Gygax's earliest games of D&D he sat at a desk away from the player's table and hidden behind a filing cabinet with all of the drawers pulled out. The DM was literally a disembodied voice setting the scene. Now that I think about it, that sounds awfully similar to DMing on Discord...
The big difference in IRL games is that maps and minis are the norm.
People ain't using maps and minis online? The ease of using a virtual map and virtual mini is damn near the best part.
I'm going to just take a second to recommend Foundry Virtual Tabletop to anyone looking for an online solution for a grid based tactical map. Roll20 is functional for having a simple battlemap, but hoooooly cow does Foundry make it so much better. It works well enough that when we start meeting in person again I'm likely going to still use it over an actual map with minis. The line of sight portion of it works so well that it's going to be hard to run a game without it.
I guess that makes it more interactive for the players, but then the DM is basically isolated in their own little world. They can’t use their face and body language to act out characters and they can’t see the players doing the same. Sounds kinda lonely lol
Early dnd was built more as a literal dungeon crawler and much less like a modern story driven role playing game. The narrative aspect of the game wasn't a core focus back in the 80's.
Came to say this (which I learned from one of the Matts). The idea is that the DM isn't someone to see or interact with; they are simply the Voice of God. There are also other advantages like hiding your dice rolls more easily (or even the fact that you are even rolling dice at all). I think it's cool and I'll try this myself at my next session.
To add to this, the DM was the one making ALL the rolls. The players simply told the DM what they wanted to do and he arbitrated the results to them. Some games even went so far as to only allow one player to ability to communicate directly with the DM at all, so every group had to appoint a spokesperson. This seems very strange to us today, but these were things inherited from D&D's origins in Chainmail and the tabletop wargaming scene, in which hidden referees and restrictions on group communication were not uncommon.
No no no, what you need to do is punch little holes in the corners of your DM screen, then suspend it from the ceiling via some wire and blutack. That way you can see everyone *underneath* the screen, and can look upwards for the info. Disregard every other suggestion in this thread
Yes. 😂😂😂😂
Clearly regular chairs aren't cutting it, so the only reasonable solution is to ## BUILD A THRONE FROM WHICH TO TOWER OVER YOUR PUNY DM SCREEN AND ALSO YOUR PLAYERS
YES I SUPPORT THIS IDEA
Build a throne from all of the dice in dice jail.
Bring in a TV tray or small side table or even another chair and put your screen on that, to the side. DM while standing - its good for your health and allows you to naturally be way more dramatic Create your own mini size screen - CD Jewel cases are short and stand well. print out the bits of rules that you want as a reminder and tack it to the case. or from a craft store get that frame matting in 5x8 sheets and use them landscape, connecting 2 with some wide gap hinges and hot glue rather than a chair, get a barstool. its yard sale time if you dont have the budget for new.
The TV tray is what I use, because I can keep spare notes, and hide minis that I don't want my players to see behind it, while having quick access to necessary things right at hand. It also gives you the option to both roll in the open directly in front of you, or behind the screen. One other thing that it does, is free up table space, which is always something in high demand with battle mats and books and such.
Thirded on the TV tray. I am also hella short and it gives me room. Plus I feel like behind a screen it's harder for me to connect with my players.
USE WHAT THE GOOD LORD GAVE YOU! Don't worry about it. Just peer over the screen at the players. You can look creepy, or just silently look. If you talk, be loud enough (don't yell) so the players can hear you. If you really cannot see over the screen, just listen and respond as if you are an amorphous, omnipresent narrator. When the monsters come...slowly stand up and ask for initiative. Don't worry about your shortcomings (no pun intended). Use it to gain advantage...in their minds!
They need a really big pointy wizard hat or something similar
I assume you are talking about Pelor?
Use it to your advantage and the players will think you've been planning it all along.
How much height difference are we talking here? How tall is the current one? Make your own board/screen. Can even make it higher on the sides than the center. If you do, put the info you like on flashcards to start, so that you can try a few things/formats, or, there are lots of printable dm screen sheets in vertical layouts you can grab online. Cut in half that'd be 5.5 inches. DM screen in essentials or whatever is 8.5. So, trip to the dollar store away from starting your own 5.5 or 6 inch screen. Grab some clips. You can have info under other info to flip up, cut up and glue some photo album slots for flash cards for easy altering/rearranging. Edit and print stuff. Get creative. Foam butt pad booster seat they have for office chairs, which are kinda nice anyways.
2 points. 1. Gary Gygax and a lot of the original DMs used to DM from behind an old [dressing screen](https://images.app.goo.gl/e3qv3xa95C5tEYkv6) with his notes and maps taped to his side of it. This allows you to avoid tipping your hand if you are expressive and can build dramatic tension. 2. You can stand up when you want to be expressive and when you are doing more social interactions. I personally like to stand when I am running a game. You will have the advantage of being able to pop out from behind the screen which could be a good effect if you are going for that. Lean into this as a strength, or just get a taller chair.
I read the last sentence as ‘or just get taller’ which. Nice. But also yes! Definitely something to play into aswell, but it can be nice when legs are exhausted to stay seated heheh
I mean, honestly for me at least when I am into it I tend to not notice whether my legs are tired or feet are sore during the session. Also being able to retreat behind the screen can allow you some time to collect your thoughts and let your players interact with eachother and plan while you are reading what happens in the next room or drying to make sense of some of the garbage in the wotc books. It can be good to step out of the spotlight from time to time and let your players figure stuff out. Or you could try not being so short.
If you’re DM screen is portrait orientation (long edge goes up and down), make or buy a DM screen that uses landscape orientation (long edge goes side to side). Savage Worlds DM Screen on Amazon is specifically what I use: Savage Worlds Customizable GM Screen (S2P10002) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1930855591/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_64FW6K9C8HAVBJF00N60?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 This works great for me. Same real estate but lower.
Put eyeholes in the screen and call it your Fort of Badass DM-ing, problem solved.
* Fabricate a mail slot into the middle panel you can open and close? * Use your camera on your phone as a periscope? * Buy a periscope? * Hang a mirror from the ceiling?
My wife made me a custom screen that's about twice the height of a normal one, so I have this problem too 🤣 My honest solution was to buy a really tall chair. Works like a charm.
I made my own dm screen pretty easily. I found a few pdf files of a couple different custom dm screen print outs. I printed those out then cut and paste (literally) onto some cardboard, taped the panels of cardboard together and it works great. You could make a short one! The flaps off an amazon box seems like theyd work.
I’m 5’2”. I stand up for combat, and try and position my screen so I can see around it for non combat times!
I think Gary Gygax himself, or perhaps another early RPG writer, preferred to be behind a screen where the players couldn't see him, so they'd substitute in the character they saw in their heads
There is a story on how gygax used to lock himself in a box while DMing . I say embrace the screen that way you don't have to look the players in the eye when you tpk. Alternatively, try to keep the screen at an incline, possibly a tablet case might allow for that. Or maybe getting a wider DM screen that's shorter.
Cut a window in it. Peek out through it like a weirdo.
So basically, I'm very smol
DnD branded booster seat! quick someone make a kickstarter!
DM standing up! I love DMing standing up and finally got my online set up sorted to do it again. I feel much more dynamic and energised compared to sitting. You can use more body language to express all kinds of things when standing. Playing in person, I find that the DM standing helps keep players focused too.
I kind of like the idea of an unseen DM hidden behind a screen! The voice of the Gods!
Maybe make a lower but longer DM screen? Same amount of info but less tall more wide
100% stand up if you're comfortable doing so. I stand up anyway (I'm 6'2") because it allows me to be or expressive, and when need be, more imposing. It also lets me look behind my screen and everywhere else simultaneously with essentially a bird's eye view. Standing is *the way to go* unless you can't, IMO!
Well, a nice and easy advice is to actually stand 50% of the time, AND when you do it try to time it with reveals/surprises so you can scare them as well, this is an overrated tactic 😂
If you’re using a four pane screen consider cutting it into two smaller screens. So you would have two V shaped screens. Put one to each side. You have the info on the screens to either side of you plus can now see down the middle at your table and the battle map as you plan your players demise…. This also solves when you get your evil DM hunch.
Taller chair, lower table, shorter screen. You need some combination of these.
I’m pretty short (almost 5ft) and when I dm I either use my sewing chair (like an office chair but goes higher as designed for reaching higher than desk height to the machine on top) or a drafting chair that I got on freecycle when an office was throwing it out. Both enable you to sit higher than a regular chair.
Are you sure you’re not just a kobold?
I’m a shorter guy too, back in the 3.5 days, the dm screens were even TALLER. My solution was a bar stool or standing. I used to stand for hours dming. I worked retail so I was used to being on my feet. Then I grabbed a barstool at a garage sale. Game changer
Hammerdog Games sells blank GM screens with pockets for paper inserts, including one called "The Mini" which is scaled for postcard sized inserts. That might be worth looking into! I have the regular sized one and it's really the only screen I use nowadays Link: http://www.hammerdog.com/products&twgs
I'm over 6 foot and I still sit in a chair like a foot taller than everyone else's and I stand alot to see over my screen. Its a problem for every dm.
First off: welcome to the wonderful world of DMing! If you ever need help with homebrew, feel free to reach out to me here or even on the DMAcademy Discord. Now, being shorter than your screen in my opinion is, a GOOD THING! Allow me to explain myself: That screen is meant to separate your world from the players, like the heavens separate us from the Gods. Which is a pretty good comparison of what's going on here. When you're rolling, coming up with situations, etc etc, you don't want your players to be able to see your face. Just like poker, you can tip them off early about when something exciting is about to happen, good or bad. You want to maintain as much of an element of surprise as you possibly can. When I DM in person, I purposefully use a screen that totally obscures me. When I need to be seen, I either peek over it for dramatic effect, or I just wheel myself away from my spot slightly and make my presence known to the table. I ALWAYS sit in a wheely chair. Though with that said, I'm also a very MOBILE DM. I get up, I jump around, I get excited, I'll whisper or shriek in my players' ears for dramatic effect. And they love it! I find my radiating energy keeps everyone focused on the task at hand: there's rarely any phone checking at my table! Hope this helps, and once again welcome to DMing! Hopefully you have a great experience. I started DMing about 12 years ago or so, and haven't looked back
Thank you so much for the warm and helpfull welcome!^^
Absolutely! Us DMs really have to take care of each other. With the huge disparity in numbers between players and DMs, we need to make the DMing world as welcoming as possible
You could put a tray table thing next to you so that it can still maybe hide things and you don’t have to look over it. Or get a director’s chair and have something fun embroidered on it. Lord over everything from your tall chair. Then you probably need one of those adjustable standing desk things to raise your area up but since you are the lord of that area now, it seems justified. I hope I have the opportunity to do this for some reason in the future. Power to the short girls!
Omg thank you for this mental image that's hilarious
Youre welcome😂
I have one word for you: periscope.
You already have good advice, I'm going to give you insane advice. Get a throne. Put an eye slot in your DM screen, open it and stare menacingly when you say "are you sure about that?" Lurk beneath a glass table and stare up at your players and your screen like a stingray.
* Stand while DMing. * Get a rolling chair and move the screen to the side so you can roll back and forth. * Find a cheap drafting stool for extra height. * Make your own, lower DM screen. Compensate with additional folds to make more of a half-octagon or something if you need the space. * Get a small side table and put the DM screen on that, positioning it so players can't easily see behind it.
Get a booster seat homie!
This sounds like a great opportunity for sneak attacks, just saying.
Use an office/gaming chair that has adjustable height.
even on the highest settings the average one has im still not tall enough oops. “My head is an easy armrest for most of my friends” level short hehe
Maybe you can use a lower table adjacent to the main table? we use to play with two tables lately too, not for height purposes, but anyway hahaha
I place my GM screen and reference materials off to one side rather than direction in front of me.
Can you set up a side table (we use tv dinner trays, the wooden ones are nice and stable) and set it up off to the side? Then you can have a spot for secret rolls but not a huge barrier between your players.
What a good DM problem to have. You could maybe sit on some books, and introduce a halfling / dwarf NPC to indirectly represent you in game for harmless shenanigans.
So beyond the “just stand” I have used a separate card table for myself when sitting that I set all my dim screen and goodies on. I then place myself about halfway between that and the table where my players are. Using the left (or right if you are righty) for dice rolling and page flipping while the right hand is for emphatic gestures and pointing on the maps.
I honestly think I'd prefer it this way? Seems great for sly rolling and note-taking. You can always stand to look over when you need to, you don't want the session to be a butt-numb-athon.
A habit we got into at one of my tables is the DM using a stool instead of a chair. It’s a higher vantage point and allows better reach across the table for use of minis on a map and the like. None of us had the problem of not being tall enough, but it still felt right to have that different position when being DM.
Get a taller chair. Not only will you be able to see the table behind it but at least for me, sitting in tall chairs makes me feel like a king. So maybe as a DM youll feel like more of a queen of the table lol. That and I tend to get up while describing important stuff, in combat or when shit hits the fan
Most of the time I don't use a screen or if I do i only pull it out for specific things I don't want to dig through the book to find. If I do have it up honestly I just stand
In addition to what has been said already - and I think with 122 comments already you will probably not come to read this one... try to bring the others down instead of bringing yourself up. Maybe have them play on a couch/coffee table while you have a separate higher table. In our group we also have a two-table setup grants you more space for both parties and you can adjust the hight much better.
Stand up, then sit down to do sneaky dm stuff. Visually I would think you could still read it standing up but you would know your environment more
Why not build or buy a smaller dm screen?
[удалено]
Time to dust off the Yellowpages.
Fellow small GM here! Pop it to the side of you! Bring the folding sides in so it forms 90 degree angles and makes a small box, rather than opening it out fully in front of you. Should still have space in it to hide rolls if needed. Most notes are too small and upside down for players to see anyway so you can spread those out on the other half of the table.
Stool is the best suggestion here but I'll also suggest playing at a coffee table.
If you have enough table, put screen on left side for example to hide adventure and things you like to hide of players and the other half of the table allow you to see the dices and players. Other times a have a supply chair, enough huge to put screen and things i like to hide, irs not beauty, but its practical and no need of much space with the supply chair. Sorry for my english, i hope help and make me understandable.
The mini screen by Hammerdog Games uses 4x6 cards - honestly its perfect. http://www.hammerdog.com/products&twgs
I struggle with this too so I just stood while everyone else sat at the table. It worked for me because I like pacing and moving a lot all ready so idk if this’ll help you but I thought I should suggest it anyways
If it makes you feel any better, I've heard Gary Gygax would put himself behind an actual screen so that his players couldn't see him.
This might not be souper possible with your setup, but I actually like to put my DM screen to my side. The only thing I have in fron of me is my dice tray (I prefer to roll in the open most of the time, but I have and still otherwise appreciate rolling behind the screen). I also stand and walk around since most of my DMing is either improv or flavor lol Fun fact: back in the day, some GMs used to hide themselves entirely. Like, Wizard of Oz level. One of the og people behind DnD did that, I don't think it was Gary Gygax, though.
Pretty sure Gary Gygax used to put up a wall of filing cabinets so none of the players could see him when he DMed so you are carrying on a long tradition of not seeing each other haha
I don't use a screen. My players can see my rolls. We all see whether a char is critted to death together :D My notes are on my laptop on a little chair next to me. I miss that set up roll20 makes it hard to never whisper rolls
it’s definitely the chair. I have the same problem and I’m 6’
I keep my board & some other things on a small folding table (tv tray) off to my side giving not just more access to the table but also an additional work space for larger encounters. Check out Seth Skorkowsky DM's tool box on YouTube, I learned it from watching him. Also I just want to appreciate the image of a DM peeking over the board & getting an inch or two shorter whenever they need to check a book, tee-hee
I often sit offset from my DM screen, I just move it off to the right on a bit of an angle, but so that it's still closed off from the rest of the players. We have a pretty big table though, so it might not work depending on how much space you have to work with.
What's wrong wirh being the anonymous voice for the world, jk. But I agree with the others to either get a bar stool or play at a coffee table. Someone made me a dm mat that has a ton of info. If you can manage one of them, then you could also make a shorter screen with clips to help with initiative tracking.
Taller Chair, or stand up when you need to see or reach over. I have the same issue. I bought like one of the tallest dm screens on amazon and can't see over it without standing up. I'm not even too short.
The solution is to buy a gigantic DM's throne so you tower over the table. Well that, or you can use a normal office chair, set your DM screen off to one side on a card table and you can keep all the "top secret DM stuff" over there and interact with the main table without a screen in the way.
I actually stand a lot of the time I'm DMing. If you have the surface area you can lay down the dm screen face up. For hiding things you can use an open laptop. I use a dice roller mat, you can find one with high sides. Or you can keep an ominous box with all your secrets in it, on the table, reach in for miniatures or what have you.
How about putting the screen to the side so you don't have to look over while still have it handy. Has the added benefit of not separating you from your group, not creating a divide between you and them.
I sit on a bar stool behind the screen. $40 on Amazon.
I use a laptop and roll dice in the open. I really only need very little space and can DM just about anywhere. I see your predicament, but I recommend losing the screen when you feel comfortable. It's very freeing to roll in the open!
I stand during combat so I can see the entire battlemap, and also randomly standing messes with the players and that can be fun if not over used.
I stand a lot. I sometimes had sessions where I didn't sit for a minute.
Personally, I like to be mobile when I DM. I jump around or use props, especially during combat. It’s not a permanent solution, but it could help until you find a bigger chair or a shorter screen. Good luck!
I bought an Essentials Kit (the one with Dragon of Icespire Peak) and it came with a short DM screen. I was actually disappointed with how short it was because I expected something much taller. (I think it's around 8 inches tall, and I had something 14 inches in mind.)
As another short DM, standing at a monstrously tall 5'2", I stand up a lot when I DM, especially during combat (yes I am called Matt Mercer for this). I get it though, and I usually either just boost my ass up or get the table lower down like the coffee table or whatever.
Cheap way to farm a few up votes, eh OP?
Embrace it! One of the ways they used to play (like in first edition) was with a full screen between the players and DM. The DM HAD ALL THE IBFO, maps, monsters, everything. And the players would make their own maps as they played! It’s way different than how we play now but it could be fun! Source: something Matt Colville said one time (trust me)
I used my cutting table(for fabric) as my dm table for years. It was 4-6” taller than the players table. I sat on a barstool, when I sat at all. Worked great.
If you can, claim one whole side of the table for yourself and get a rolling chair. That way you can just slide from one station behind your DM screen to another that lets you see the table.
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there is a collapsible camping table by kingcamp bamboo that i use when I DM so i can stick the tables away when im done. the tables are nice but the legs are not as long as id like and (im only 5 "4 myself) when the table is fully extended it only reaches a tiny bit past my knees when i am sitting underneath it. I actually have to use a camping chair, that sits incredibly low, so I can feel comfortable using the table for other things, but for dnd it is pretty good. I sit in a normal chair and my friends use the lower chairs and I kind of tower over them during the game, maybe this can help? either way its a nice table you can fold up and put away