Joined: Dec 18, 2002 Posts: 6560 Location: Innsmouth House
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 9:02 pm Post subject: The Ultimate Keeper's Screen
Having just concluded a Call of Cthulhu campaign with my players (a sorry tale) I've regularly used Chaosium's current Keeper's Screen (#2387), however as a result of its long term use I wouldn't mind seeing some changes for its next release.
* Quad-fold rather than tri-fold, to obscure that bit more from overly attentive players.
* Thicker cardstock. The current screen seems a bit too thin and flexible and if you have a lit candle behind it - you can virtually see straight though - not good if you're hiding monster minis behind the screen.
* I particularly like John T. Snyder's cover for the current rulebook - and note that the image was used for the d20 CoC GM Screen.
Just for starters - haven't talked about the content yet, though there's probably not the need to go to the level of detail offered by the official HackMaster Screen - after all how many of us need Pizza selection tables? (then again).
Joined: Aug 20, 2003 Posts: 150 Location: Gloucestershire
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 9:19 pm Post subject:
A four-panel screen would certainly be nice, three-panel ones just don't adequately conceal an open book. I've never been too enamoured of the artwork on the current screen either, it's a little too generic and cartoonish for me.
Talking of artwork, does anyone know if there has there been any word yet of what will be on the cover of the sixth edition rulebook? I like the 5.5 cover, so if that were not going to be on the rulebook, the screen would be a good home for it.
I'll admit I've never made much use of the screen's insides except for the resistance table, and the occasional rules check. I'm usually instead in the habit of covering the inside with post-its, to remind me of the plot and NPCs. I probably shouldn't be this interested in screens...
Joined: Jul 16, 2003 Posts: 1892 Location: Smoggy Southern California
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 10:57 pm Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Keeper's Screen
PoC wrote:
Having just concluded a Call of Cthulhu campaign with my players (a sorry tale) I've regularly used Chaosium's current Keeper's Screen (#2387), however as a result of its long term use I wouldn't mind seeing some changes for its next release.
* Quad-fold rather than tri-fold, to obscure that bit more from overly attentive players.
* Thicker cardstock. The current screen seems a bit too thin and flexible and if you have a lit candle behind it - you can virtually see straight though - not good if you're hiding monster minis behind the screen.
* I particularly like John T. Snyder's cover for the current rulebook - and note that the image was used for the d20 CoC GM Screen.
Just for starters - haven't talked about the content yet, though there's probably not the need to go to the level of detail offered by the official HackMaster Screen - after all how many of us need Pizza selection tables? (then again).
I actually made my own, even though I have compulsively purchased both the 3rd and 5th edition screens.
I used 5 panels of black mat board from an art supply store, hinged together with black grosgrain ribbon. The middle panel is horizontal, while the side panels are vertical (anyone remember the old yellow Judge's Guild screen for D&D? Same idea, but two more panels). The player's side has color photocopies of various suggestive works of art like Munch's The Scream, Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights (the 'Hell' panel of the triptych, of course), Bruegel's The Triumph of Death, some stuff by Otto Dix and a nicely grisly 17th century woodcut of a mass execution.
On my side of the screen are various tables I've gleaned from the books, plus some tables I've filched from Hero Game's Espionage, GURPS Horror, and Gangbusters. I'm planning to add a flip-over panel (taking a page - or is it a panel - from the Hackmaster screen) for the Dreamlands tables (Nightmare effects, etc.), using some nicely surreal paintings by Paul Delvaux for the player's side.
I'd like to put those metal corners on to keep the edges neat, but I haven't been able to find a source - the company that makes menus that I was able to track down claimed that you need a special hydraulic press to crimp them into place, so the refused to sell me any of the corners. Yeah, right.
It has plenty of room (in fact, it needs a big table for full effect), hides candles well (underlighting my face - creepy effect in a dark room),the selected art is nicely disturbing, and the tables are tailored to my needs. Plus it was a lot of fun to make.
Joined: Jan 31, 2003 Posts: 1365 Location: Southampton, UK
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 11:31 pm Post subject:
I also made my own. Well ... I made the inserts for my MasterScreen from Citizen Games. This takes you to the Quad, a four-panel affair. My version is the three panel version (which they appear to have stopped making).
The MasterScreen isn't cheap, but it has the advantage of being used for all your RPGs.
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 12:10 am Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Keeper's Screen
PoC wrote:
Having just concluded a Call of Cthulhu campaign with my players (a sorry tale) I've regularly used Chaosium's current Keeper's Screen (#2387), however as a result of its long term use I wouldn't mind seeing some changes for its next release.
* Quad-fold rather than tri-fold, to obscure that bit more from overly attentive players.
* Thicker cardstock. The current screen seems a bit too thin and flexible and if you have a lit candle behind it - you can virtually see straight though - not good if you're hiding monster minis behind the screen.
Make your own screen!
I don't know what the Brit equivalent would be, but here stateside, I just took the cardboard backs from a half-dozen 8.5x11 "pseudo" legal pads, duct taped them into an /\/\/\ accordion fold, and then cellotaped photocopies of useful charts and lists to the front and back. Much better than letting some freelance graphical designer decide what your gaming needs are!
I made my own as well. I got one of those big tri-folded foam-board things we all used in Middle School for science projects, cut it in half, photocopied the charts I felt most useful, pasted those to the inside, and on the player's side I did a cartoon illustration based on the comic I draw for my own amusement, featuring Cthulhu (who lounges around in a gray sweatsuit and loves ABBA). The screen features Cthulhu scooping the still-beating heart from the chest of Caroline, who's tied to an altar, while Jim is nibbled on by Deep Ones, Dave's severed head is used as a hand-puppet, and Matt's mind is snapped by what he sees and is dragged away in a straightjacket by ghouls wearing T-shirts with "Orderly" written across the back. The background is made up of red splatters that look like splashed blood. Unfolded, it hides my entire side of the table from the view of the players. I have a picture around somewhere of the looks on my player's faces when I first used it. An interesting mixture of disgust and amusement. _________________ People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world. -- Calvin
Joined: Nov 19, 2003 Posts: 15 Location: South Coast UK
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2003 3:29 pm Post subject: Keepers screens
Hi Guys
I've been directed here by one of my clients...Ever considered having a keepers screen made for you? If so check out
http://www.greydog-designs.co.uk
Which is me.
I can create any kind of screen you want....and as an in the bone gamer, will happily add all those bits of information YOU deem important on the reverse.
Any prop you fancy really
Joined: Jul 11, 2003 Posts: 648 Location: Dark Valley, Ohio
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2003 6:46 pm Post subject:
Those are some pretty cool screens. I have been thinking about making a screen out of red oak or a white oak stained a dark tone. I figure it would look pretty classy and I could make a frame on the few of the panels to slide appropriate pictures in and out. I have not decided if I should use hinges to attach the panels together or build supports that the panels could slide in and out.
Has anyone constructed a screen out of wood? I would be interested to see your pattern if you drew one.
Yeah, i've never been a big fan of a collection of unrelated drawings slapped together on the players side. If they, say, extended the cover from the newest rulebook so it just spanned across all four panels, well, i may just be convinced to buy (yet another) screen. One nice, cohesive theme across the whole thing that'll help convey the mood of the game. Sorry, but a big catoonish Cthulhu rising up and munching on fools just doesn't fit the tone of my games too well...though Bill's sure sounds interesting!
I was also thinking that it would be cool to model it after Metallica's black album cover. Y'know, a black on...um...different black...color scheme. It could have barely noticable shadowy figures creeping across the screen, that somehow become a little more visible when candlelight hits it just so...
Last edited by LiteratePugilist on Thu Nov 20, 2003 11:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
Joined: Nov 19, 2003 Posts: 15 Location: South Coast UK
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2003 10:12 pm Post subject:
The idea of a black on black scene is a good one, this could easily be achieved using mountboard (which has a thin layer of foam trapped between coloured card stock). Just use a biro (bic) and press hard. In candlelight the shellac in the ink will glow a dull red but be barely visable in daylight.
Joined: Dec 18, 2002 Posts: 6560 Location: Innsmouth House
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 10:21 pm Post subject:
Sarah Evans of Grey Dog Designs (trustno1arm2theteeth) will be bringing a completed screen down to Dragonmeet next month. If you're there you can see what it looks like 'in the flesh'.
Joined: Mar 12, 2003 Posts: 143 Location: West Sussex, United Kingdom
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 10:56 pm Post subject:
PoC wrote:
Sarah Evans of Grey Dog Designs (trustno1arm2theteeth) will be bringing a completed screen down to Dragonmeet next month. If you're there you can see what it looks like 'in the flesh'.
Paul
Cool! I checked out the site and was quite taken by the Haunted House screen. Wouldn't suprise me if Sarah doesn't leave with some orders
Joined: Dec 18, 2002 Posts: 6560 Location: Innsmouth House
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 6:07 pm Post subject:
PoC wrote:
Sarah Evans of Grey Dog Designs (trustno1arm2theteeth) will be bringing a completed screen down to Dragonmeet next month. If you're there you can see what it looks like 'in the flesh'.
Sarah finally managed to track me down while I was chatting away at the Fanzine Desk. A large bag was handed over, and this is what it contained:
You can see the size of it when compared to the normal Keeper's Screen, and these photos don't do it justice. We left the screen standing on the Fanzine Desk for a while and suddenly even more people started wandering over. There were many "ooohhs "and "aaaahhs" to be heard.
I'll be doing a proper review of the Screen for Adam and The Black Seal magazine, but Neil's right, it generated a lot of interest and who knows what may be appearing in use at the UK Cthulhu Nationals next year...
Sarah makes bespoke screens, hand crafted, hand finished. The inside of my screen naturally had a series of Call of Cthulhu tables from the rule book (the ones I asked for).
A joy to look at and I can hardly wait to start using it in my next game.
Available direct from Sarah at Greydog Designs and thanks again to Ben (zomben) for pointing out Sarah's site in the first place.
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, that's an excellent idea! I gotta go out and find me some of that! Thanks for the tip 
