BHAC1 Boot Hill Referee's Screen

There is not much that needs said about a GM Screen. It accomplishes the intended  purpose of providing the GM with necessary tables that allow the game to move along at a  quicker pace by eliminating the need to flip through a number of books to find countless  charts. It also serves a secondary purpose in preventing players with wandering eyes  from seeing parts of maps and other items they should not see. I am not sure if this was  the first of the TSR screens to include a small adventure but it became the norm for  quite sometime for TSR and even other companies. I have never played this module so I  can't speak to it.


Published: 1981
Pages: 4/8

From the front cover

Fast-paced gunslinging action will never bog down in a search for missing tables with  the BOOT HILL Referee's Screen handy. Fourteen of the most used tables from the BOOT  HILL rulebook are arranged on this durable playing aid. A special 8-page BOOT HILL  adventure, Shootout in Northfield and other Famous Gunfights lets players recreate the  famous gun battle that destroyed the Jesse James-Cole Younger gang, plus six other  famous showdowns.

AC7 Master Player Screen, Reaping

This is another item that needs little in the way of explanation.  Any GM is going to need or will want something to hide the  information he is describing to the players. This can be  accomplished by distance but eventually a screen is going to be  wanted.

This screen was designed with the then new Master edition in  mind. With the staggered approach on release the BECMI series  made it possible to re-market items that had previously been  released. Sort of like releasing new editions every few years but  in this case the players and DM do not need to learn new core  rules every time and work to convert characters.

The module that was included is not one that I ever ran. It  starts with an overland journey through a great desert and end  with the players learning the secret to immortality

Published: 1985
Pages: 8 (module)

From the Back Cover:

For the first time, all the important tables and information for  character classes has been gathered together in this easy-to-use  accessory. This screen collects all the crucial information for  player characters, from beginning to master level. This fabulous  product includes Level advancement, spells and weapons tables:  Saving Throws, Combat and Special Abilities.

Also featured is the Master level mini-adventure, The Spindle,  the beginning of a quest for the secret of immortality. This  adventure provides players and DMs alike, with a foundation from  which to create their own epic quests into legend and beyond.


User Summary: (taken from RPGGeek)

Master Player Screen

Internal tables:

    * Hit roll charts for all classes, versus armor class from 10  to -10.
    * Saving throws for all classes.
    * Thief special abilities and experience table.
    * Cleric turning undead table for all types of undead.
    * Spell lists for clerics, druids and magic-users for all  spell levels.

External tables:

    * Cleric experience and spells per level table.
    * Magic-user experience and spells per level table.
    * Fighter experience table.
    * Dwarf experience table.
    * Elf experience and spells per level table.
    * Halfling experience table.

All tables cover all levels of experience (1 to 36 as applicable,  and demihuman attack ranks).



Spell:

Reaping

Level: Fourth
Range: 9"
Duration: 2 Rounds/Level
Area of Effect: 1 Creature/Level
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 5 Segments
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user causes the selected  targets to "reap what they sow" as it phrase goes. This will  cause whatever they do for the duration of the spell to be  shared.

The victims of the spell will have any damage they do in combat  split evenly (rounded down) between the target of the attack and  themselves. So if they were to hit a target for 13 points of  damage then the target will take six and they will take six  points of damage. This will apply to damage done in melee combat  or through the use of spells.

If the target of the spell uses beneficial magic then the effect  is not halved bu instead fully copies. Any healing that the  target does will be copied to the person they are engaged in  combat with or if not actively engaged then the caster determines  the target of the effect.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the  write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the  80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other  than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be  slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of  spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :)  Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on  me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please  let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

7th Sea GM Screen, Keeping Pace

As I have said before one of the standard requirements for any game system seems to the DM/GM Screen. I have not had a chance to play 7th Sea but picked up the GM screen cheap at Half Price Books at some point in the past. I will now have it if I ever decide to run a session or two of the game.

The screen seems to be your standard fare. The outside image is a nice on for the players to look at. I go back and forth about having an image or make the outside tables that the players might find useful. I think a combination of both is perhaps the best option.

The screen game with a module and I have not even looked that over. It is the first part of some larger three part series. If I ever get a chance to run it I will be sure and post an update here or in another post and link back to this one. In the end it is a GM screen with a module that is included. It has become standard fare in the RPG world.

Product Description...

"This essential aid includes a three-panel, fold-out screen, helpful GM hints, and the first in a three-part adventure series. This module includes a fast-paced journey across main land Théah, with the player encountering action and intrigue at every turn. Also included is the first installment in the Explorer’s Society Source Book."

1999 ... AEG 7003



Spell:

Keeping Pace

Level: Second
Range: None
Duration: 1 Turn + 1 Turn/Level
Area of Effect: Caster + 2 Creatures/Level
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Segment
Saving Throw: None

By means of this spell the magic user enables the targeted  creatures to keep pace with and eventually evade something that  is pursuing them. The spell will only be in effect while the  caster's group is being chased.

As soon as the spell is cast the creatures selected will be able  to keep ahead of and even outdistance anything that is pursuing  them. The movement rate of the targets will be increased to the  maximum rate that any of their pursuers are moving plus 2". So  if they are being chased by a creature with a run speed (and  they are running) of 12"/round then they will run at 14"/round.  For the movement rate to be increased the group must be trying to  evade and escape their chasers. The spell will remain in effect  but not increase the movement rate until it expires if the  targets are not being chased.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the  write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the  80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other  than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be  slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of  spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :)  Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on  me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please  let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Revised 2e DM Screen & Master Index, Shielding Wall

The revised 2e Dungeon Master Screen & Master Index was released in 1995. It was a fairly nice expansion on the first 2e screen. This one features almost any table a DM might need in the normal course of game play. It is actually two three panel screens and not a single screen. In addition it also features a 32 page master index of topics from the core rule books as well as the Tome of Magics, High-Level Campaigns, Combat & Tactics, Skills & Powers and the Book of Artifacts. The index is really nice if you are a 2e player as it allows you to look at one index as opposed to seven.


Spell:

Shielding Wall

Level: Fourth
Range: 6"
Duration: 1 Turn/Level
Area of Effect: 1" Sq/Level
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 8 Segments
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user brings into being a wall which will portray a mirror image of what is on the other side. The wall will allow viewing through it from the casters side of the wall but will have the image on the opposing side.

The wall will initially portray the area behind it as it appeared when summoned. The caster will then be able to specify what the wall should display for a period of up to one turn in length. After the time period described the wall will loop what was displayed until the spell expires.

The caster does not need to maintain concentration to keep the wall up. They will need to remain on their side of the wall though. If at any point the caster passes through the wall the spell will be broken. The caster can move away from the wall they simply can not pass through it.

The material component of this spell is a silver mirror that is double sided. The cost of the mirror will not be anything more than a normal mirror that is double sided. When the spell expires or is broken both sides of the mirror will crack.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

L5R Game Master's Pack, Cassandra's Sphere of Protection

Legend of the Five Rings is a game that I wish I knew more about.  I had the misfortune of having it come out while I was in the  depth of my M:tG addiction. It was released in 1997 for the first  edition of L5R by Alderac Entertainment Group. I know it was  popular and had quite a following. The concept of a game based on  an oriental culture has intrigued me going back to Bushido and  Oriental Adventures from TSR.

The item above is one of those items that I am not sure how I  came across it or why I bought it. I suspect it was part of a  bulk lot I bought at an auction or off eBay perhaps. I am not  sure that I even own the L5R core rulebook. If I don't own the  game owning the Game Master's Pack does not seem like a logical  acquisition but then sometimes logic does not factor into the  situation.

The Game Master's Pack your standard GM Screen and includes a  book of supplemental material. In the book are new rules and a  short adventure. I have not had a chance or really a reason to  review the book so this is not much of a review. I will hopefully  someday have reason to use this or better yet see it in use from  the players side of the screen...mental note that would be a  great title for a blog or a series of articles.

The following was taken from RPG Geek:

The first edition three panel GM's screen for Legend of the Five  Rings. The included pack adds rules for maho (black magic) and  hit locations. It also includes an adventure, "The Hare Clan"  which ties into the adventure included in the first edition  rulebook. The adventure also includes a "Kolat Code" sheet for  which no solution was included. Certain elements of the adventure  tied into the L-1 City of Lies and S-1 Tomb of Iuchiban boxed  sets.


Spell:

Cassandra's Sphere of  Protection

Level: Seventh
Range: None
Duration: One Round/Level
Area of Effect: 1" Sphere/Level
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user causes a sphere of  protection to come into being. The sphere will cause any who try  to enter it to be teleported away. The effect of the teleportation will cause any who try to enter the sphere to be teleported in a random direction. The affected will  be teleported anywhere from 25" to 36" inches away from the edge  of the sphere.

The sphere will be able to send away a limited number of  individuals per round. This will be a number equal to the level  of the caster. If more than that number try to enter the sphere  then any in excess will make it through for the remainder of that  round. If at any point anyone in the caster's party or the caster  themselves leave the sphere then the spell is broken.

The material component of this spell will be a crystal sphere.  The sphere will not be used up with the casting of the spell and  may be reused.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the  write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the  80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other  than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be  slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of  spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :)  Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on  me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please  let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Gamma World Referee's Screen, Miscasting

Gamma World is a game I have indicated before ranks in the upper  tier of games I like to play. The Referee's Screen from the first edition of the game has one of the more memorable images from the  game. There is just something about this image that says Gamma  World for me. The cover from the first edition book is great but  it does not capture the feel of what is to come once you start  reading the game.

The screen does it job well enugh. It has the charts and tables  that the GM will need to run the game. It also features a mini  module which though I have never had a chance to use it I hear  very good things about. The module is "The Albuquerque Starport"  which though only eight pages long I have heard can change the  game dramatically if used though that is second hand. I would  pick this up even without the module just for the art though. If  you are going to run the game you need a screen right! As an added bonus it was printed in the USA.


From the screen itself:

Included in this package are a durable referee's screen and an  eight-page mini-module, The Albuquerque Starport. The screen  contains the combat, hazard, and reference tables used most often  by referees and players, arranged to make this vital information  easy to use. The mini-module is a complete GAMMA WORLD adventure,  in which players discover and explore an Ancient starport buried  in the desert sands.


Spell:

Miscasting

Level: Fourth
Range: 9"
Duration: One Round/Level
Ares of Effect: 6" Radius Sphere
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: Special

When this spell is cast the magic user causes a sphere to appear based around the point specified. The sphere will cause a disruption in the flow and function of magical energy in its area of effect. This will affect spells but not magical items.

Anyone in the area of effect of the spell will need to make a saving throw every time they try to cast a spell. Those who make the save are able to counter the varied nature within the sphere for that round and successfully cast the spell. Those who fail will have the spell fizzle and they will still lose the use of that spell as if it had been successfully cast.

The material component of this spell is a page from a spell book that has been subjected to some fluid so that the text is smeared and unreadable. The page is consumed by the casting of the spell.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Keepers Screen - CoC, Summon Guardian

Friendly Advice - If an item you spend a lot of time writing about seems way to familiar - check your previous posts.

Short post today about the item since I hate to repeat myself (please see above). This is a Keepers Screen for some edition of Call of Cthulhu. I am not sure what edition it is for though and the entries over at yog-sothoth.com do not have any images. It accomplished what a GM screen is expected to though the art work is kind of lacking. If I were a player I would demand something better to look at while gaming :)

I hate making such a short post today. I will make sure and check I have not written about an item more thoroughly in the future.  Much better write up on Different Worlds #1 than I did back in March for the record !


Spell:

Summon Guardian

Level: Fifth
Range: None
Duration: Special
Ares Effect: None
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 Round
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user summons a mystical guardian to defend them. The creature summons will be similar in nature to an unseen servant though they will perform no other action than defend the caster.

When not defending the caster the guardian will be out of phase with the rest of the world and will be invisible to the naked eye though those who can see extra-planar creature will see the guardian. When activated the guardian will appear as a normal sized creature of the same race as the caster. They will be wearing black plate mail and will be wielding a long sword and shield.

The guardian will attack as a fighter equal to one half the level of the caster, rounded up, plus one. They will have an armor class as appropriate for plate mail and shield. They will also have maximum hit points as if they had an 18 constitution as well.

The guardian will suffer damage as if they were a normal creature and will suffer damage from all normal attacks. If a save is needed they will save as the caster though. The guardian can not be healed through normal or magical means though. They will remain until their hit points reach zero.

The material component of this spell is a gem of no less than 10 gp in value per level of the guardian. The gem will vanish when the spell is cast and the guardian appears.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.