I built a D&D DM screen with a built in display.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2023
- I built a D&D DM screen with a built-in player facing display, without using any power tools. This was a really fun DIY build, and I'm really excited to use this to run my dnd 5e games. I'm using OBS to run this GM screen, which offers a lot of really cool options for displaying initiative tracking, monster art, and lots more. I'll be using the display for setting the scene in different environments and for showing initiative while running dungeons and dragons fifth edition combat. This GM screen could obviously be used to run any TTRPGs though, including Pathfinder, OSE, etc.
Tag me on IG if you build one yourself! @powerwordspill
PDF Instructions:
drive.google.com/file/d/1je7S...
Shopping List (Amazon Affiliate Links):
1. MNN USB-C 15.6” 1080P Display - amzn.to/3PkpbvY
2. 16 pieces of 30cm x 30cm x 3mm Basswood. I bought two of these 12 packs - amzn.to/45V6UMJ
3. 90 Degree USB-C adapter - amzn.to/3PGmBBD
4. USB-C to USB-C Display Cable - amzn.to/3PE9WiG
5. 6 Antique Mini Craft Hinges - amzn.to/3RoQJmA
6. Vintage Decorative Corner Protectors - amzn.to/3rhGSEo
7. Wood Glue - amzn.to/3LsL8rA
8. Water based Varathane
9. Water based wood stain (I used a Dark Cherry by Sansin)
10. Superglue - amzn.to/45UdT8y
11. Foam Brush - amzn.to/3Pk8Yac
12. Metal straight edge with metric measurements - amzn.to/3rpUJZf
13. Utility knife - amzn.to/3t3YZOv
14. Screwdriver - amzn.to/3t3Z1WD
15. Sandpaper 150 grit - amzn.to/46gdNYC
16. Sandpaper 600 grit - amzn.to/3EIOh2y
17. Adhesive Magnets - amzn.to/3ZjVvDI
18. Foam Tape - amzn.to/3sV217Z
For some reason the video has now glitched out, it was working normally for two days, and then all of a sudden it's just a glitchy green screen. I'm working with youtube support to fix it, so hopefully it will be resolved soon! It would mean a lot if you could save it to your watch later and come back once it's sorted!
it seems to be fine now for me
All good from me, awesome work and love it :)
Wizards is going to make you put advertisements on that screen. It's cool though, they'll give you %1 of the profits from it.
I need one could I commission you
i am able to see it so it should be fixed atleast for some. ty for the warning tho
Man, if anyone else remembers the show 'Pimp My Ride' I can't help but thinking "...so we put a screen, in your DM SCREEN!" Jokes aside, fascinating build and extremely clean video! Really well done.
Haha I absolutely do remember! 😆 thank you so much!
Now can we do a "British Bake off" were multiple DnD TH-cam's attempt to make a "DM screen" and complete against each other 😅 each DM adding their own "flare" then hey you get to raffle off the DM screens later for promotion. Bottom line though great video dude
"We put a screen on each of your PC sheets and dice!"
(Good luck carrying them anywhere and/or not breaking them 😅)
Hello, I'm a tradesman. You said"it's better to have the opening too big than too small" during the prep phase. This is actually backwards. Remember, you can easily take more away, but adding more is always tedious. But all in all this is fantastic, definitely going to try my hand at making one. What I really want to do is one of those big touch screen map tables, but holy dear lord does that get pricey.
Bro, no one cares... it's a shoddy dm screen. You're "expertise" literally is moot to whoever even attempts this. Stop it.
Exactly my thoughts 😊
nicest tradesman correction ive ever seen
This is really impressive! FYI the bumps come from the damp cloth. If you want to remove dust, you should use a tack cloth or something not water based
Ah, thank you! That's great to know!
@@powerwordspill Actually the bumps come from the grain in the wood raising when you apply the water-based urethane. So, it won't matter if you use a damp cloth or not. You sand in-between coats of any sealer because the grain raises.
@@NickRosterPickscorrect
Since it's a project I've also done, allow me to add something:
- You can recycle the monitor of an old laptop by buying a compatible driver board, this significantly reduces the cost, but the screen will need to be powered.
- If you carry it around it's best to close the side panels over the screen, this way it won't get scratched.
- I discovered a little program called Immersion that allows you to create scenes (background image, music and any NPC/Monsters) that can each be activated with a button
I'd be interested to find out more about that program. I won't be doing this full project, but I took a look for anything called Immersion with different suffixes and I got a lot of unrelated articles about how to immerse players and an entire, lesser known RPG system apparently called Immersion RPG lol.
I would be interested in a link as well please. I can't seem to find anything in my searches.
If that's the actual name of the program they chose a horrible name, Google brings up nothing about it
Yeah, no luck here either. Leaving a comment in case anyone finds the answer
Also would like a link
I built this and everyone was really impressed. I replaced one layer of the side boards with cork so I can push-pin things onto it, and some parts were a little tough because I was using plywood instead of basswood, but all in all I followed the measurements and recommendations and it came out super well. I used it for the first time yesterday and everyone loved it. Thanks Kelly!
That's fantastic! I'm so glad it came out well! The cork is a really great idea, I love that
Tip from a woodworker... if you add some salt to your glue after using your finger or some other spreader it'll keep your wood pieces from shifting.
FYI, it's good to take a moist cloth and wipe all of the wood prior to staining. This raises the grain. You can then sand it, apply stain, then rinse and repeat as needed. This was a great tutorial. Especially, for those who may not build many things. Good stuff!
I watch a lot of woodworking on TH-cam, and it was refreshing to see a project with so many constraints on tools and materials turn out so nice on camera. Loved how you outlined each mistake you made, so a true novice can give this a shot.
My first home made DM screen went a little overboard.. I used red oak from Lowes (wanted that hard wood construction), included 2 Dice towers, a tablet mount (with air vents!), and a shelf for Miniatures. Completely overkill, i like the simplicity in your better.
DUDE! I would love to see a picture of that!! That sounds awesome!!
Another person starting to see the light of the Metric System
I have many suggestions for improvements, but the biggest one that comes to mind is using rare earth magnets to attach the layers that sandwich the monitor. That way, if anything happens to the monitor it's easy to remove and repair or replace.
Im in the process of my build and only just saw this comment.
I got my 4 middle layers glued together, along with the front panel. I have yet to put the back panel on.
Im wondering if there is a way to do the magnet thing at this point? The only thing i can think of is to take a hole saw, one hole in each corner, and toss a magnet down in the hole. Then on the back layer, add a magnet.
Any other ideas? :(
@@chadc638 Watching the video again, assuming I'm understanding your position, that's probably the best place to do it anyway. But you won't need a hole saw. You'll just need a drill bit. The kind off magnets I'm talking about aren't much, if any, bigger than a half an inch. Just drill a hole in each corner the same depth as the magnet, drop in some super glue, and drop in your magnet. Watch your polarities though. Stick 4 sets of magnets together before you glue them in so you don't glue them in the wrong way around.
@@lenonkitchens7727 Thats fair. I hadnt really gauged the size of the magnets. Just saw them on amazon or whatever. They look like those flat batteries you put in your car remote .. say the size of a quarter. But, yes, if they are smaller, then a drill bit probably works the best.
Thanks man :)
Metric system
This is awesome! I am glad that you go into why you should do things by showing what happens if you dont. And it was just satisfying watching this thing come together.
This channel deserves so much love! Another awesome video thank you so much!
This is SO amazing! And the OBS tip is really nice. I use it for streaming, but hadn't realized it's perfect for a D&D application! Plus you don't have to worry about secrets getting out like they would if you just screen-mirrored, AND you can control your music there too. Brilliant.
Very thankful you popped up on my page, and delighted to subscribe after this and your props video! Thank you.
Thank you for explaining each step in depth. Not having done these processes often, it's nice to hear the basics while doing a project
This is incredible and I love how accessible it is. Bravo!
Amazing idea! I am so happy that it popped up on my feed. Thank you for creating this masterpiece that I now need for my table.
This looks great! Thanks Kelly, this will be my project next weekend.
Great video as always! Love the idea and what you were able to make. The moment I get all the things I need I'll try as well.
Great project! When making this, I think would cut the middle pieces into a U shape, open at the top, so that the monitor can slide in and out.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Oooh or make the slot on the bottom with little shims to hold it in place = no visible holes on top.
I don't play D&D, but your video popped up in my suggestions because it's DIY.
Don't be harsh on yourself, you did great! You're not a woodworker, so there are things you didn't know but figured out and found out by trying.
The DM Screen looks amazing, and in time can be replaced if you want, since you didn't do anything lasting to the monitor, so that it can be reused.
I liked your video because you showed what you did wrong, and the consequences it had, making sure that others learn from your mistakes.
Damn dude, this is such a sick idea. Brilliant work. Keep it up!
The cinematic/Storytelling finesse in this video is superior for a channel with "only" 14k subs. Keep up the amazing work!
This is incredible! Gonna be making my own this weekend!
Oh man, I am glad this popped up into my feed. I feel like I got inspiration from a kindred gm and now will enhance my in person vtt game! Thanks.
I love this design idea! I make DM Screens for people and you have inspired me to have new design ideas!
This is an amazing idea, and I’m looking forward to creating my own. Awesome work! I look forward to more videos.
I love your vibe and humor. You're a very approachable speaker and I really enjoyed the video and am inspired to make my own with your method. Liked and Subscribed
Love your videos, dude. Stay doing this nice work.
Just finished building one as a gift for my husband. Instructions and video made it super easy, thank you for sharing your work!
Being a new player, I probably won’t be DMing any time soon, but this is really awesome!!! Appreciate 😊
Thank you for this! I would have never thought about using OBS as a screen manager for the player side.
Great instruction guide! Started building mine, it was one hell of a workout cutting the wood sheets with a Stanley knife though. Going midnight blue stain for the wood and silver corners.
Also kudos for the extra bits on how to use OBS and improved initiative. Can't wait to show it to my players!
Great video editing and broll, dude!
Thanks so much! That means a lot, I've watched your channel for quite a while!
this is such a cool build, can't wait to surprise my players with this!
Congrats, this is amazing!!! I'll probably be doing it in the near future
what a great idea and outcome! and your beard is awesom dude!
This is actually a cool build and also a very useful idea. I can see the utility in this, not just for a quick "This is what Captain Obvious, commander of the King's Guard looks like" but also for things like "here's a quick reference to the spell" rather than people diving for books or for things like showing an initiative order. Easier communication, more immersion, saved time and the cost is manageable. Well done and thank you very mich!
A job well done! also, thanks for showing me improved initiative!
I just made mine using your instructions and I'm happy amd excited to use it. I made one adjustment to your design by adding magnets to the front pieces and added a frame so that it is removable incase something happens to the monitor so I cam replace it without destroying the piece.
One of the really cool things that I like about this idea (the entire thing I hadn't even really considered) is that you can very much look for and find pictures to match NPCs your party might be interacting with to help keep them immersed in the interaction. This feels a lot like taking the advantages that some VTTs have (digital displays and whatnot) and marrying them to the advantages of IRL gaming (things like body language, and not talking over each other all the time over Voice.)
Now I just need a not ridiculously priced table for managing maps and we get to some REALLY cool stuff. . . .
Keep it up! I look forward to seeing your other videos.
Love it. Love you showed how DYI really is. If you want to do something cool for the first time it's gunna be a learning process. Instantly subscribed.
improved initiative is a fantastic tracker! I have been using it for years now, and it is awesome.
Great Video, I can't wait to make a build like this now! Also a little tip for laminating(glueing) wood like if anyone's having trouble with the line up, sprinkling a bit of salt on your glue helps give it traction and keep in place for clamps/weights. Since wood glue is typically a water based PVC the salt just ends up dissolving while it cures
That's a great tip!
What a great idea!! Thanks for sharing. I'm already thinking of how to scale it up!
Loved this video and made my own adjustments. I made art based on the world of my campaign setting and lasercut it on the wood before putting it all together. Thank you for leaving a pdf of blueprints with instructions otherwise I could've never done such a cool thing (I also don't really woodwork)
Really good video and an awesome idea. Thank you for posting! I subbed.
nice work on the dm screen and that is an excellent 'stache my dude!
I built this for my wife and she absolutely loved it. She spent a few weeks learning OBS and the visuals really enhanced the experience as players. Thanks for posting. Cheers!
Thank you so much, really appreciate it!! I'm so glad to hear the build went well and that it's been fun to have at the table!
Wow this is awesome. This is the first project that I actually think i'll be able to build myself.
I have a similar set up and can highly recommend it. Showing Artwork of areas. npcs and monsters is great for immersion. I would highly recommend getting the software "remote monitor" or similar so that you can have a small display of what you are showing on the screen you cant see on your own screen
Jeez man, your last two videos absolutely exploded. Glad you're getting some recognition that you deserve!
Great work my guy.
Maaaaaaaaaan. I've been sitting on this idea for 2 years now and still haven't done it and here it is. Lookin awesome. Really well done.
Great video! If you want to make a more even looking surface for your edges on future products, you can apply a thin layer of wood filler to them to cover up the layers of plywood and then stain.
Great job. I collected all the stuff I needed to do a player-facing DM screen with all three sides containing monitors and a large flat TV for the map board itself. I downloaded ProPresenter 7 to control the various screens. Planning on the middle one exactly like you're using there, environmental info on one (day/night/weather/approx time/date if applicable) and monster images and regional maps on the other. For the most part I was going to use the center screen for initiaive order. Haven't cobbled it all together yet, but I've been messing around with the software and it definitely works.
ngl that's the realest thinking room ever, literally where i get all my ideas
Cool project! I'm really happy you mentioned OBS Studio app, as it's precisely what I've been looking for!
Personally I've been thinking of getting a touchscreen capable portable screen that my 2-3 players could interact with - I usually prefer theater of the mind, so this setup would likely be used for less immediate scenarios, such as hexcrawling, rather than battlemaps.
I might make one of these. Looks great
Ok, I don't know how I stumbled here to the channel. But I am glad I did. Solid content my dude
This is awesome,it would be great to have a video guide on how you use the screen for a campaign. The little intro at the end was great but I’d love a full on tutorial.
Ugh ... I've been wanting to try this for quite some time. I gotta get off my rump and git to it.
Great work, good sir!
Awesome project, I would love to see iterations where you improve the design, or use lighter materials, or recycled ones, etc.
wow second video over 10min in a row on your channel, quite a milestone, good quality excelent result, i dont know if i'll have tome someday to do it, but maybe etsy can help... xD
This such a good ideia, i can see using to put the maps with owlbear rodeo or putting some animated backgrounds to set the tone of the scene.
I'm finishing my diy arcade this week! God forbid I spend a few days without a project from another YT video!! 😂😂
Pretty awesome job!
Awesome Idea! I want one! :)
Neat idea! I use a lot of video backgrounds, so the OBS trick was an eye opener 👏
And just when I thought I wouldn't spend even more money on dnd...
This screen looks awesome, I'll definitely need to give it a try!
Very cool screen!! I'm jealous
I am working on a new modular DM screen, and damn... this is a good idea. I probably won't use a screen this big, but rather 2 or 3 smaller ones, but yeah...thanks for the inspiration! There is so much cool sh*t to make!
So good! Way to go!!
Awesome! I'm thinking about making the gap for the cable in a ways that you could plug in the cable while the screen is closed. Would be awesome to be able to lay it on the table to transform it into a battle map if needed! :)
Great idea that I seriously want to steal. Just a small tip for gluing up the layers of plywood. If you have the layers of plywood sliding around when trying to laminate them, you can sprinkle a small amount of salt in the glue before clamping (or setting something heavy on top of it). It doesn't affect the glue at all and that little bit of grit will stop the pieces from sliding around and keep them in one spot
I would suggest using iron-on wood edge banding next time to hide the ply-wood stripes and any glue that didn't get sanded off. Do that step before staining, and stain at the same time as the rest of the wood, AFTER putting on the front face. I like to do the sides and front first together, then the back alone. I use "delicate" grade paint tape around the back while doing the front to prevent drips, and along the sides and front while doing the back. For a pro job, leave the upper edge between the front and back open so you can slide your screen into and back out. (Your inner spacers would end up L or U shaped this way. When you sand the finish, do NOT sand before the last coat, only after the other coats. If using three coats, you only have to sand after the first.👏Great plan!
I could see this working extremely well when playing certain board games as well. Keeping track of resource generation in RISK, health in other games, etc.
If you use a gel stain like General Finishes water based gel stain the glue won’t be an issue. I used it to redo a walnut stain to a 60s couch. It turned what was very uneven between the wear and a light sanding into something really nice. It works even better on a fresh build and it’s so easy. The stain floats on top. Great video!
*plays subway runner videos so players pay attention when it's not their turn*
Way too underrated
This is so cool!
I want one so much I might even try
Looks sick!!
Nice video, thx for the idea 😘
Awesome stuff, killer mustache.
The OBS hack is what sold this concept for me. Great job with the build and video!
Another smart idea for the side panels if you want to do an exact half. is to test fit before edge stain. sand down the sides that will be the center for a smooth snug fit after stain.
Looks great! Not sure I'd want to _glue_ the monitor in like that (probably go with a removeable backing just in case something happens), but this is an awesome idea.
Wow I love all of this
I'm blown away with your project. I haven't played D&D for over 17yrs. Last time I played was in Afghanistan. I'm former Special Operations so didn't get a lot of time to play. Now I want to get back into it but do know anyone here in Greeneville TN that's plays it. 😢 thanks for the project beautiful concept.
This video earned my subscription.
I have never used obs before. I would love to see a video of how you set up obs to follow along with your dnd session. Also, how you connect with your monitor on your dm screen.
While I myself did not know people made screens like this a lot purely going off of your own dm screen being the only one on youtube, I like the way you implement the display!
I personally have a different idea, using a small ultrawide monitor as a dm screen, with a wooden back, where the monitor faces the dm
Not sure how effective it will be, but yours seems very elegant and practical, aswell as portable!
That is beautiful
Cool idea. Some low profile speakers in the side panels facing the players would be a good way to deepen the immersion.
The wood cutting with razorknife was super time intensive, multiple passes to cut through. I had the perk of a skill-saw at my work and cut most cuts down in 2 hours. Some of the wood I had order came out warped & bent though, so when gluing it was impossible to get anything square even with being careful with measuring.
Not a bad first build for a dm screen though for people new to woodworking, very fun and learned a lot
Yeah my hand was a claw after doing them all with the utility knife, power tools are definitely better haha. Yeah some of mine were warped too, but they lined up pretty well after sanding the edges. If you have access to a full wood shop, a better way would be to use a router and do a cutout in a thicker piece of wood instead of using those thin sheets from Amazon. Glad you had fun doing the project though!
I think this is brilliant!! And I love all the useful comments 😊, woodworkers are a helpful bunch!
I have done a very similar thing, I just want to add one thing I have done that seems to have a really good result (the players love it).
I generate all monster images myself via midjourney, it is so fun to see the players reactions when they see a monster they know, but havent seen before and its easy to customize it to incorporate anything from the campaign. Say a beholder is missing 2 of its eyes from a previous encounter with the party, just kindly ask midjourney to give you a picture of that and select the best one it gives you :D
Really nice job. I'm going to do one for our Call of Cthulhu gamemaster, but I'm using pink foam so I can get really funky with it. Thanks!!!
Kelly, your mustache is incredible. Also sweet GM screen.
This is so awesome