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Review on Stratagem 4-Panel GM Screen - Customizable, Dry Erase Dungeon & Game Master Accessory For Tabletop RPG Campaigns (Black) + Free Inserts! by Rob Overturf

Revainrating 3 out of 5

It works, but the value proposition is all wrong.

Over all, this item does what it's supposed to do as well as it needs to. It's a screen to hide the DMs actions and reference material from the players, and it works for that.However, it's still essentially a cheap folding plastic Signage stand. Each of the four panels has a plastic pocket for a sheet of paper (larger than 8.5x11) on either side. It looks like something you might see at a trade show booth, displaying four panels of information about cookware or something. It does the job it was sold to do, but I have a hard time believing in the value proposition. For $20, I would expect a little more. I imagine the plastic folding screen itself costs less than $1, and the included reference sheets certainly don't add up to anything that would warrant the price tag.Imagine a typical three ring binder, with hard covers that feature sleeves for a cover page - that's what to expect here. It's four folding panels, of course, but it's the same design. And yeah, if you recall how difficult it is to insert a page into those. Yeah, it's not fun. You will not be quickly sliding out pages and flipping them around to see the other references. If you try, you will probably stretch or test the clear plastic.That being said, the info sheets are. Useful, in theory. However, such large sheets of paper could contain so much more. Easily, they could have included far more information on the four panels, the only panel that has a reasonable choice of font size is the player reference - arguably the most useful panel. The sizing makes it reasonable to fill in with a dry erase marker, though even at that. They could have packed it a bit tighter, getting in six players, or additional enemies.One could print their own pages, but it's an odd size that most printers can't do, so custom pages wouldn't fully fill the space.The dry erase feature is. Well it's not a real feature, more of a happy accident really, but it's useful. Too bad the included marker is not. I got half way through the first characters name (feintly, at that) before it gave up the ghost. Yeah, I can get another marker. But come on, if you are going to include it and charge $20, give me at least a quality marker.One star, I took for overall quality and value, which simply isn't up to snuff. And another star is taken specifically for the completely DOA dry erase marker.A final sort of complain, is that this item really isn't folded the way it shows in the photo. You can do that, but that's against the natural folds. Instead, two panels fold to center, and then that all folds in half in the Same direction. Instead of an accordion, it folds like a wallet. Not inherently bad, but doesn't look as cool. Also, they put the outside "book cover" pages on what I would call the "wrong" side - when folded naturally, the reference panels show on the outside rather than the leather print. Fixable, but I risk stretching the plastic and bending pages if I try swapping them.

img 1 attached to Stratagem 4-Panel GM Screen - Customizable, Dry Erase Dungeon & Game Master Accessory For Tabletop RPG Campaigns (Black) + Free Inserts! review by Rob Overturf



Pros
  • It was a gift
Cons
  • The customizable aspect of the screen may be too much of a hassle for some gamers who would prefer a pre-designed screen

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