Tools of the Trade: GM Screens
Tips & Tricks
One of the most basic tools of the GM’s trade is the GM (or DM) screen. I’ve used such screens for a variety of games over my twenty years of running campaigns. This article is a great summation of how to use them not only as a shield but as a tool for roleplaying.
It’s kind of interesting in that right now I’m running both a Pathfinder campaign in which I use a set of screens and a Dresden Files RPG campaign in which I do not. While I’m certainly more comfortable playing with the screen than without, there is a certain amount of freedom in rolling out in the open and letting the dice fall where they may. It also sets up an atmosphere of trust between the gamemaster and the players if everything is out in the open. I’ve found running DFRPG to be a very interesting dynamic sans screens.
What about you? Do you use screens? How do you feel about them? Dare you go screenless?
Shedrick
Master of the Game 
Playing mostly FATE games (Starting with DFRPG), I do not use a screen when I play any FATE game. What games I have run that are not FATE based I found myself wanting to run with a screen but it never felt right.