I built a D&D DM screen with a built in display. 

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Metric system

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!

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.

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 RU-vid, 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.

This channel deserves so much love! Another awesome video thank you so much!

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!

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

Another person starting to see the light of the Metric System

This is incredible and I love how accessible it is. Bravo!

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.

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!

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 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.

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.

Just finished building one as a gift for my husband. Instructions and video made it super easy, thank you for sharing your work!

This is incredible! Gonna be making my own this 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.

Being a new player, I probably won’t be DMing any time soon, but this is really awesome!!! Appreciate 😊

Damn dude, this is such a sick idea. Brilliant work. Keep it up!

This is an amazing idea, and I’m looking forward to creating my own. Awesome work! I look forward to more videos.

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.

this is such a cool build, can't wait to surprise my players with this!

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!

The cinematic/Storytelling finesse in this video is superior for a channel with "only" 14k subs. Keep up the amazing work!

I love this design idea! I make DM Screens for people and you have inspired me to have new design ideas!

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.

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)

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

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

Congrats, this is amazing!!! I'll probably be doing it in the near future

“The opening should rather be too big then too small” - no one ever

What a great idea!! Thanks for sharing. I'm already thinking of how to scale it up!

Thank you for this! I would have never thought about using OBS as a screen manager for the player side.

Love your videos, dude. Stay doing this nice work.

Wow this is awesome. This is the first project that I actually think i'll be able to build myself.

nice work on the dm screen and that is an excellent 'stache my dude!

improved initiative is a fantastic tracker! I have been using it for years now, and it is awesome.

ngl that's the realest thinking room ever, literally where i get all my ideas

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!

what a great idea and outcome! and your beard is awesom dude!

A job well done! also, thanks for showing me improved initiative!

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.

Really good video and an awesome idea. Thank you for posting! I subbed.

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

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!

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.

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!

Anyone else get an Etsy ad at the end? I don't know RU-vid well enough to know if it could possibly be intentional, but it was a great ending to a great video!

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.

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.

"They might be onto something with this whole metric thing." As far as I know Liberia, Myanmar and the USA are the only three countries _not_ using it as of today. Yeah. It might be all the other 192 countries might be onto something there. =D Nicely done, cool tips along the way! Hats off for doing it by hand with no power tools.

I might make one of these. Looks great

Great work my guy.

Great video editing and broll, 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!

I know this is an old video, but just in case someone finds this later and wants to give it a go, these are some tips I'd recommend to make it just a little easier! No matter what, I'm sure yours will come out perfectly, but these are just a few small things to keep in mind when you're building it. 3:00 - A tip when it comes to glue-ups, ideally use blocks or walls, but if you don't have access to that you can add a small amount of table salt to increase friction and prevent sliding. Adding too much will compromise the joint; However, there are other alternatives, i.e. Rock Tumbler Grit, that can avoid breaking down the glue entirely. 3:40 - Another tip, rather than using a sandpaper block, for long edges like this, you might have a much better time taping the sandpaper down and running the wood along the sandpaper rather than the other way around. You'll have much finer control over the angle of the wood and won't end up with rounded edges. Keep in mind that once an error is introduced, continuing to sand that error in will only make it worse. So, check often with a square if you have one available. 4:52 - Ohp another one! Whenever you're staining, you should stain with the grain rather than against it. It's a small detail but it will hide your wipe marks a lot more! 6:12 - This one is more of a recommendation than a tip, electronics break down and need to be serviced sometimes. If at all possible, I'd highly recommend using some small nuts and bolts and drilling through the corners, yes it breaks the no power tool requirement but I really think this is something really worth considering. These can easily be covered with a small plug and can even be integrated aesthetically. Gluing everything up means you're permanently stuck with that screen in its current condition. If you ever need to remove the screen, you'll have to destroy a lot of the work you put into it. The only adjustment I'd recommend to make this possible is that rather than gluing everything up on the back face, do it 50/50 with the front and back so that you have some material to bite into. 6:57 - So, this is an unfortunate downside of working with plywood (essentially what you've created) and I'd highly recommend a veneer in a situation like this. They're really cheap, come in a variety of styles, and you only need an iron to apply them (although some bandy clamps will go a long way). Then you can just trim them down with a razor!

Neat idea! I use a lot of video backgrounds, so the OBS trick was an eye opener 👏

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.

Jeez man, your last two videos absolutely exploded. Glad you're getting some recognition that you deserve!

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!

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

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.

Awesome project, I would love to see iterations where you improve the design, or use lighter materials, or recycled ones, etc.

The OBS hack is what sold this concept for me. Great job with the build and video!

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

I think this is brilliant!! And I love all the useful comments 😊, woodworkers are a helpful bunch!

Cool idea. Some low profile speakers in the side panels facing the players would be a good way to deepen the immersion.

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.

Very cool screen!! I'm jealous

I like how you showed your mistakes so others could learn from them.

ill probably never build this or even be a DM, I just clicked into this video for the moustache. 10/10.

So good! Way to go!!

*plays subway runner videos so players pay attention when it's not their turn*

This is a good way to show the map to

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.

Ok, I don't know how I stumbled here to the channel. But I am glad I did. Solid content my dude

Looks sick!!

Awesome Idea! I want one! :)

I LOVED the metric joke ~ greetings from Germany

Ngl this is the perfect opportunity to make an app catered to this setup.

I remember while having a campaign with my friends we would play ambiance sounds on the pc nearby, it would be nice if we had this back then

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! :)

I already use my drawing tablet to project environments and battlemaps onto the table, this would be a fantastic addition!

Wow I love all of this

This is so awesome

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.

I want one so much I might even try

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.

dude god bless you!

This is cool. I wish I had thought about a monitor when I built my DM screen. I fixed in quick guides on the inside and te front/edges are wrapped in faux brass alligator skin, giving it a brass dragon look. Then finished off with corner guards

Ive seen DM screens but this animated one is definitely a good idea to get people interested in DnD 😅