Review of Whispering Vault GM Screen

I have only seen one GM screen that I have considered worth having. It was created by a friend of mine for Champions. However, the Whispering Vault GM screen comes very close.

The screen itself is sturdy card stock. It would be more sturdy if it were laminated or at least coated, but even so it should hold up reasonably well for a year or so of regular use. This is important, since GM screens are intended to be used continuously during play, rather than read once and then put on a shelf like most RPG rule books. Most GM screens also come bundled with a linear and predictable adventure to help blunt the pain of spending ten dollars on a trifold piece of cardboard. Pariah Press [ed. note-- now Ronin Publising] didn't bother, which is just as well: no sense in killing trees for pointless filler.

The "player" side of the GM screen has a large, rather pretty painting of the eponymous Whispering Vault. The "GM" side has some useful charts from the game: Disciplines, Servitors, and so on. Due to the elementary nature of Whispering Vault's mechanics, it was possible to place nearly every important but not easily-remembered detail of them on three sheets of paper. There is also an index for the Whispering Vault rule book, which is helpful since the book itself doesn't have one.

If you play Whispering Vault regularly, the GM screen may be worth the trouble of tracking down and purchasing -- but just barely.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)