Review: Wizards of the Coast – Spelljammer DM’s Screen (Dungeons & Dragons)


Spelljammer DM’s Screen

Spelljammer DM’s Screen and the Rock of Bral map are accessories from the Spelljammer: Adventures in Space boxed set. This review is part four of a series of 4 reviews. See all associated reviews under the tag spelljammer.

Spelljammer DM’s Screen is an accessory for Dungeons & Dragons published by Wizards of the Coast.
By Aaron T. Huss

Learn more about Spelljammer: Adventures in Space here
Purchase Spelljammer: Adventures in Space here (paid link)
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The Spelljammer boxed set comes with two accessories – a DM’s screen and a fold-out map of the Rock of Bral. I wanted to single them out in this 4th of 4 reviews due to the uniqueness of the setting. This is not space as we know it; it is a fantastical version of space where the rules don’t make sense to our scientific minds. As such, it’s hard to envision what that looks like; the DM’s screen and Rock of Bral map achieve that, even if it’s only a start. I only wish the DM’s screen was taller, but the width makes it a great scene to look at as if you’re staring out from the Rock of Bral.

The Rock of Bral is a very unique setting that encapsulates the possibilities of this setting covering both the fantastical aspects of wildspace and the pirate aspects of Spelljammer. One of the most difficult things to understand, for me at least, is how the Rock of Bral “looks” when you describe it narratively in regards to where the different locations are and more importantly what it means to be on the bottom of the rock (because in wildspace there is no upside down). This fold-out map, which is quite large I will note, eliminates all that and lends itself to an amazing opportunity of running it as an open sandbox with lots of places to discover!

The DM’s side of the screen is filled with Spelljammer mechanics for keeping the game going. Lots of random roll tables, rules for wildspace and gravity, and little things in between. I would say it provides a lot more benefit during periods of travel through the astral sea rather than the minutiae of running encounters. You likely won’t need it to run the included adventure, but when moving on to a pirate-styled campaign traversing the depths of the astral sea… keep that screen close by!

That’s the last of it! Overall this is an awesome boxed set! I love this setting; it breaks away from vanilla fantasy while holding onto those fantasy elements and not trying to push the setting toward science fiction. It melds perfectly with the rest of Dungeons & Dragons and allows for seamless transitions from planetside to the astral sea. I would love to see other products set specifically in the astral sea or supplements providing other cultures and creatures to encounter within the context of Spelljammer. We don’t need more ships though, but definitely more places like the Rock of Bral!

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