PDF screens are always a bit odd: what do you do with them? Do you print them out and stick them on card? The 'GM-side' tables often provide a useful summary of the rules you might need to refer to during play, so you might want to print those out, but the 'player-side' - usually graphics-intense pictures - can prove a bit more problematic, it's a lot of printer ink for little enhancement to your game.

This screen is pretty much what one would expect. The three panels of player-side art is top notch, Onyx Path are good at that... there's a selection of decadant-looking, langorous vampires lounging around gazing out at you looking as if they are in two minds whether to bite you or seduce you... pretty much encapsulates Vampire: The Masquerade vampires, really. It is dark, it will use up your ink, but if you enjoy the art then you might well want to print this out and either actually make a physical screen or just decorate your gaming room with them.

As for the 'Storyteller-side', the tables are clear and well laid out if a little eclectic in choice. Health levels, combat summaries, generic difficulties, combat manoeuvre charts... yes, these you can and will use. Probably quite often, at least until they all become second nature. But generation traits, the changes due to which generation a vampire is, that's not something you often need mid-game. Or bearing? Somehow linked to the vampire's humanity or lack thereof, but it ought to be filed away with your description of that vampire rather than something you need to check on mid-game.

A print-on-demand version would have been a welcome addition for those who do like physical screens. As it is, at only a couple of dollars it's probably worth taking a look to see if you do want it.

Return to Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition Screen page.

Reviewed: 21 June 2016