In this article we are going to introduce you to a totally customisable product by Il Custode, aka Davide Luzi, who will create something unique for you that can meet all your needs: here is our review of The Keeper’s Screen.
We are in fact talking about a master screen with dimensions, images and panels to be agreed with the creator, depending on what you need to fit your sessions better.
Prices start from 30€ for a single panel up to 50 for particularly complex work. The one you can see in the pictures in this review, for example, costs 90€. Keep in mind that the maximum price refers to a particularly accurate level of customisation, such as adding plaques on which to write the names of the various PGs for the panels. The work of Il Custode is currently in progress and he informs us that he has recently started experimenting with pyrograph engravings or colouring using pigments. We recommend you follow his social pages on Facebook or Instagram to keep up to date and to be teased with ideas that you might not have even considered otherwise (and eventually make your purchase).
An Idea to Chain Them
What do you usually do when you can’t find a product that fully satisfies you? Most of us adapt something already pre-built that comes as close to it as possible. This was also the problem with The Caretaker which, as a lover of the Cthulhu universe, couldn’t quite manage the vast amount of information from its five players. In an investigative game, you know, there are many variables to keep in mind. Not to mention the countless NPCs to take into account. And here was the idea: to custom-build something himself, knowing exactly what spaces and needs were required.
He was so pleased with the result that he posted pictures of the finished work on a well-known Facebook group of enthusiasts. From there, the turning point: many contacted him for more information and the chance to solve the same problem that had plagued him. And he accepted the challenge, with only one condition: each screen had to be unique, non-replicable and highly customisable.
Review of The Keeper’s Screen: Materials
The wood used to create the screens is very strong. It is in fact 1.5 cm marine plywood, which is then cut, shaped and treated. Finally, it is painted in the chosen colour. Frames are created with hand-engraved eva foam, in the colour of your choice. Images chosen to serve as the background for your panel are sent in by the customer. They must be of the best possible quality and the size relative to the desired format. In fact, panels can be created in A4 or A5 format, with the possibility of being combined together.
On the side facing the master we will find embedded magnets. With them we can attach the campaign sheets by means of magnets.
Instead of hinges, we will again find stronger magnets that will attract iron rods mounted on the edges of the side panels to give the screen more modularity. We can thus remove or add them later if we need to.
The Creation of “Our Necronomicon”
Davide Luzi has been a player and master for more than 25 years and his passion is palpable. Who has never dreamed of having a product that reflected their campaign in a way that made it indelible but, above all, easier to manage? Let’s start with the images: we at No Dice Unrolled decided to put our logo inside the images. The idea was to create a dark, almost frightening screen for players who found themselves in front of it. What better way to do this than by using the myths of H.P. Lovecraft?
Il Custode asked us a lot of questions regarding our preferences: size and dimension of the panels, preference on the verticality or horizontality of the panels, reference colours for the frames and the internal background, as well as the images to be used. For the sake of convenience, we used artificial intelligence to create them, so that they would fit very well with the chosen theme.
Feeling we had was that we were followed step by step to be sure that the product created fully met expectations, as a true professional knows how to do.
And so it did. Considering that we are dealing with a totally handmade product, creation time was very fast. Shipping was also smooth and we were faced with almost perfect packaging. Accompanying the screen was a letter of presentation with some important rules for its maintenance.
Review of Keeper’s Screen: Conclusions
Needless to pretend otherwise: this screen is the forbidden dream of many masters who did not know they had this possibility until now. Whether you decide to brag about it to your players or whether you choose it as a gift for your narrator hoping for more lenient campaigns in the future, this product is truly a neat and useful piece of work for your games.
Obviously having a good illustrator within the company would be an added value, as being able to put your own artwork on the screen to accompany you throughout the rest of the story would be a plus. On the other hand, there is nothing to stop you from commissioning illustrations separately and then sending them to Il Custode for inclusion in his work.
Magnets inside give you the possibility to change the sheets and tables to be used in each individual game as well. This shortens the time of manual research in your precious evenings.
In our case, outside the sessions, it will also form an integral part of the altar for our beloved grand antique.
«Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn»
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