diff --git a/backend/app/main.py b/backend/app/main.py
index 4bc8ee7..0ae5d7d 100644
--- a/backend/app/main.py
+++ b/backend/app/main.py
@@ -634,15 +634,15 @@ def set_member_mod(lid: str, username: str, body: dict = Body(...), user: dict =
 
 
 def _recipient(con, lobby, user: dict, to):
-    """User id to whisper to (the DM or a member, not yourself), None for everybody."""
+    """User id to whisper to (the DM, a member or yourself for private rolls and notes), None for everybody."""
     to = str(to or "").strip()
     if not to:
         return None
     target = con.execute("""SELECT u.id FROM users u WHERE u.username=? AND (u.id=? OR EXISTS
         (SELECT 1 FROM lobby_members m WHERE m.lobby_id=? AND m.user_id=u.id))""",
                          (to, lobby["owner_id"], lobby["id"])).fetchone()
-    if not target or target["id"] == user["id"]:
-        raise HTTPException(422, "You can only whisper to other people in this lobby")
+    if not target:
+        raise HTTPException(422, "You can only whisper to people in this lobby")
     return target["id"]
 
 
@@ -796,7 +796,8 @@ def roll_check(lid: str, body: dict = Body(...), user: dict = Depends(current_us
         payload = {"kind": kind, "what": what, "base": base, "mod": lobby["diff_mod"], "cmod": member["char_mod"], "diff": lobby["diff_label"],
                    "target": target, "roll": roll, "margin": target - roll, "outcome": outcome, "hidden": bool(lobby["diff_hidden"]),
                    "manual": bool(manual)}
-        mid = _post(con, lid, user["id"], None, "check", payload)
+        private = str(body.get("to") or "") == user["username"]  # a private check is only seen by the roller
+        mid = _post(con, lid, user["id"], user["id"] if private else None, "check", payload)
     return {"id": mid, "roll": roll, "outcome": outcome}
 
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/Lobbies.jsx b/frontend/src/Lobbies.jsx
index b635c24..c38e4d0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Lobbies.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/Lobbies.jsx
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ function Chat({ me, people, msgs, poll, id, to, setTo }) {
   const who = (m) => (
     <>
       <strong style={m.color ? { color: m.color } : undefined}>{m.mine ? 'You' : m.from || '?'}</strong>
-      {m.to && <em className="small whispertag"> {m.to === m.from ? '(only visible to you, the DM)' : m.mine ? `to ${m.to} (private)` : 'to you (private)'}</em>}
+      {m.to && <em className="small whispertag"> {m.to === m.from ? '(private, only you)' : m.mine ? `to ${m.to} (private)` : 'to you (private)'}</em>}
     </>
   )
 
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ function Chat({ me, people, msgs, poll, id, to, setTo }) {
       <form className="row chatform" onSubmit={submit}>
         <select value={to} onChange={(e) => setTo(e.target.value)} aria-label="Send to" className={to ? 'whisper' : ''}>
           <option value="">Everyone</option>
+          <option value={me}>Only me (private)</option>
           {people.filter((p) => p !== me).map((p) => <option key={p} value={p}>Only {p} (whisper)</option>)}
         </select>
         <input value={text} onChange={(e) => setText(e.target.value)} placeholder={to ? `Whisper to ${to} …` : 'Message …'} maxLength={500} aria-label="Message" autoComplete="off" />
@@ -243,7 +244,7 @@ function DieIcon({ sides }) {
 
 const MODES = [['mystery', 'Mystery', 'Players see grey dice, but not the result'], ['hidden', 'Hidden', 'Only you see the roll'], ['public', 'Public', 'Everybody sees the roll']]
 
-function DiceBar({ to, isDm, count, setCount, mode, setMode, own, setOwn, onRoll, busy }) {
+function DiceBar({ to, me, isDm, count, setCount, mode, setMode, own, setOwn, onRoll, busy }) {
   return (
     <div className="dicebar" role="toolbar" aria-label="Dice">
       <label className="small muted dicecount">Dice
@@ -264,7 +265,7 @@ function DiceBar({ to, isDm, count, setCount, mode, setMode, own, setOwn, onRoll
           {MODES.map(([k, label, tip]) => <button key={k} className={mode === k ? 'on' : 'ghost'} title={tip} onClick={() => setMode(k)}>{label}</button>)}
         </span>
       )}
-      {to && <span className="small dicedest priv">Private: {to}</span>}
+      {to && <span className="small dicedest priv">{to === me ? 'Private: only you' : `Private: ${to}`}</span>}
     </div>
   )
 }
@@ -346,7 +347,7 @@ function DiceTray({ rolls }) {
           const who = <b style={{ color: m.color }}>{m.mine ? 'You' : m.from}</b>
           if (m.kind === 'check') {
             const c = m.check
-            return <div key={m.key} className="trayroll">{who} – {c.what}{c.manual ? ' · own dice' : ''}: <span className={`out ${c.outcome}`}>{OUTCOME[c.outcome]}</span>{c.target !== undefined && <small> ({c.roll} vs {c.target})</small>}</div>
+            return <div key={m.key} className="trayroll">{who} – {c.what}{c.manual ? ' · own dice' : ''}{m.to ? ' · only you' : ''}: <span className={`out ${c.outcome}`}>{OUTCOME[c.outcome]}</span>{c.target !== undefined && <small> ({c.roll} vs {c.target})</small>}</div>
           }
           const t = rollText(m)
           return <div key={m.key} className="trayroll">{who} rolled <strong>{t.dice}</strong>{m.to ? (m.to === m.from ? ' · only you' : ` · private${m.mine ? ` to ${m.to}` : ''}`) : ''}{m.roll.manual ? ' · own dice' : ''}
@@ -429,14 +430,14 @@ function CharTab({ cid, rules, onRoll }) {
 }
 
 // lobby settings: join code, rename, colour, character switch, members, leave / delete
-function Settings({ lobby, id, mine, act, setInfo, onClose }) {
+function Settings({ lobby, id, mine, act, setInfo, onClose, inline }) {
   const [rename, setRename] = useState('')
   const [pick, setPick] = useState('')
   const me = lobby.members.find((m) => m.me)
   const taken = new Set(lobby.members.filter((m) => !m.me).map((m) => m.color))
   return (
-    <div className="settings card">
-      <div className="row"><h2>Lobby</h2><button className="ghost" onClick={onClose}>Close</button></div>
+    <div className={inline ? 'settings inline' : 'settings card'}>
+      {!inline && <div className="row"><h2>Lobby</h2><button className="ghost" onClick={onClose}>Close</button></div>}
       {lobby.is_dm && (
         <>
           <div className="row">
@@ -505,6 +506,7 @@ function LobbyView({ id, rules, user }) {
   const [busy, setBusy] = useState(false)
   const [mErr, setMErr] = useState('')
   const [showSettings, setShowSettings] = useState(false)
+  const [leftTab, setLeftTab] = useState('sheet') // the DM's left column: character sheet or lobby actions
   const [sheetOpen, setSheetOpen] = useState(() => store('aw_sheetopen') !== '0')
   const setOwn = (v) => { setOwnState(v); store('aw_owndice', v ? '1' : '0') }
 
@@ -560,10 +562,10 @@ function LobbyView({ id, rules, user }) {
   const check = (kind, cid, name) => {
     if (busy) return
     if (own) return setPending({ type: 'check', kind, id: cid, name })
-    post(`/api/lobbies/${id}/checks`, { kind, id: cid })
+    post(`/api/lobbies/${id}/checks`, { kind, id: cid, to: dest === user ? user : '' })
   }
   const submitManual = (vals) => {
-    if (pending.type === 'check') post(`/api/lobbies/${id}/checks`, { kind: pending.kind, id: pending.id, manual: vals[0] }, () => setPending(null))
+    if (pending.type === 'check') post(`/api/lobbies/${id}/checks`, { kind: pending.kind, id: pending.id, manual: vals[0], to: dest === user ? user : '' }, () => setPending(null))
     else post(`/api/lobbies/${id}/rolls`, { sides: pending.sides, count: pending.count, to: dest, manual: vals, ...(lobby.is_dm ? { mode } : {}) }, () => setPending(null))
   }
 
@@ -574,7 +576,7 @@ function LobbyView({ id, rules, user }) {
         <h1>{lobby.name}</h1>
         <span className="muted small">DM: {lobby.dm}{lobby.is_dm ? ' (you)' : ''}</span>
         <span className="tabright">
-          <button className="ghost" onClick={() => setShowSettings((v) => !v)} aria-expanded={showSettings}>⚙ Lobby</button>
+          <button className="ghost" onClick={() => (lobby.is_dm ? (setSheetOpen(true), setLeftTab('lobby')) : setShowSettings((v) => !v))} aria-expanded={lobby.is_dm ? sheetOpen && leftTab === 'lobby' : showSettings}>⚙ Lobby</button>
         </span>
       </div>
       {err && <p className="warn">{err}</p>}
@@ -584,26 +586,33 @@ function LobbyView({ id, rules, user }) {
         {sheetOpen && (
           <div className="sheetcol">
             <div className="sheetbar">
-              <b>{cur ? cur.character.name : 'Character sheet'}</b>
-              <span className="tabright"><ThemeSwitch /> <button className="ghost" onClick={() => { setSheetOpen(false); store('aw_sheetopen', '0') }} title="Hide the sheet">◀</button></span>
+              {lobby.is_dm ? (
+                <span className="seg" role="tablist">
+                  <button role="tab" className={leftTab === 'sheet' ? 'on' : 'ghost'} aria-selected={leftTab === 'sheet'} onClick={() => setLeftTab('sheet')}>Sheet{cur ? `: ${cur.character.name}` : ''}</button>
+                  <button role="tab" className={leftTab === 'lobby' ? 'on' : 'ghost'} aria-selected={leftTab === 'lobby'} onClick={() => setLeftTab('lobby')}>Lobby actions</button>
+                </span>
+              ) : <b>{cur ? cur.character.name : 'Character sheet'}</b>}
+              <span className="tabright">{(!lobby.is_dm || leftTab === 'sheet') && <ThemeSwitch />} <button className="ghost" onClick={() => { setSheetOpen(false); store('aw_sheetopen', '0') }} title="Hide this column">◀</button></span>
             </div>
-            {cur ? <CharTab key={cur.character_id} cid={cur.character_id} rules={rules} onRoll={cur.me && canCheck ? check : undefined} />
-              : <p className="muted small">{lobby.is_dm ? 'Pick a character in the bar to look at its sheet.' : 'You have no character in this lobby.'}</p>}
+            {lobby.is_dm && leftTab === 'lobby'
+              ? <Settings inline lobby={lobby} id={id} mine={mine} act={act} setInfo={setInfo} />
+              : cur ? <CharTab key={cur.character_id} cid={cur.character_id} rules={rules} onRoll={cur.me && canCheck ? check : undefined} />
+                : <p className="muted small">{lobby.is_dm ? 'Pick a character in the bar to look at its sheet.' : 'You have no character in this lobby.'}</p>}
           </div>
         )}
 
         <div className="playarea">
           {!sheetOpen && <button className="ghost showsheet" onClick={() => { setSheetOpen(true); store('aw_sheetopen', '1') }}>▶ Sheet</button>}
-          <CharBar lobby={lobby} sel={cur?.username} onSel={setSel} />
+          <CharBar lobby={lobby} sel={cur?.username} onSel={(u) => { setSel(u); setLeftTab('sheet') }} />
           <DifficultyBar lobby={lobby} onSet={(b) => act(`/api/lobbies/${id}/difficulty`, 'PUT', b)} />
           <div className="table">
-            {showSettings && <Settings lobby={lobby} id={id} mine={mine} act={act} setInfo={setInfo} onClose={() => setShowSettings(false)} />}
+            {showSettings && !lobby.is_dm && <Settings lobby={lobby} id={id} mine={mine} act={act} setInfo={setInfo} onClose={() => setShowSettings(false)} />}
             <DiceTray rolls={tray} />
             {canCheck && !pending && <p className="tablehint small muted">Click an attribute or skill on your sheet to roll it.</p>}
             {pending && <ManualEntry key={JSON.stringify(pending)} pending={pending} onSubmit={submitManual} onCancel={() => { setPending(null); setMErr('') }} err={mErr} />}
             {!pending && mErr && <p className="warn small tableerr">{mErr}</p>}
           </div>
-          <DiceBar to={dest} isDm={lobby.is_dm} count={count} setCount={setCount} mode={mode} setMode={setMode} own={own} setOwn={setOwn} onRoll={throwDice} busy={busy} />
+          <DiceBar to={dest} me={user} isDm={lobby.is_dm} count={count} setCount={setCount} mode={mode} setMode={setMode} own={own} setOwn={setOwn} onRoll={throwDice} busy={busy} />
         </div>
 
         <aside className="lobbychat card" aria-label="Chat">
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles.css b/frontend/src/styles.css
index 48033b8..c24895d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles.css
@@ -394,3 +394,5 @@ body:has(.lobbychat) main { padding: .5rem calc(var(--chatw) + .5rem) 0 .5rem; }
 .edtable td.actions { text-align: right; white-space: nowrap; }
 .edtable tr.sel { background: var(--panel2); }
 .editor .tabs { margin-top: .6rem; }
+
+.settings.inline { position: static; max-width: none; margin: 0; border: 0; background: transparent; padding: 0; }