ChatGPT has been a lifeline for me as a GM with little spare time to prep and far too grand ambitions for the scale and scope of (D&D) campaign I want to run. I’m curious how other GMs have found ChatGPT and similar AI tools useful or helpful in running their own games. I’ll share my own workflow below as a comment, and I hope others find it useful. I’m especially interested in any ChatGPT prompts you have found worthwhile, and you can see some of my own prompts in the examples I’ll share shortly.
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So, far and away the greatest utility I have found for ChatGPT is in two areas:
- Brainstorming ideas like a random generator or book of tables. ChatGPT can be especially helpful with brainstorming ideas if your campaign doesn’t fit neatly into traditional genres or stories typically featured in role-playing games.
- Brainstorming how to tie up loose plot threads. This is beyond the ability of most traditional tools or aids to help with, and it’s a godsend if (like me) you often lay down clues long before you’ve fully worked out all the details of the mystery.
General Brainstorming
ChatGPT is pretty good at just coming up with ideas for your campaign in general. I’m talking about stuff like adventure ideas, encounter ideas, descriptive details of rooms, etc. It’s not great, though, and its output can feel pretty generic compared to material like Raging Swan Press which has entire books full of wonderfully evocative tables great for filling environments and dungeons with detail. There’s also stuff like this Random Adventure Generator by @slyfourish@ttrpg.network or this other Random Adventure Generator by donjon which are both probably just as good or better than ChatGPT in general at brainstorming adventure ideas.
Where ChatGPT shines however is that you can give it basically arbitrary thematic or fictional constraints and tell it to generate ideas within that context. ChatGPT is mediocre at generic D&D or traditional fantasy, but my campaign isn’t a typical D&D campaign world, and as a result ChatGPT is basically the only random generator that can reliably generate ideas that are actually useful for my campaign. In essence, ChatGPT is a random generator I can tailor to my campaign world.
Here’s an example below of how I might use ChatGPT for this. In practice, I often like to “prime” it with details of the major characters of my campaign as well. It’s not brilliant, and you can see in many places it’s effectively repeating back themes or ideas that I gave it in the first place, but it’s nonetheless incredibly useful compared to the kind of stuff I tend to get back from other random generators that focus on generic fantasy content.
My biggest challenge with this kind of usage of ChatGPT is that it tends towards sounding like a back-of-the-book summary of a plot, often generalizing or otherwise glossing over the specific details that I’m precisely interested in. The first response to my prompt in the example is a great demonstration of this, which is why you’ll see I have to follow up by prompting it for specifics about the McGuffins and the cast of characters. If anyone has ideas for prompts that can avoid this tendency to summarize without making it write novels of text, I’m all ears.
Tying Up Plot Threads
ChatGPT can be really helpful with brainstorming not just general ideas but specific plot points for your adventures and campaigns. I don’t know how to explain this well outside of sharing another example but the gist is that you give ChatGPT a lot of detail about your campaign and its themes, characters, world, and setting, and then explain how there’s a “gap” in the story somewhere and ask it to brainstorm how to fill it. In my example here, the “gap” is that I’m missing a clue to deliver some critical information, but I’ve also used it successfully for other things like:
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“Why or how would character ABC be connected to mysterious phenomena XYZ?”
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“Which of these characters could have summoned the monster, and why?”
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“What is the nefarious scheme this character is planning (which I hinted at in a prior session)?”
Great post. Thanks for the examples
I’ve only used it once, so far. My players were in a place that was supposed to have prayers to an apocalyptic world-devouring entity written in secret text that could be discovered by the players.
I knew my players were likely to find it, so I asked ChatGPT to write out the text of these dark apocalyptic psalms. It did a great job, and when my players discovered the text it was appropriately verbose and creepy, instead of me just saying “you find prayers to the World Devourer”.
I have found it useful for handouts as well. I usually need to do a few rounds of editing and back and forth to get details and tone/voice just right, but it’s often still easier than writing it from scratch myself. It’s also nice for writing something yourself and then having it rewrite it in another voice e.g. “rephrase this letter like a victorian dandee wrote it”
A few sessions ago in my Monster of the Week campaign, I needed a folk tale of a Raven and a Fox who piss off some diety figures. I knew the beats of the tale but I didn’t really have time to write it all up, so I asked Bing to do it. I had to rewrite the last quarter of it, but the story it produced otherwise worked just fine. I then used stable diffusion to illustrate it and provided it as a handout that the players could (but didn’t) read. Ah well.
That area of “material that’s nontrivial to produce but not certain to be read/consumed by the players” might be the most useful place for chatgpt, in retrospect. I don’t want to draft an entire story that could well just be ignored, but I can edit or touch up something that an AI gives me.
I use it to plan my campaign. I cannot talk about the Contents and secrets with my players, my girlfriend foesvnt really care so I have ChatGPT just to spitball ideas with.
It does say dumb shit sometimes, or gives very generic ideas, but it serves to bounce your thoughts off of something and improve and improve. It’s like talking to someone about your next session
Exactly this. This is the main, best usage of it that I’ve found. My wife is one of my players, so if I want to plan a surprise, I need to bounce ideas off ChatGPT.
When it says dumb shit, you just give it a better idea instead. Honestly, having a bad idea on the table often makes it easier to come up with something good because your brain can more immediately go “not like that, like this” than it can just come up with an idea out of nowhere, y’know?
I use it for ultra-lazy mode:
- Generate a Dungeons and Dragons adventure about X
- Ask for more in-depth information on things is mentions.
- Ask for a random dungeon based on the adventure
- Ask for a hex map for the area.
That’s honestly like 80% of the work. I just have to do some editing and jazz on top of it.
Edit: here’s an example from a couple months ago: https://imgchest.com/p/92493wqm4nk
That’s awesome. ChatGPT seems to do pretty well when your campaign aligns with traditional D&D tropes, but I had no idea it would even generate hex maps! That’s wild
Yeah, that was a big surprise to me also! I took its basic ASCII hex map and made a real one with HexKit (that’s the good-looking map) and it seems pretty playable! I’m keeping it in my back pocket for my next one-shot.
Just to chime in with a different perspective, I don’t use ChatGPT and have no plans to. Although I totally understand why some may find it useful, and don’t have judgements towards those that use it for personal purposes.
For me, one of the many reasons I enjoy DMing is specifically to push myself to improvise and creative. I wasn’t encouraged to be imaginative or creative as a child, and so as an adult I often find myself trying to make up for that. As well as letting go of the fear of not being in control, and having fun with making ideas on the spot. It also feels much more fulfilling when something I make up ends up going down well.
Also I tend to like coming up with new concepts that go against the grain, or at least attempt to. And while ChatGPT is good at scraping and spitting out what has been done before, I ambitiously want something that is more surprising or unique than what it offers.
I don’t use ChatGPT and don’t plan to. For me, part of the fun of running games is being creative and doing the work of coming up with stuff myself. I don’t have as much of an issue with ChatGPT as with machine generated images, so that’s not why I avoid it. I just think the creative work is part of the experience, and us humans can also do that far better than a computer program. ChatGPT can’t easily draw on campaign-specific themes and symbolism, can’t foreshadow the greater mysteries going on. I mean, it likely can if specifically prompted to, but then you’re still doing most of the work myself.
And if I want to randomly generate something… Well, we’re all into TTRPG’s; that’s what dice are for. (Or tarot decks. I have too many of those. They’re just so pretty and I keep hoarding them.)
Same. My problem has never been generating content, it’s been in parring down alllll the content I produce to actually fit in a game, and organizing it in a way that produces a cohesive narrative.
EDIT: Was thinking about this more and was going to add that I don’t normally use random tables/generators, for the same reason. But there is one exception: I will absolutely generate NPC names. And it occurs to me that ChatGPT would be as good as or better than existing generators.
For names, I tend to use Behind the Name’s random name generator.
I think this is an entirely valid perspective. Some people are just overflowing with ideas and the use of ChatGPT (or any kind of aid in inspiration, such as random tables) seems redundant. Just for a point of comparison, my own experience is a combination of (a) I simply enjoy creating some kinds of content more than others, and (b) I don’t have enough spare time to personally author all of the content I want for my campaign. With my limited time, I want to focus on authoring the stuff that I enjoy creating, and/or the stuff that’s going to have the biggest impact. As an example, I’m happy to delegate descriptions of rooms to books of tables or ChatGPT if it means I can focus instead on the lore of the dungeon as a whole or the background & motivations for its overarching villain.
I’ve used chatGPT at the table as a suped up generator during games. I will usually tweak and change things it gives me to fit better with what i had planned, but it actually works pretty well, especially since you can feed it context and ask it to generate things that specifically fit with the current scenario
I’m fascinated to hear you actually use it during a session! Can you give an example of what that looks like? I can’t imagine it without majorly interrupting play personally, so I’d love to hear more about how you make that work
I use it as a generator during play. I will essentially feed it context and ask it to generate something for me. I used it mostly last when i ran my spelljammer game over the holiday season, so its been a bit, but usually it would look something like:
“Generate me 10 examples of elven captains in the royal elven navy suitable for a spelljammer campaign, include their level, class, personality, name, and physical description.”
I can get as specific as needed for whatever i’m looking for, such as “give me the names of 10 creatures that might reside within the inky blackness of space, but regularly visits the phlogiston in a spelljammer campaign”
That said, i’m a quick typer, so i can type something out like that while people are talking and bullshitting around the table without issues. Of the responses given back, i’ll usually choose one to be whatever i’m looking for. At the end of the day, its not really any more disruptive than looking through my notes for something i already have prepared.
I went ahead and went over and ran that same query example (the captains one) i mentioned above right now and got:
Name: Captain Arannis Starweaver
Level: 10
Class: Bladesinger (Wizard/Fighter)
Personality: Pragmatic and disciplined, Arannis is a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of arcane arts and swordplay. He values order and efficiency, always seeking the most effective solutions to challenges.
Physical Description: Tall and lithe, with flowing silver hair and piercing blue eyes. Arannis wears shimmering blue and silver robes adorned with intricate elven designs.
Name: Captain Lyariel Windrider
Level: 8
Class: Storm Sorcerer
Personality: Spirited and adventurous, Lyariel embodies the untamed spirit of the storm. She is known for her daring maneuvers and swift decision-making. Quick to smile and joke, she has a charismatic and magnetic personality.
Physical Description: With wild, wind-swept auburn hair and stormy gray eyes, Lyariel carries an aura of energy and anticipation. She wears a tailored uniform that adapts to the changing winds, adorned with storm-themed jewelry.
Name: Captain Thalaniel Frostwhisper
Level: 12
Class: Cold Domain Cleric
Personality: Wise and serene, Thalaniel is a calming presence among the crew. He has an innate understanding of the powers of ice and frost, using them to both heal and defend. He is highly empathetic and always seeks diplomatic solutions.
Physical Description: With a pale complexion, long silver hair, and serene blue eyes, Thalaniel exudes an air of otherworldly grace. He wears a pristine white uniform with frost motifs and carries an intricately carved staff.
Name: Captain Erevan Nightshade Level: 9
Class: Shadow Monk
Personality: Mysterious and stealthy, Erevan is a master of shadow manipulation and subterfuge. He prefers to strike swiftly and silently, always staying one step ahead of his enemies. He is reserved but fiercely loyal to his crew.
Physical Description: Erevan has obsidian-black hair, piercing violet eyes, and a lean, agile build. He wears a dark, form-fitting uniform with a cloak that seems to blend seamlessly into the shadows.
Name: Captain Seraphina Sunfire
Level: 11
Class: Sun Soul Monk
Personality: Radiant and compassionate, Seraphina draws her power from the celestial sun. She is a beacon of hope and positivity, inspiring her crew with her unwavering dedication to justice and the defense of the weak.
Physical Description: Seraphina has golden-blonde hair, vibrant amber eyes, and a serene smile. She wears a flowing white and gold uniform with intricate sun-shaped patterns and wields a radiant quarterstaff.
Name: Captain Thranduil Windwhisper
Level: 10
Class: Fey Pact Warlock
Personality: Enigmatic and enchanting, Thranduil has made a pact with a powerful fey entity. He possesses an uncanny connection to nature and uses his eldritch abilities to manipulate the elements. He often speaks in riddles and loves to share tales of the Feywild.
Physical Description: With flowing emerald-green hair, emerald eyes, and ethereal grace, Thranduil appears almost otherworldly. He wears a mix of forest green and earth-toned garments, adorned with intricate nature-themed jewelry.
Name: Captain Lirel Winterthorn
Level: 7
Class: Oath of the Ancients Paladin
Personality: Noble and valiant, Lirel is dedicated to protecting the natural order and the elven realms
from any threats. She upholds the tenets of her oath with unwavering devotion, radiating an aura of tranquility and vitality that uplifts those around her. Lirel possesses a strong sense of justice and strives to be a beacon of hope in dark times.
Physical Description: Lirel has flowing silver hair, emerald-green eyes, and a regal bearing. She wears intricately crafted armor adorned with delicate nature motifs, and her shield bears the emblem of an ancient tree.
Name: Captain Aelorin Stormcaller
Level: 13
Class: Tempest Domain Cleric
Personality: Commanding and tempestuous, Aelorin wields the power of storms with awe-inspiring authority. His thunderous voice and fierce determination make him an imposing figure on the battlefield. Despite his fierce exterior, he is fiercely protective of his crew.
Physical Description: Aelorin stands tall with raven-black hair and storm-gray eyes that seem to crackle with electricity. He wears a storm-themed, rune-inscribed armor that glows with faint sparks of lightning.
Name: Captain Maerwyn Moonshadow
Level: 6
Class: Arcane Trickster Rogue
Personality: Agile and mischievous, Maerwyn is a master of deception and cunning. She excels in stealthy maneuvers and cunning tactics, often catching her enemies off-guard. Maerwyn has a sharp wit and enjoys playing practical jokes on her fellow crew members.
Physical Description: Maerwyn has midnight-black hair and piercing silver eyes that seem to shimmer in the moonlight. She prefers dark, form-fitting leather attire that allows for easy movement, adorned with silver accents.
Name: Captain Galadriel Starbreeze
Level: 11
Class: Archfey Pact Warlock
Personality: Graceful and enigmatic, Galadriel has formed a pact with an ancient and powerful Archfey. She possesses an ethereal aura and an uncanny ability to charm and mesmerize others. She often speaks in riddles and is known for her mysterious nature.
Physical Description: Galadriel has flowing platinum-blonde hair, luminous sapphire eyes, and an enchanting smile. She adorns herself in flowing, iridescent robes that shimmer with moonlit hues, and her staff is intricately carved with fey symbols.
I’m glad this kind of tooling works for people, but the idea of it is very alien to me. I’ve also never been fond of random tables. Somehow it feels “wrong” to use a table or chatgpt in a way that stealing ideas and mashing them into “what if the head vampire is basically nick fury but he has to take care of a baby-yoda like thing like from the mandalorian” doesn’t.
I can understand the skepticism, but if helps things up at all, I would clarify that I think exceedingly few people who use random tables (even all the way back to the 70s) really use them as a final say in what’s happening next. Most who use it probably appreciate it more as a way of dislodging tired tropes and tricks they find themselves always falling back on.
I think of it as one more source of inspiration to keep in your toolbox, alongside the evergreen “steal from media you like.” That said, ymmv as with all things in life, and the best prep is the one that works for you!
See, in my campaign I do what you’re talking about with regards to mashing ideas together. I just use ChatGPT to get a detailed description of a room/character and to help me to plan out how I ought to glue the ideas together in a way that fits my setting/theme. Sometimes it even adds additional influences to the mix to make the idea seem more embedded in the setting and original.
If you just use it on the prep side, you maintain full editorial control, and you can reply to its bad ideas with “let’s do it more like this:” and it’ll revise its descriptions/ideas to match.
Not a plug but more something that I ran across recently. In trying to get some text to speech to work as well as move a text generator to Linux and searching for help, I ran across “Silly Tavern”. Lots of videos on how to get it set up (most NSFW related, seems to be a thing) but the software itself looks to be quite powerful to put together characters, settings, storylines, and maybe active NPCs. It can use a local or internet LLM for the text generation, several TTS options for voices, and Stable Diffusion (and others?) for scenery creation.
I haven’t used it in this way yet, but I want to use it to quickly generate things like news stories to pad put handouts. I’d really like to give my players full news papers in the style of Consulting Detective rather than just the relevant clippings.
I’ve used it for random generation and that’s about it. Before each session I’ll generate a list of random people and stores. I’ve also used it to come up with lists of random items.
It’s basically just an all-in-one random generator for me.
It does seem to do pretty well in that regard. Can I ask if your game is a conventional d&d campaign or something else?
I use it in 2 campaigns. 1 is traditional D&D in a homebrew setting, and the other is future science fiction. It does very well for the sci-fi one because there’s no preconceptions of setting.
Ah, that makes sense. On one hand I’d think Sci-Fi would be tricky for chatgpt as it’s nowhere near as homogenous as fantasy, but on the other hand (as you say) it’s kind of anything goes all the same, so that’s cool to hear it works out well in the end
I use ChatGPT (GPT4 version) for my homebrew campaign. I use it for generating stat blocks, adding filler details to settings I came up with (“describe this room with x y and z in it and foreshadow this thing at the end of the adventure”), and brainstorming options for how the plot could go going forward.
My party is 6 players, so there are a lot of individual subplots and backstories to keep track of. When I pitch new ideas to ChatGPT after refreshing it on the campaign’s context, it often will point out themes that would be good to highlight so I can tie some new event or setting into one or more characters’ backstories or emotional insecurities. It’s startlingly good at managing the complex interplay of ideas.
Everything else I just improv, so basically I use it for prep and setting the scene when entering a new location.
I did a couple of try with mixed result.
When pre-generating PC for one shot, I like to have some backstory and individual objective which might conflict with each other (e.g. adding a love triangle, or a cop infiltrated among the robbers). and I try to use chat GPT to turn bullet points into a whole paragraph of text.
I would say it’s more or less working, but still require some work to review/rewrite the text afterwards. I’ve seen chatGPT adding some "imaginary’ facts to the paragraph, and revealing “spoiler” to someone.
On the big picture, I am not sure that I saved that much time compared to writing it myself
I think this is a good and creative idea to use ChatGPT to support the work of the Game Master (GM) in games like D&D. ChatGPT’s strength is that it can automatically create content and core details. story quickly based on the GM’s input requirements. This saves preparation time for the GM. However, I also agree with the author that the GM still needs to monitor the output quality of ChatGPT, adding its own details to create its own style and feel. for your game.
