As artificial intelligence tools carve their niche in creative industries, their impact on tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) is becoming increasingly profound. Today, Game Masters (GMs) are not just storytellers but innovators, using AI to transform images into complex, vivid game settings and encounters. ChatGPT, a versatile AI model, emerges as a game-changer in this arena, offering the ability to generate rich narratives and detailed campaign elements from mere visuals. This capability not only enhances the creative process but also enriches the gaming experience, pushing the boundaries of imagination in RPGs. Let’s explore how GMs can leverage ChatGPT, alongside strategic image use, to craft immersive worlds that captivate and engage.
In this 2-part blog I will cover the process of creating a location and then building an adventure around that location.
Blog 1: Location Development
This is the image that brought me inspiration and I wanted to create an adventure around this location. So, let's begin.
Step 1: I uploaded the image and asked ChatGPT to describe this image
ChatGPT description output
Step 2: I want to get a sense of who lives here and why
In this step I wanted ChatGPT to provide me feedback on the different questions that I should ask when building an adventure. Here is the prompt I used.
This is a great set of questions that GMs can ask about any location in their setting.
ChatGPT output with the 10 questions
Step 3: I wanted ChatGPT to start to answer the questions
The 10 questions give me a baseline to start from. I will now work my way through these questions step-by-step.
ChatGPT output with 7 reasons for why this village exists
Step 4: I asked ChatGPT which option it thinks is the best for a Dungeons and Dragons encounter.
Step 5: Choosing an option, I went with ChatGPT's suggestion of a sacred site.
ChatGPT sacred site reasons
Step 6: Exploring different options from fantasy works. ChatGPT knows so much more than I do about fantasy stories. I wanted to ask it to suggest a few locations from written works that I might further be inspired from.
ChatGPT output listing different fantasy locations
Step 7: I asked ChatGPT to begin writing an encounter that can be dropped into any world. I asked ChatGPT to keep the encounter to a local area. This is important otherwise it will give you large world changing scenarios.
Step 8: Anchoring on a theme. ChatGPT will now use this location as guidelines when coming up with our encounter. Here is the location that I chose.
ChatGPT output, The Godswood of Winterfell
Step 9: Building the location
This is where it all comes together. I now re-upload the image and copy and paste the 10 questions from above into a single prompt.
Doing so game me this output. I chose the option on the right. This now serves as the base for my adventure.
Step 10: Encounters
5 Encounters from ChatGPT for the location of Keth’Lorra
I chose the following direction.
Encounter 3: Shadows Over Keth’Lorra
Description: Shadows and whispers hint at a malevolent spirit disturbed by the villagers' recent excavations.
Hook: Attacks on the villagers have increased, and the PCs are asked to investigate and appease or banish the spirit.
Outcomes:
Success: The PCs successfully banish the spirit, restoring peace and earning them a revered place in village lore.
Fail: The spirit wreaks havoc, damaging significant parts of the village and harming innocent villagers. The PCs are held responsible.
Pass: The PCs avoid the conflict, leaving the village to fend for itself, which could lead to long-term repercussions for both the villagers and the PCs.
In the next blog I will go into detail around how I created a playable adventure from this location.
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