Recently, I spoke with a few Game Masters who shared a common frustration: the more they used AI, the less effective it seemed to become. After asking a few questions, it became clear that the issue wasn’t with the AI itself but with how they were engaging with it.
This is a familiar scenario for many GMs trying AI for the first time. Like any tool, AI works best when you know how to use it properly.
I like the analogy that AI is like a baseball pitcher, and you are the batter. If you ask the pitcher to go easy on you and lob one over the plate, it will do that, over and over again. However, if you ask the AI to bring the heat, it will put a fast ball past you and then some. For AI will engage with you like you are engaging with it.
As Game Masters, we juggle roles: storyteller, worldbuilder, referee, and improviser. It’s a lot to manage. Using AI effectively can feel like upgrading your gear, giving you a sharper edge in your creative process. The key is knowing how to talk to it.
This blog is a quick guide to help GMs craft better prompts, get tailored results, and truly make the most of AI in their tabletop games. Let’s dive in.
Understanding How to Talk to AI
One of the biggest challenges Game Masters face when using AI is expecting it to read their mind. Many GMs assume that a short, vague prompt will somehow lead to a fully fleshed-out result. Unfortunately, this often leads to generic or uninspired responses that feel more like filler than creativity.
The key to unlocking AI’s potential lies in how you communicate with it. The more precise and structured your instructions are, the better the results. Think of it this way: the less the AI has to guess, the more useful and tailored its output will be.
To help with this, OpenAI outlines four key elements of a great prompt that can dramatically improve your results:
Be Specific: Include as many details as possible to give the AI clear direction.
“Write a backstory for a reclusive wizard who lives in an enchanted tower in the mountains. They’re haunted by a tragic mistake that turned their apprentice into a stone statue.”
Break It Down: Divide complex requests into steps.
Instead of: “Write a quest for a party of adventurers,”
Try:
Describe the setting where the quest begins.
Introduce a compelling NPC who assigns the quest.
Outline three obstacles the adventurers will face.
Explain how the quest ties into a larger story arc.
Provide Examples: Show the style or tone you want.
Examples are one of the most powerful tools you can use when working with AI. Providing an example of the tone, style, or structure you’re aiming for can guide the AI toward the results you want.
For instance, if you want it to write NPC dialogue in a poetic and mysterious style, you could include an example like:
“I am but a shadow of the past, wandering where the light dares not tread. Do you seek truth, or will you fall prey to the lies of your own making?”
Set Expectations: Tell the AI how to format or present the response.
Tell the AI exactly how you want the information presented. This can include format, tone, a template or level of detail.
“Describe a haunted forest in 100 words, focusing on the sounds and smells that add to its eerie atmosphere.”
“Write dialogue for a stubborn dwarven blacksmith using short, gruff sentences.”
Give a solid response structure
Campaign Name: [Name of the Campaign]
Description: [100-word description of the campaign]
Pixar's Story Spine: [Format the campaign using Pixar's Story Spine Structure using 3 possible outcomes for the campaign. Player Succes, Players Fail, Players Push]
Acts: [Break the campaign into a 3-act structure]
Structuring Prompts for Precision
When working with AI, breaking down a request into clear steps is one of the easiest ways to ensure you get exactly what you need. Instead of a broad, open-ended prompt, you guide the AI with specific actions and clear goals. This approach helps the AI stay focused and ensures nothing important gets left out.
Example: Crafting a Detailed Campaign Hook
Let’s look at how structuring a campaign hook request can take it from generic to engaging.
Basic Prompt: "Write a campaign hook for adventurers by a coastal town."
Looks pretty straightforward, right? But this is exactly the kind of prompt that leads to generic, forgettable results.
The problem is: The prompt leaves way too much room for interpretation.
Adding More Details
Improved Prompt with Steps: "Create a campaign hook for adventurers starting in the coastal town of Sable Harbor."
Steps:
Describe the setting (Sable Harbor):
A crumbling port town struggling to survive, surrounded by treacherous waters.
Introduce the central conflict:
A recent shipwreck has brought whispers of cursed treasure. Fisherfolk have begun disappearing near the wreck.
Tie the hook to the players:
One of the adventurers finds a relic from the shipwreck linked to their forgotten family history.
Set the tone:
Suspenseful, with hints of danger and supernatural elements.
This is better because it helps to focus the AI on what you want it to do. It provides steps around your expectations.
The problem is: It does not provide AI any sort of structured output or giving the AI a persona.
Adding More Details
Improved Prompt with a Persona, + Steps, + Result Output:
Persona: I want you, the AI, to pretend to be a D&D gamemaster who is working on a new campaign. I want you to avoid using fantasy tropes and cliches. Write in a clear concise manner.
Task: You are working on creating a campaign hook for adventurers starting in the coastal town of Sable Harbor.
Steps:
Describe the setting (Sable Harbor):
A crumbling port town struggling to survive, surrounded by treacherous waters.
Introduce the central conflict:
A recent shipwreck has brought whispers of cursed treasure. Fisherfolk have begun disappearing near the wreck.
Tie the hook to the players:
One of the adventurers finds a relic from the shipwreck linked to their forgotten family history.
Set the tone:
Suspenseful, with hints of danger and supernatural elements.
Result Output:
Campaign Name: [Name of the Campaign]
Description: [100 word description of the campaign]
Pixar's Story Spine: [Format the campaign using Pixar's Story Spine Structure using 3 possible outcomes for the campaign. Player Succes, Players Fail, Players Push]
Acts: [Break the campaign into a 3-act structure]
Example Result:
Campaign Name: The Black Siren's Curse
Description: In the crumbling port town of Sable Harbor, whispers of a cursed treasure from the wreck of the Black Siren spread like wildfire. Fisherfolk vanish near the wreck, and the once-thriving harbor teeters on collapse. When the adventurers arrive, they discover a personal connection to the ship’s haunting legacy, propelling them into a dangerous investigation where supernatural forces threaten to consume the town.
Pixar's Story Spine:
Once upon a time: The adventurers arrive in Sable Harbor, a struggling coastal town haunted by the Black Siren’s wreck.
Every day: Locals warn of the ship’s curse and the vanishing fisherfolk. The adventurers are hired to investigate.
Until one day: One of the adventurers finds a relic from the ship tied to their family, revealing a personal stake in the mystery.
Because of that: The party uncovers dark rituals and cursed artifacts that protect the treasure but unleash danger.
Because of that: The town’s fate hangs in the balance, forcing the adventurers to confront the wreck’s supernatural forces.
Until finally:
Player Success: The curse is broken, the town saved, and the treasure reclaimed.
Players Fail: The curse spreads, consuming Sable Harbor and marking the adventurers as its next victims.
Players Push: The adventurers leave the curse unresolved, escaping with the treasure but at the cost of the town’s safety.
Acts:
Act 1: Arrival and Discovery The adventurers arrive in Sable Harbor, learn about the Black Siren, and encounter the Fisherfolk Guild. They investigate the shipwreck and discover a relic tied to one player’s past.
Act 2: The Curse Unveiled As they delve deeper, the adventurers uncover the shipwreck’s dark history and the rituals that cursed it. They face dangers tied to the wreck, including supernatural guardians and traps.
Act 3: Confrontation and Consequences The adventurers must make a final push to confront the source of the curse, either breaking it to save the town, leaving it to spread further, or claiming the treasure while fleeing the harbor.
Now that is a great campaign that I can work with. It gives me the GM a short description, the overall story arc, and clear acts on how the campaign may play out.
Progression Through Examples
Example 1: Campaign Hook Creation
Basic Prompt: "Write a campaign hook for a forest adventurer."
Improved Prompt: "Write a campaign hook for adventurers starting in a dark forest with a mysterious grove and woodsman who have gone missing."
Complex Prompt with Steps:
Persona: I want you, the AI, to pretend to be a D&D gamemaster who is working on a new campaign. I want you to avoid using fantasy tropes and cliches. Write in a short concise manner.
Task: Create a campaign for adventurers starting in a mysterious forest. The campaign should include a unique location within the forest that holds intrigue, a central conflict tied to the forest's secrets, and a personal connection to at least one of the adventurers.
Steps:
Describe the setting (Dark Forest):
A sprawling forest shrouded in perpetual twilight, where ancient trees twist into unnatural shapes.
Rumors tell of a sacred grove deep within the forest, said to be ruled by a druid of immense power. However, local hunters and foragers who ventured too close to the grove have either vanished or returned with no memory of what they saw, speaking only of the whispers growing louder.
Tie the hook to the players:
One of the adventurers discovers a worn journal belonging to their long-lost mentor. It contains cryptic notes about the rise of the druid and the creation of the sacred grove, mentioning a "final discovery" left unfinished
Set the tone:
Mysterious, eerie, and charged with a sense of foreboding curiosity, where the forest itself feels alive and watchful.
Result Output:
Campaign Name: [Name of the Campaign]
Description: [100 word description of the campaign]
Pixar's Story Spine: [Format the campaign using Pixar's Story Spine Structure using 3 possible outcomes for the campaign. Player Succes, Players Fail, Players Push]
Acts: [Break the campaign into a 3-act structure]
Example 2: NPC Design
Basic Prompt: "Create an NPC for a tavern."
Improved Prompt: "Create a tavernkeeper NPC who is a retired dwarf adventurer that tells exaggerated stories."
Complex Prompt with Persona, + Steps, + Output:
Persona: I want you, the AI, to pretend to be a D&D gamemaster who is working on a new NPC for {insert campaign location}. I want you to avoid using fantasy tropes and cliches.
Task: "You are working on creating NPC {insert NPC name} that is a dwarf tavernkeeper and retired adventurer who used to smuggle illegal goods and likes to tell exaggerated stories."
Steps:
Describe the NPC (100-word description of the NPC):
Generate for me his D&D stat block, ability scores, and special ability for a CR 3 fighter
Generate for me one quirk
Describe for me one story he likes to tell over and over again
Generate for me 3 hooks that he can give players for a short adventure, they should be local and small.
Result Output:
NPC Name: [Name of the NPC]
Description: [100-word description of the NPC]
Stat Block and Abilities: [List out his stat block, ability scores and special ability]
Quirk: [Describe what makes him unique with the goal of making him memorable]
Story: [Write a short and concise story that he likes to tell.]
Hooks: [Generate 3 Hooks for the players when they enter the bar. Keep them short and simple.]
Example 3: Puzzle Encounter Design
Basic Prompt: "Create a puzzle for a dungeon."
Improved Prompt: "Design a puzzle involving four magical stones and riddles tied to elemental themes."
Complex Prompt with Persona, + Steps, + Output:
Persona: I want you, the AI, to pretend to be a D&D gamemaster who is working on creating a puzzle for {insert campaign location}. I want you to avoid using fantasy tropes and cliches.
Task: "You are working on creating a puzzle involving four magical stones and riddles tied to elemental themes."
Steps:
Describe the Puzzle (100-word vivid description of the puzzle and the chamber):
Generate for me a unique riddle tied to each of the stones that represent the 4 elements, earth, wind, air, fire.
Consequences for both right and wrong answers
Hints for players when they get stuck
Result Output:
Puzzle Name: [Name of the Puzzle]
Description: [100-word description of the chamber and puzzle]
Riddles: [List out the riddles and consequences for right and wrong answers]
Hints: [Describe 3 hints to help the players]
Recommended AI Tools for Game Masters
Here is a list of common AI tools that GMs can use:
ChatGPT: Generating NPCs, story ideas, and detailed descriptions.
Gemini: Generating NPCs, story ideas, and detailed descriptions.
Claude: Assists with multi-step planning and brainstorming.
The Game Master Platform: Assists with campaign creation, running, and publishing.
Perplexity: Quick research and fact-checking.
Copilot: Useful for coding mechanics or automating repetitive tasks.
Midjourney: Generates high-quality art for settings and characters.
DALL·E 3: Creates illustrations for themes, mood boards, items, or NPCs.
Sora: Builds interactive narrative elements.
Runway: Adds cinematic effects to video presentations.
Eleven Labs: Offers high-quality text-to-speech for immersive voiceovers.
Follow Along
Interested in following my process for building a campaign from scratch?
Check out this blog.
Conclusion
AI is a powerful tool for Game Masters, but like any tool, its effectiveness depends on how you use it. By crafting clear, structured prompts, breaking down complex ideas into manageable steps, and providing specific details and examples, you can transform your interactions with AI into a creative partnership.
Think of AI as a collaborator that grows alongside you as you refine your approach. With every prompt, you’re not just creating content—you’re building your skills and expanding what’s possible for your campaigns. Whether it’s designing unforgettable NPCs, crafting intricate puzzles, or setting the stage for an epic adventure, AI can help bring your imagination to life.
Start experimenting, challenge yourself to write better prompts, and watch how your storytelling evolves. Your players will feel the difference, and so will you. Let AI become an ally in your journey to create worlds and adventures your players will never forget.
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