For about 7 months, I’ve been playing solo D&D with ChatGPT. I prompt ChatGPT to be the “ChatDM.” It sort of works, and at least, it’s fun enough to keep doing it and working on making it better. Here’s my most recent overview of what works and doesn’t work, based on a longer play session this week: In addition to the obvious prompting to play as a DM, there are a few things you have to be specific about.

Is ChatGPT good at being a Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master? I’ve been experimenting with this for a while now. I do this because (1) it’s fun, and, (2) it’s a good way to understand what generative AIs can actually do, how they do it, and how to work with them. They’re not as fantastic as everyone makes out, but they’re fun. Here’s my tips and commentary on my experience doing this:

Midjourney can effectively generate large Dungeons & Dragons battle maps, allowing for creative and expansive tactical play by iterating and refining prompts based on specific encounter scenarios.

Update: here’s a newer prompt I’ve been using, plus more how to play D&D with ChatGPT. Here’s another prompt I’ve used to have ChatGPT be a dungeon master for ChatGPT. See the older one here. I think this one is probably too long. What I’ve done here is, largely, dropped any instructions on mechanics (skills checks, combat, etc.) and more focused on the style of play, the “vibe.” I also asked ChatGPT what it needed to know to be a DM.

I’ve been experimenting/playing a lot with ChatGPT as a Dungeon Master. I like to call this “ChatDM.” That is, I’m a player, and it DMs for me. It’s not, like, great, but it is good enough if you want to co-imagine with it. Overtime, it is a great world building co-author with you. The current problem with using ChatGPT as a Dungeon Master is that it doesn’t have a long enough memory.

Preface In the annals of Eldergrove’s tangled history, a formidable tapestry of culture and survival, one cannot overlook the enigmatic presence of The Lost Tribe. Nestled within the heart of this ancient forest, a society of orcs has taken root, upending both conventional orcish dogma and the limitations those who see them through eyes of ignorance. This monograph endeavors to peel back the layers of this unique tribe, piecing together the fragments of lore and legend that define their identity.

A half-harpy is the result of a human breeding with a harpy. Usually, the offspring is a harpy (female), but 10% of the time the offspring is a half-harpy. Half-harpies are male 90% of the time, have wings, human arms, human hands but with long talons on each finger, and, as with a harpy, legs that start as human but end in vulture like ankled and feet. Half-harpies are accepted into harpy society, but have an even deeper wanderlust than regular harpies.

Overview The Lost Ingredient is an adventure that takes place in the city of Aurel’s Reach and the surrounding Elderwood. The player, a new apprentice to Thanlin, a powerful but forgetful elven alchemist, is tasked with finding a rare ingredient, the Luminescent Elder Lily, for a potion that Thanlin has been brewing. The adventure involves seeking guidance from Rye Leafoot, a friend of Thanlin’s, retrieving stolen truffles, and negotiating with a tribe of pixies.

Pixies, those delightful and mischievous denizens of the Elderwood, are as much a part of the forest as the trees and the streams. Tiny and whimsical, they flit through the undergrowth, their wings aglow with an ethereal light. They are guardians of the forest, protectors of its secrets, and masters of trickery and illusion. Their laughter is the rustle of leaves, their whispers the sigh of the wind. They are elusive, yet their presence is felt everywhere.

Ah, the Whispering Willow! Or just ‘The Willow’ if you’re trying to sound casual while nursing a frothy mug. This isn’t just any old tavern in Aurel’s Reach; it’s the place where half of my mischief has started… and maybe about a quarter of it has ended. Exterior Perched right against the city’s imposing northern wall and merging with that magnificent redwood – it’s almost as if nature herself decided to raise a toast!