The Shadow
Hero
In the "Why oh why" thread, I commented that while ChatGPT doesn't currently seem able to run a game, it could really shine as a GM aid. I decided to give it a try by asking it to give me an adventure seed, and ended up creating the premise of an entire bizarre campaign world!
I'll grant that a good chunk of what came out was me free-associating with the prompts it gave me. But for the most part, they were good prompts! And when they weren't, I told it so and it came up with something better.
Here's the transcript:
Give me an idea for a fantasy adventure for a group traveling through a mountainous area. The setting is low in magic, but contains many mutated creatures from a previous, magical age. [I included the last sentence because I've noticed it does better if you include more details to work with.]
Tell me more about the guardian of the crystal. What is it like?
I'd like the guardian to be more obviously mutated from an existing creature. Also, it seems quite challenging for a low-magic group to handle!
That's more like it! Come up with a D&D 5e statblock for the guardian. Challenge rating 10, let's say.
How about a version of the Guardian suitable for a level 3 party? [It gave me one, a toned-down version of the above.]
Earlier, you suggested that the Guardian's weaknesses could be exploited. What weaknesses are those?
You also mentioned that the party could exploit the secrets of the temple to weaken the Guardian. Give me an idea?
[Okay, I've got the seed of an adventure, and a statblock to work with. No doubt I could ask more questions about the temple and the mountains to flesh it out if I wanted. Instead, I started getting into the wider setting, as shall be seen in the next post!]
I'll grant that a good chunk of what came out was me free-associating with the prompts it gave me. But for the most part, they were good prompts! And when they weren't, I told it so and it came up with something better.
Here's the transcript:
Give me an idea for a fantasy adventure for a group traveling through a mountainous area. The setting is low in magic, but contains many mutated creatures from a previous, magical age. [I included the last sentence because I've noticed it does better if you include more details to work with.]
Here's an idea for a fantasy adventure that you could use:
The group of travelers are tasked with escorting a precious artifact, a powerful magic crystal, from an ancient temple located in the heart of the mountains to a nearby kingdom. However, the journey is not an easy one as the mountain range is home to many mutated creatures and other dangers from the previous magical age.
Along the way, the group encounters a variety of obstacles and challenges, such as rock slides, treacherous mountain passes, and hostile mutated creatures. They will need to use their wits, skills, and strength to overcome these challenges and reach their destination.
As they travel deeper into the mountains, the group discovers that there are forces at work that would do anything to prevent them from reaching their destination. They soon realize that the artifact they are carrying is more valuable and dangerous than they initially thought, and that they must protect it at all costs.
The climax of the adventure takes place when the group finally reaches the temple, only to find that it is guarded by a powerful mutated creature, the guardian of the crystal. The travelers must use all of their skills and knowledge to defeat the guardian and retrieve the crystal, all while navigating the dangerous, magic-infused temple.
In the end, the group delivers the crystal to the kingdom, but not before uncovering the truth behind its power and the mutations that have plagued the mountain range for centuries. They must decide whether to keep the crystal's power for themselves or to use it to restore balance to the land.
Tell me more about the guardian of the crystal. What is it like?
The guardian of the crystal is a formidable and intimidating creature, born from the residual magic that still lingers in the temple. It is a massive, dragon-like beast with multiple heads, each possessing its own unique magical abilities. Its body is covered in thick, armored scales, making it nearly impervious to attacks, and its massive wings allow it to fly and maneuver with ease in the temple's narrow passages.
The guardian has been tasked with protecting the crystal for countless generations, and it takes its duty very seriously. It is fiercely intelligent, cunning, and fiercely territorial, attacking anyone who enters the temple uninvited.
In combat, the guardian is a force to be reckoned with. It can breathe fire, summon bolts of lightning, and unleash powerful magic spells that can wipe out entire groups of travelers in a single attack. Its multiple heads give it an advantage in battle, as it can attack multiple targets at once, making it an extremely formidable opponent.
Despite its fearsome reputation, the guardian is not invincible. The group of travelers may be able to defeat it by finding a way to exploit its weaknesses or by uncovering the secrets of the temple and using its magic against the creature. Whatever the case, the encounter with the guardian of the crystal is sure to be a memorable and challenging climax to their adventure through the mountainous region.
I'd like the guardian to be more obviously mutated from an existing creature. Also, it seems quite challenging for a low-magic group to handle!
Understood! Here's a revised version:
The guardian of the crystal is a mutated version of a once proud and mighty creature, now distorted by the residual magic that still lingers in the temple. It resembles a twisted and monstrous version of a bear, with multiple limbs, razor-sharp claws, and a set of jaws that can crush steel. Despite its brutal appearance, the guardian is also fiercely intelligent, cunning, and territorial, attacking anyone who enters the temple uninvited.
In combat, the guardian uses its physical strength, agility, and raw power to crush its enemies. It has a keen sense of smell and hearing, making it difficult to sneak past, and its thick hide provides excellent protection against most attacks.
However, despite its fearsome reputation, the group of travelers may have an advantage as the guardian's mutations have also caused some physical weaknesses. For example, it may have trouble adapting to bright light, be susceptible to certain types of magic, or have a soft spot on its underbelly that can be exploited.
The encounter with the guardian will still be challenging for the low-magic group, but with careful planning, cunning, and a bit of luck, they may be able to defeat it and retrieve the crystal. Regardless of the outcome, the group will come away from the experience with a deeper understanding of the dangers that exist in this world and the consequences of playing with powerful magic.
That's more like it! Come up with a D&D 5e statblock for the guardian. Challenge rating 10, let's say.
Certainly! Here's a statblock for the Guardian of the Crystal, using the rules and format of the 5th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game:
Code:
Guardian of the Crystal
Huge monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class: 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 225 (18d12 + 90)
Speed: 40 ft.
STR 22 (+6) DEX 16 (+3) CON 20 (+5) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0)
Damage Immunities: Poison
Damage Resistance: Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from non-magical weapons
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages: --
Actions:
Multiattack: The guardian makes 3 attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d10 + 6) piercing damage.
Claws: Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) slashing damage.
Trample: Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (3d12 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Legendary Actions:
The guardian of the crystal can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The guardian regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Attack: The guardian makes one attack with its bite or claws.
Trample: The guardian moves up to its speed and can move through difficult terrain without penalty. If it moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a trample attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Howl (Costs 2 Actions): The guardian lets out a fearsome howl that echoes through the temple. Each creature within 60 feet of the guardian that can hear it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute.
This statblock assumes the Guardian of the Crystal is a formidable opponent for a group of characters of average level 10. The group may need to use their abilities and resources wisely in order to defeat the guardian and retrieve the crystal. Of course, you can always adjust the stats to make the encounter more or less challenging, depending on your needs.
How about a version of the Guardian suitable for a level 3 party? [It gave me one, a toned-down version of the above.]
Earlier, you suggested that the Guardian's weaknesses could be exploited. What weaknesses are those?
In my previous description, I mentioned that the Guardian of the Crystal's mutations from its original form have left it with some exploitable weaknesses. Here are a few examples of those weaknesses that the party could take advantage of:
Lack of Intelligence: The Guardian's low Intelligence score means that it may not respond well to complex strategies or tactics. The party may be able to outsmart the Guardian by using distractions or misdirection.
Vulnerability to Magic: Although the Guardian is resistant to non-magical weapons, it may be vulnerable to magical attacks. The party could use spells or magical weapons to deal extra damage to the Guardian.
Distracted by Sound: The Guardian's howl is a powerful tool, but it also leaves it temporarily vulnerable. If the party can block or silence the howl, they may be able to attack the Guardian without fear of being frightened.
Weakened by Light: The Guardian's darkvision may be a weakness if the party can use light to temporarily blind it. This could give the party an opportunity to attack or retreat.
These are just a few examples of weaknesses that the party could exploit. The Dungeon Master may choose to include any or all of these weaknesses, or come up with their own, depending on the desired level of challenge for the encounter.
You also mentioned that the party could exploit the secrets of the temple to weaken the Guardian. Give me an idea?
Certainly! Here's one idea for how the party could exploit the secrets of the temple to weaken the Guardian of the Crystal:
Ancient Runes: The party discovers that the temple was built to contain and control powerful magical creatures, including the Guardian. As they explore the temple, they come across ancient runes etched into the walls that can weaken the Guardian if activated. The party must decipher the runes and figure out how to activate them to weaken the Guardian and make the encounter more manageable.
Magical Relics: The party finds relics scattered throughout the temple that, when combined, can be used to weaken the Guardian. These relics might be hidden behind puzzles or traps, or guarded by lesser creatures. Once the party has collected all of the relics, they must figure out how to use them together to weaken the Guardian.
Elemental Altars: The temple was built with elemental altars dedicated to each of the four classical elements (earth, air, fire, and water). The party learns that if they can activate the altars in the correct order, they can weaken the Guardian and make it vulnerable to certain types of attacks. However, activating the altars will also summon elemental spirits that must be defeated before the party can move on.
These are just a few examples of ways that the party could exploit the secrets of the temple to weaken the Guardian. The Dungeon Master could choose to use one of these ideas, modify them to fit their needs, or come up with their own ideas for how the party could exploit the secrets of the temple. The goal is to create a challenging but manageable encounter that is both exciting and memorable for the players.
[Okay, I've got the seed of an adventure, and a statblock to work with. No doubt I could ask more questions about the temple and the mountains to flesh it out if I wanted. Instead, I started getting into the wider setting, as shall be seen in the next post!]