Any AI Gamemasters Out There?


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Last summer I ran a mini-campaign for myself using ChatGPT to test how it works as a GM. It has potential, but, at least six months ago, was far from capable.

It was quite good at responding to prompts in the moment, but needed continual reminders from me about what had already been established. It incorporated the rules of 5e mostly accurately, but lacks a true game engine to apply them consistently. Its output tends towards very predictable story tropes, and it is very easy for the player to manipulate the story through your reactions.

So it felt more like a collaborative experience than anything like a true player/DM experience. Yet…I had fun. The story was memorable. So I can see the potential.

I would be fascinated to see the result if someone licensed ChatGPT and married it to a proper game engine.

Edit: and having written that, I read the post right above mine. That research looks really promising!
 
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You should check out Friends & Fables! I'm one of the devs. We just launched a new ai campaign engine to run ai ttrpgs. Introducing ACE-1: The engine powering the best AI TTRPG experiences
I've been testing this. Folks should check it out. It's way too soon for me to draw conclusions, but it's impressive thus far. I still feel like I am doing a fair amount of the narrative lifting, but nothing like working with plain ChatGPT, and there is far more cohesiveness to the story.
 

When you tested chat-gtp, did you do it with the 4 version or the o1? I got much improved result with o1 (even if I did easily nudge the story toward the desired outcome)
 

I love chatgpt as a gm. He let me mind control at lvl one on a good roll. Used it to take over the town. Used the town to raid a dungeon. Became mayor. Took over surrounding areas and eventually the known world. All happened in about 30 minutes and was good fun.
 

When you tested chat-gtp, did you do it with the 4 version or the o1? I got much improved result with o1 (even if I did easily nudge the story toward the desired outcome)
I use whatever version is newest; I have a paid subscription. I’ve been experimenting with it since it was released. It’s miles better now than them.
 


A friend notified me of this: https://boingboing.net/2025/01/14/ai-might-be-your-next-dungeon-master.html

Graduate student Pavlos Sakellaridis has developed and tested an LLM-powered agent capable of running Dungeons & Dragons sessions, training it on transcripts from the popular streaming show Critical Role. His research provides the first rigorous evaluation of AI's potential to guide players through collaborative storytelling adventures.

[...]

Both AI and human DMs kept players engaged and comfortable, with similarly strong scores in positive experiences (4.03 vs 4.2) and equally low frustration levels. Traditional DMs held only modest leads in areas like narrative flow (4.0 vs 3.76) and player competence (4.4 vs 4.06).
[...]
 

For me, a TTRPG is a social activity. No matter how good an AI GM is, if I want a solo PC experience, I'm gonna go to a video game. I play TTRPGs to have fun with other people.

And an AI ain't people.

True but could you see an AI taking over the GM role so that all the people could play together?
 


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