What's the longest campaign you've run? Would you be willing to share any chat logs?
I won't be able to get too far with it for a few hours, but here's what I've kicked off using ChatGPT 5 Plus ($20/month tier). This took it about 5 seconds to do. A lot comes down to using the prompts to guide and modify its behavior as you go along. Of course, that's also the case when playing with humans, so I don't necessarily count some errors against it.
You said:
I would like to play a game of D&D 5e with you. Please be as true to the rules as possible. I need you to be careful to adhere to the rules. I would also like you to be creative! Create a rich fantasy world for our game to inhabit. Let's please make this a game designed for 3rd-level characters. You can create my character for me. I'd like to play a half-elven wizard named Fizzbang Nutterbutt. There should also be a cleric and a fighter in our group (please play them as NPCs). Could you start creating the introductory scene and developing the plot of our first adventure together?
ChatGPT said:
Great! Let’s set the stage for our D&D 5e adventure. I’ll generate your character, your companions, and then drop you into a living world with an opening scenario. I’ll keep everything rules-legal while layering in plenty of color and creativity.
Your Character
Fizzbang Nutterbutt
- Race: Half-Elf
- Class: Wizard (Level 3)
- Background: Sage (Arcane Researcher)
- HP: 16 (3d6 Hit Dice + CON mod)
- AC: 13 (Mage Armor prepared)
- Ability Scores:
- STR 9, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 16, WIS 11, CHA 13
- Proficiencies: Arcana, History, Investigation, Insight
- Spells Prepared: Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shield, Detect Magic, Misty Step, Scorching Ray, Web
- Cantrips: Fire Bolt, Prestidigitation, Mage Hand
NPC Companions
Sister Maribel (Human Cleric of the Dawnmother, Level 3)
- Devout, kind but practical; she heals but is not afraid to crack skulls with her mace.
Bram Ironfist (Dwarf Fighter, Level 3, Champion)
- Gruff, dependable, always itching for a fight; loyal to a fault.
The World
We’ll begin in the
Kingdom of Eldarvale, a realm recovering from decades of border wars. Its villages sit uneasily at the edge of
The Whispering Wilds, a sprawling forest where ancient ruins lie beneath the moss, and strange creatures whisper in forgotten tongues. Rumors speak of an artifact called the
Moonstone Shard, said to be hidden somewhere within the Wilds. Whoever controls it could tilt the balance of power in Eldarvale.
Opening Scene
The three of you sit inside
The Silver Cup Inn in the frontier town of
Dunwynn’s Rest. The inn is warm with firelight, though the chatter inside is subdued. Rain lashes at the windows, and the streets outside are mostly deserted.
The innkeeper, a stout woman named Dorrin, leans in close.
“Fizzbang, you’re clever with the arcane, aren’t you? Folk say the old chapel ruins north of town glow at night, strange blue lights flickering where no torches burn. Just yesterday, three hunters went in and didn’t return. We’re all too frightened to go near. If someone doesn’t put an end to whatever haunts that place, I fear the town won’t last the season.”
Bram snorts, slamming his mug on the table.
“Blue lights? Bah, sounds like coward’s talk. But I wouldn’t mind knocking some skulls if it earns us coin.”
Sister Maribel looks at you, her expression concerned.
“If it’s truly the chapel of Saint Athelyn, it could house relics of the Dawnmother. I would see them protected from corruption.”
The rain hammers harder, as though urging you to decide.
Would you like Fizzbang to:
- Accept the task immediately and head to the chapel ruins tonight, in the storm.
- Ask around town first (gather information, make skill checks).
- Decline for now and pursue another path (we can improvise a different hook).
What does Fizzbang do?
You said:
What if I want to choose a completely different path? Is that OK too?
ChatGPT said:
Absolutely! In D&D 5e (and any good campaign),
you always have agency. The world is alive around you, and you’re never locked into a single choice or “quest track.”
If you want to ignore the chapel ruins entirely, that’s fine—we’ll simply follow where Fizzbang leads. Maybe you decide to:
- Pursue personal goals (researching forgotten spells, tracking down your heritage, or seeking a powerful mentor).
- Take a mercenary approach (asking if the town has other work that pays better—guard duty, caravans, bounties).
- Travel elsewhere (leaving Dunwynn’s Rest behind for the capital city, the haunted forest, or the mountains).
- Cause mischief (use your wizardly skills for pranks, experiments, or digging into forbidden lore).
I’ll adapt the world to your choice, keeping the rules intact and the story rich. NPCs will react realistically—if you snub their plea, maybe someone else tries (and fails), which could change events later.
Do you want to
carve your own path right now (and I’ll improvise a different direction), or would you like to
hear a few other possible adventure hooks before deciding?
