RPG Evolution: The AI DM in Action

How might WOTC launch an AI-powered DM assistant?

Picture courtesy of Pixabay.​

We know Wizards of the Coast is tinkering with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered tools for its multiple properties, including Dungeons & Dragons. But what might that look like in practice?

Interactive NPCs​

Large Language Model (LLM) AIs have been used extensively to create non-player characters of all stripes on Character.AI. It's not a stretch to imagine that Wizards might have official NPCs included as part of the digital purchase of an adventure, with the rough outline of the NPC acting as parameters for how it would interact. DMs might be able to create their own or modify existing NPCs so that the character drops hints or communicates in a certain way. Log outputs could then be available for DMs to use later.

There are several places today where you can create NPC bots powered by AI that are publicly available, although the DM might need to monitor the output in real time to record the conversation. Character.AI and Poe.com both provide the ability to create publicly available characters that players can interact with .

Random Generators​

There are already dozens of these in existence. What's particularly of note is that AI can go deep -- not just randomize what book is in a library, but provide snippets of text of what's in that book. Not just detail the name of a forgotten magic item, but provide stats for the item. For WOTC products, this could easily cover details that no print product can possibly encompass in detail, or with parameters (for example, only a library with books on necromancy).

AI RPG companion is a great example of this, but there are many more.

Tabletop Assistants​

Hasbro recently partnered with Xplored, with the goal of developing a "new tabletop platform that integrates digital and physical play." Of particular note is how Xplore's technology works: its system "intelligently resolves rules and character behaviors, and provides innovative gameplay, new scenarios and ever-changing storytelling events. The technology allows players to learn by playing with no rulebook needed, save games to resume later, enables remote gameplay, and offers features like immersive contextual sound and connected dice."

If that sounds like it could be used to enhance an in-person Dungeons & Dragons game, Xplored is already on that path with Teburu, a digital board game platform that uses "smart-sensing technology, AI, and dynamic multimedia." Xplored's AI platform could keep track of miniatures on a table, dice rolls, and even the status of your character sheet, all managed invisibly and remotely by an AI behind the scenes and communicating with the (human) DM.

Dungeon Master​

And then there's the most challenging aspect of play that WOTC struggles with to this day: having enough Dungeon Masters to support a group. Wizards could exclusively license these automated DMs, who would have all the materials necessary to run a game. Some adventures would be easier for an AI DM to run than others -- straightforward dungeon crawls necessarily limit player agency and ensure the AI can run it within parameters, while a social setting could easily confuse it.

Developers are already pushing this model with various levels of success. For an example, see AI Realm.

What's Next?​

If Hasbro's current CEO and former WOTC CEO Chris Cocks is serious about AI, this is just a hint at what's possible. If the past battles over virtual tabletops are any indication, WOTC will likely take a twofold approach: ensure it's AI is well-versed in how it engages with adventures, and defend its branded properties against rival AI platforms that do the same thing. As Cocks pointed out in a recent interview, WOTC's advantage isn't in the technology itself but in its licenses, and it will likely all have a home on D&D Beyond. Get ready!

 

[MNblockhead]

Let's (1) leave politics out of it and (2) take the AI art discussion to other threads where it is actually the topic of discussion. I'm actually interested in talking about AI DMs and AI DM tools (other than art creation), but it feels like this thread is heading for being capped.

The only AI I've played with as a DM tool is Adobe's AI assistant and the AI search functionality that comes with Bing.

For the former, it could be great, but the page limit makes it useless for the games I run.
For the later, I find that Bing and ChatGpt (when my prompt includes "give cites") to be useful for asking rules questions.

I have not used it an NPC, monster, or description generator. There is a quite good (non AI) Discord bot for all kinds of Warhammer Fantasy generators (Jodri) that I use and meets my needs. For prep, any important NPC or monster, I've never used generators as creating characters and monsters is part of the fun for me.

When I was running a home-brew campaign, like 10 years ago, I used Cityographer to randomly generator towns, villeges, and cities. It was better for small settlement. The maps were wonky with large settlements. For smaller, I could generate a village on the fly, in game. For towns, I generally preferred to generate them as part of game prep and spend some time redesigning a bit, but it was still a time saver. It would also populate every home, shop, etc. and generate inventory and prices for the shops. But it worked off of text files and go repetive and stale quickly. You could create and edit your own text files for random generation, but it was less work for me to just improve that. I think AI could be helpful here if you can write in your prompt the general demographics, theme, etc.

One thing I'm thinking of using Adobe AI to do is creating session, plot, and campaign summaries. I already have ways to take notes quickly on the fly and I use a VTT, so there is data I can export that logs some of what happens in my game. Usually I spend a bit of time summarizing things and writing notes for where to pickup on the next session. I don't spend THAT much time on it, but it will be interesting if I can take a mess of notes and some VTT data dumps and throw them into one file and see how Adobe's AI Assistant does at generating the summery.

I would like to see AI tech integrated into Foundry or other VTTs to better automate things, track status effects, etc. Act like a DM's assistant to update AOE damage, remind me of status effects, legendary and lair actions, etc.

D&D Beyond could really use an AI assistant or search functionality allowing you to prompt rules questions in natural language and getting answers with links allowing you to jump to the relevant text in the books.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

The point is, long before AI, artists werent getting paid by people unwilling or unable to pay either.

AI changes nothing of the world economics or the masses financial power.

You want people to do without juvenile entertainment such as an RPG when they may already have so little, see military people playing TRPGs while deployed, because some overpriced arists thinks they are the next Piccasso?

By the by, Piccasdo died penniless. If he did not, replace his name with one of the other "masters" that did and whose work only gained value after their death.

Wow, so much nonsense in one post, amazing.

First of all, AI being built off stolen art actively steals and makes artists lose money and job opportunitties. By presenting it as a free alternative to real artist, corporations ensured number of people unwilling to pay for the artwork increased tremendously, as there obviously was a number of people who WOULD pay for real art but now chosen not to.

Also, people buying rpgs and playing them do not pay the artist, they pay the seller, who gives the money to producer after taking his cut. Producer and creator of rpg is the one who pays the artist. Not to mention there is a TON of free or cheap rpgs, no one is entitled to overpriced WotC books that are effectively a luxury item.

Also also, did you REALLY compare artists wanting to be fairly compensated for their labor to being an abusive, egoistical diva Picasso was? Great way to show you don't actually respect the artists or their hard work.

 

[LesserThan]

Also also, did you REALLY compare artists wanting to be fairly compensated for their labor to being an abusive, egoistical diva Picasso was? Great way to show you don't actually respect the artists or their hard work.

You must not read the comilness thread on art. There I stated there is too much art in books as is and representation in ubobtainable because you can never represent everyone in art, someone will always feel left out.

I have never respected "artists", drugged up at Woodstock instead of getting a job? What is to respect.

As I said, and the post directly above, the AI art has another thread, and this one was more interesting as an AI DM thread. So I am out of the art discussion here.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

I have never respected "artists", drugged up at Woodstock instead of getting a job? What is to respect.

if that's your attitude then I do not respect you and don't see a reason to continue talking to you.

 

[Reynard]

One thing to remember as we argue: the "ethics" of the training data isn't actually about ethics, it is about money. the proof is in the pudding: many outlets and sources that were "vehemently opposed" to AI are now changing their tune as they make licensing deals with the AI companies. That is what is really at stake: money. Nothing you wrote on reddit or ENWorld is protected once those outlets make deals. The same with any art station. These companies are going to change their terms of service in response to getting some money for Open AI and it is going to e more legal while being no more or less ethical. "Ethical" isn't even really a thing that exists in modern capitalist societies. Get used to it.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

One thing to remember as we argue: the "ethics" of the training data isn't actually about ethics, it is about money. the proof is in the pudding: many outlets and sources that were "vehemently opposed" to AI are now changing their tune as they make licensing deals with the AI companies. That is what is really at stake: money. Nothing you wrote on reddit or ENWorld is protected once those outlets make deals. The same with any art station. These companies are going to change their terms of service in response to getting some money for Open AI and it is going to e more legal while being no more or less ethical. "Ethical" isn't even really a thing that exists in modern capitalist societies. Get used to it.

Because greedy companies change their stance when shown money we too should change our stance? Abbandon our dignity? Become rats in race for more dolla? Pathetic.

 

[MichaelSomething]

I would like to link to a relevant video. Please note that this video is NSFW due to discussion of NSFW content, but not the inclusion of it...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You must not read the comilness thread on art. There I stated there is too much art in books as is and representation in ubobtainable because you can never represent everyone in art, someone will always feel left out.

I have never respected "artists", drugged up at Woodstock instead of getting a job? What is to respect.

As I said, and the post directly above, the AI art has another thread, and this one was more interesting as an AI DM thread. So I am out of the art discussion here.

Mod Note:

You’ve only been here a short time, but in the past few days, you’ve gotten reported several times in at least 3 different threads, drawing moderation. That includes a prior encounter in THIS thread. You’ve been asked to familiarize yourself with ENW’s ToS.

And yet you continue to rack up reports. You seem to be unable to disagree with other ENWorlders without becoming disagreeable.

So I’m giving you a temporary sitewide ban to consider whether you can comport yourself here with greater civility, or simply move on to a different site.

 

[Older Beholder]

For the record Picasso was probably one of the wealthiest (within their own lifetime) artists of the 20th century.

*while I’m editing in the brackets to help the sentence read better I want to add my favourite anecdote about Picasso : when eating out he would always pay for the whole table by writing a cheque, on the back of which he would do a little drawing, knowing the cheque would never be cashed.

 

[Raiztt]

For us mere mortal who simply want a good looking picture and are unwilling to pay for a custom portrait we'll just have to muddle along in our mediocrity.

Yes.

You can get world class art for $60. (I've commissioned absolutely tons of D&D art. I just spent about $2200 on a commission).