Other D&D Variant Simple 1D6 D&D variant created with ChatGPT

[Simon Miles]

Sorry it bothers you. I get it, but the world turns whether we're bothered by it or not. Horse and carriage companies were bothered by the invention of the automobile, but that didn't stop their industry from disappearing within a few years.

AI is here to stay. The prospects of it bother me too -- greatly -- but my discomfort with it is irrelevant.

I'm able to do more in seconds now with ChatGPT than I or any other human could do in weeks. I'm still mortal. I don't have the time to ignore a tool that makes me more than 100 times more efficient.

We agree on that. Deffo. But if the aim is to make it more efficient but it's not a product... What's the end result?

 

[The Firebird]

I think it's pretty apparent from the heading and stylistic items that the system is based on D&D, so yes, the full D&D spell list is available, and the ways to adjust the vast majority of those spells to fit the system is fairly obvious in most cases. I don't think it really accomplishes much to add those couple extra pages for all the spells. Just my opinion on that. I'm very familiar with D&D and rely on my familiarity here as the system is based upon it.

Yeah, this is what I'm trying to get at--a challenge with rules light systems is that many appear simpler than they are. This system works well for you, but it is implicitly drawing on your extensive knowledge of 5e to introduce new concepts or making reasonable rulings. The rulings are obvious, perhaps to you, but that means a lot of work for a DM who comes along and has to make all those rulings.

That's not to say this style is bad--it is often less intimidating for the players--but it does require a good GM. And a good GM can make about any system good.

As an observer to your system, I'm sure it works for you, but given the balance issues, the incomplete nature, and the reliance on GM expertise, I don't see it displacing professional designers.

 

[The Firebird]

There is certainly a skill to getting AI to do what you want to do right, absolutely, and it is very useful for generating information, researching (although check what it comes up with) and developing ideas, certainly, but is that enjoyable? Do you find it rewarding on a Human level?

Personally--yes. I find it adds to my enjoyment in the same way having access to a library or the internet would. It is more helpful in that I can ask it more targeted questions.

 

[kermit4karate]

If you feel you have to use AI to achieve what you want to achieve then I guess you'll go on doing it; you do you - but please make sure people know it's AI.

I don't think I have as much invested in this conversation as you do based on the length of your missives. Thanks for reading and considering my original post. It's pretty clear right off the bat that I created it with ChatGPT. Obviously wasn't trying to conceal it since I said it in the post....

So yeah, I'll continue doing what I want to do? You do the same, and go in peace, human brother.

 

[Mannahnin]

I don't think I have as much invested in this conversation as you do based on the length of your missives. Thanks for reading and considering my original post. It's pretty clear right off the bat that I created it with ChatGPT. Obviously wasn't trying to conceal it since I said it in the post....

So yeah, I'll continue doing what I want to do? You do the same, and go in peace, human brother.

Just a note- The comment you're replying to there wasn't directed to you. It was replying to someone else.

 

[kermit4karate]

That's not to say this style is bad--it is often less intimidating for the players--but it does require a good GM. And a good GM can make about any system good.

As an observer to your system, I'm sure it works for you, but given the balance issues, the incomplete nature, and the reliance on GM expertise, I don't see it displacing professional designers.

OK. It requires a good GM? I'd make that same case for all TTRPGs that require a GM. A 400-page rulebook isn't going to save a poor GM. It won't even make their job easier. Quite the contrary, really. A less adept, less experienced GM is assisted by a good rules-light system, which I wholeheartedly contend that this one is, whereas the 400-page system makes the poor GM's job monumentally tougher.

I've GM'd for more than a thousand hours in my life and have a lifetime of great experiences and memories tied to it, so it's hard to sway me off certain opinions. I appreciate all the thought you've put into this.

Mine is just another person's opinion, and this is just another rules-light, D&D-based D6 game system. Only difference is that an AI created this one in a few seconds. I've created other games that I worked on for months. Can't say the game sessions played with any of them were more fun than this one. It is what it is, though.

 

[Cergorach]

Wow! So, could you have written it yourself? Yes.
And you have explained yourself quite clearly, I understand the benefits that AI is giving you, so how does that play out for you? Get your questions so well-tailored that you need to intervene less and less? When does it stop being YOUR creation?

Not everything needs to be my creation. As I indicated, neither was the used adventure, Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Nor were the rules that is D&D and we use.

Think of it like this: When I walk out on the street, doe the pavers I walk on need to be handcrafted by myself? Does the bread I eat each morning need to be baked by my hand? Do I need to harvest the grain and grind it myself? Do I need to slaughter the pig for the ham? Do I need to raise the pig? Does every or any furniture in my house need to be handcrafted by myself? Do I need to harvest the planks, and dry the wood myself? Do I need to plant the trees?

I do not have to cook the meal myself to have a great meal. And would I care if a great meal was made by an expensive and famous head chef, or some unknown hole-in-the-wall restaurant by granny Chou? Heck if it was made by Walter the robot I wouldn't care either, the meal was great.

Undermountain in my case is dressing for a larger storyline. Effectively Undermountain and Skullport function as an 'open dungeon' in the same way an 'open world' functions. The problem is that it's too large to make detailed and atmospheric by human hands (or should I say it's not cost effective to be made as such by human hands). Quite often AI/LLM/generation is 'good enough' for the use case, it's far from perfect. But most adventures are far from perfect and most DMs are far from perfect, so why would my particular incarnation of an adventure try to achieve perfection?

As a DM I function as an orchestra director, I did not compose the music, I am not playing the instruments, I did not build the concert hall. I direct the performance for the guests, I'm in charge of the performance, I still take my bow after I am done. And the guest did not care that I did not compose the music, or played the instruments, my job was to give them a good performance.

In this particular case there's an overarching story arc besides the whole Undermountain dungeon, the Yawning Portal, and Waterdeep. Undermountain in 5e gives me enough rope to hang a TON of additional content. This gives me the room to work on that or not.

There is certainly a skill to getting AI to do what you want to do right, absolutely, and it is very useful for generating information, researching (although check what it comes up with) and developing ideas, certainly, but is that enjoyable? Do you find it rewarding on a Human level?

I think you overlook 'generating' in generating information/research. It's horrible for information/research, I only suggest you us AI/LLM when you already know and understand the subject material, because AI/LLM will halucinate at the weirdest moments and no one would know the difference if you didn't already know the material thouroughly. I will not use it to analyze data, find answers that I don't know the answer too already, etc.

Now, due to the hallucinations, it's excellent for loose creative writing. And whether it's rewarding or not depends on the situation. It the goal is to build a ship, then using an AI/LLM/generation to build the ship might be unrewarding, but if the goal is to sail the ship, then the faster the ship is complete, the faster I can get started sailing. Journey vs. destination. Generally, AI/LLM/generation is about destination and not the journey. But for me part of the journey is understanding and learning about how to use these tools.

Again, it's a tool, it depends on how you use it and why you use it. Too many people misuse tools or don't understand how to use then and end up hurting themselves or others.

I write my own stuff, I draw my own stuff (it's not brilliant) and I love doing it - it's mine and I can be proud of it. I certainly don't make enough money out of it to pay for the effort I put in, but that's OK, I enjoy the process. Getting AI to do just seems such a wasted opportunity.
And if you're using AI because you can't afford the art, how will that play out? I The whole state of the creative process at the moment is being commoditised, there's less skills being learned and used, de-skilling the work force never ends well for the workforce.
If you feel you have to use AI to achieve what you want to achieve then I guess you'll go on doing it; you do you - but please make sure people know it's AI.

Let me be clear, being an illustrator is making commodities. If you've ever been trained as an actual illustrator vs. an artist, then you know that you're exactly trained to do just that, make a comoddity (and dress it up as art).

If/when I draw for the enjoyment of it, then I do that myself. If I need to illustrate monster X for the next session, AI generation is my friend! Previously I would have been going through existing artwork in monster books (which is why I have so many of them). And creativity can manifest in other things then drawing, creating jewelry, sculpture, painting, etc.

As for 'deskilling' the workforce, how many of the illustrators can actually paint with oilpaints? How about mixing their own paints? And everyone can take awesome pictures with their smartphone, has the art of photography disappeared? There are still people developing film, it's a lot rarer then 40 years ago, but it's still being done. Just like horseback riding...

I certainly will not hide it's done via AI, I've discussed it with then to a greater and lesser degree. No issues with it. But I wouldn't start with a disclaimer during my DM session "MADE BY AI!", number one it's not necessary with this group, and number two that throws the weight on the AI part and it's not important enough for that. Either people recognize it as AI or they don't. If they are not sure and ask, I'll not be lying about it.

 

[Cergorach]

I disagree. A difference of opinion isn't trolling.

I agree, a difference of opinion isn't trolling.

But that's not what you're doing, you're playing bait and switch. Showing a small RPG made via ChatRPG is interesting enough, but then you start preaching, throwing a molotof through the AI window. Then I go looking and see your account was made on Sunday. Yeah, that makes me conclude you're trolling! You're just as bad as the other 'crusaders'!

 

[The Firebird]

OK. It requires a good GM? I'd make that same case for all TTRPGs that require a GM. A 400-page rulebook isn't going to save a poor GM. It won't even make their job easier. Quite the contrary, really. A less adept, less experienced GM is assisted by a good rules-light system, which I wholeheartedly contend that this one is, whereas the 400-page system makes the poor GM's job monumentally tougher.

I disagree. A new GM isn't used to making things up and making rulings and so they need more specifics to refer to. At the same time they can't have so many as to be overwhelmed. The right level is probably tens of pages--like the starter set rules. I think part of the reason 5e is so successful is because it hits the sweet spot between enough detail to use and not so much as to be offputting.