I've converted the module to a bunch of OSR systems, just in case: https://vladar.bearblog.dev/castle-of-gpt-conversions/

Quote from: zircher on February 05, 2023, 01:29:36 PM
it's a handy tool if you don't have (or want) a group.  I can see introverts and the creative writing inclined thriving with using AI for inspiration.  Similarly, it will not be appealing to those that are there for the social aspects and require a live audience for their enjoyment.

I recently started messing around with ChatGPT. I started asking it to do simple things, but in short order, I'd started to push it to show me what it was really capable of. In the last week or so, I've learned how to use it to best effect (or at least a much better effect than the typical user). A few lessons I've learned:

• Your output is only going to be as good as your input. The AI will give you something based on your prompt, but better input means a better quality response.  Craft a detailed prompt with special consideration for each word and term you put in.
• If you don't like the response, you can regenerate it. The AI will take another crack at it, changing up the style and the approach each time.
• OpenAI's ChatGPT webclient does a fantastic job of cascading previous prompts and responses. I cannot emphasize this feature enough. You can cycle through the questions and responses to find a particular chain of conversation, which means you can organize a complex conversation on a multi-level topic with many elements to it.
• The AI will remember your conversation for approximately 3000 characters or so. As long as you're properly cascading your prompts, the AI will allow you to make corrections, ask for clarifications, or ask for elaboration.

Allow me to reiterate point 1 and emphasize it: What you put in is what you get out. I started asking basic questions with some bits of additional details mixed it, and the responses were a mixed bag. When I started providing more comprehensive boundaries or using very intentional terminology, the AI was able to provide much better responses.

I'll give you a real-time example.

Quote
Prompt
Create a fantasy TTRPG adventure.

Output
Title: The Lost City of Eldorath

Introduction: The players receive a mysterious invitation to explore the lost city of Eldorath, an ancient and magical city that was thought to have been destroyed centuries ago. The invitation promises great riches and adventure for those brave enough to explore its ruins.

Quest Objective: The players must navigate the dangerous ruins of Eldorath, facing treacherous traps, fierce guardians, and other challenges in their quest to uncover the city's secrets and claim its treasure.

Plot: Upon arriving at the ruins of Eldorath, the players discover that the city is not entirely abandoned. A group of dark wizards has taken up residence in the ruins, using the city's magic to fuel their dark experiments and plots. The wizards are guarded by powerful constructs and other magical creatures, making it difficult for the players to gain entry to the city.

Once inside the city, the players discover that Eldorath was once a place of great magic and wonder, filled with powerful artifacts and secrets. However, the city was destroyed in a magical cataclysm, leaving only ruins and scattered artifacts behind.

The players must navigate the ruins, avoiding traps and confronting the wizards and their minions as they search for the city's secrets. Along the way, they will encounter magical artifacts, powerful spells, and ancient lore that could aid them in their quest.

The climax of the adventure comes when the players discover the source of the wizards' power, a powerful magical artifact that has been hidden away in the city's depths. They must defeat the wizards and claim the artifact before it falls into the wrong hands.

Conclusion: With the artifact in their possession, the players have the power to reshape the world around them. They can use the artifact's power to achieve their goals, but they must also be wary of its corrupting influence. The adventure ends with the players deciding how to use the artifact, and the consequences that follow.

Not bad, especially considering it took 5 seconds to generate the whole thing (maybe 30 seconds if you're not running OpenAI Pro). I might regenerate it a few times for wildly different results, and I might hit on something I like - or not.

Let's try rewriting the prompt (which is an option with OpenAI, as opposed to providing a followup prompt).

Quote
Prompt
Create a fantasy TTRPG adventure in the OSR style, using "Take Me To Church" by Hozier as inspiration.

Output
Title: Take Me To The Temple

System: OSR-style TTRPG

Background: The small village of Sankt Maria is plagued by a curse that has left its people suffering and the crops barren. The villagers believe that the curse was brought upon them by the nearby temple of the Old Gods, a place of worship that has long been abandoned and forgotten. They have heard rumors that the temple holds the key to lifting the curse, but none have dared to venture into the dangerous ruins.

Adventure Hook: The players are approached by the village elder, who begs them to enter the temple and retrieve a sacred relic that he believes will lift the curse on their village. He offers a generous reward for their services, but warns them of the dangers that lie ahead.

Plot: The temple of the Old Gods is a sprawling complex of ruins, filled with traps, puzzles, and deadly creatures. As the players explore the ruins, they uncover clues about the temple's history and the nature of the curse that has befallen Sankt Maria. They may encounter hostile cultists who seek to protect the temple's secrets, or other adventurers who are also seeking the relic.

The climax of the adventure takes place in the heart of the temple, where the players must confront the source of the curse and retrieve the sacred relic. This may involve a boss battle against a powerful undead or demonic entity, or a puzzle that requires the players to use their wits and skills to navigate the temple's ancient machinery.

Inspiration: "Take Me To Church" by Hozier serves as inspiration for the adventure's dark and foreboding atmosphere, as well as its themes of sin, redemption, and faith. The temple of the Old Gods represents a dark and corrupt form of religion, with its ancient deities demanding sacrifice and obedience from their worshippers. The players must navigate this dangerous environment and confront the temple's twisted theology in order to save the village and restore their faith in the divine.


Prompt
What is the nature of the curse that has befallen Sankt Maria?

Also, the temple's ancient machinery is actually a colossal machine at the heart of the temple - a machine with a macabre purpose. The machinery is still in full operation when the adventurers discover it. Elaborate on the nature of the machine, its construction, its purpose, and what must be done to cease its operation once and for all.

Is the powerful entity guarding the machine, or is it released when the machine is shut down? What is the nature of the entity?


Output
The nature of the curse that has befallen Sankt Maria is a blight that has affected the crops and the health of the villagers. The soil has become infertile, and the people are suffering from a mysterious illness that causes them to waste away. The curse is believed to have been brought upon the village by the temple of the Old Gods, which was once a place of worship for the local population.

The ancient machinery at the heart of the temple is a colossal sacrificial machine that was used by the cultists who worshipped the Old Gods. The machine was built to extract life energy from living beings and use it to fuel dark rituals and empower the deities that the cultists worshipped.

The machinery is constructed from dark metal and covered in strange symbols and runes. The machine consists of several interconnected chambers, each designed to extract different types of life energy from different types of living beings. The machinery is still in operation when the adventurers discover it, with the energy being extracted from unfortunate victims who have been brought to the temple.

To cease the operation of the machine once and for all, the adventurers must destroy the machinery and the dark energy that powers it. This involves navigating through the various chambers of the machine and overcoming the defenses and traps that have been set up to protect it. Once they reach the core of the machine, they must destroy it using a powerful magical artifact that they have obtained during their adventure.

The powerful entity that guards the machine is released when the machinery is shut down. This entity is an ancient and malevolent deity that was worshipped by the cultists who built the machine. The entity is a powerful demon with the ability to manipulate and control dark energy. The entity must be defeated in order to break the curse that has befallen Sankt Maria and restore the village to its former glory.

See a difference? I could have further elaborated on my original prompt to zero in on what I wanted, or regenerated any number of times until the AI got it just the right iteration. I could also have continued asking follow-up prompts to get a description of the artifact or origin story for the ancient deity, or anything else.

I'm in the process of writing a setting book right now using OpenAI to do a lot of the heavily lifting. It's not 100% consistent and accurate, especially if you're using real-life data or your prompt phrasing is all over the place, but it's saved me tons of grunt work. Instead of writing everything out from scratch, I ask intelligent and intentional questions and dig deeply into the responses until I have elements I can work with. It's a really remarkable tool - but you only get out the quality and effort you put into it.

It's kind of like... how in Star Trek, a character would go onto the holodeck and tell the computer to create this or generate that, and then would spend time fine-tuning the simulation until they had a complete program that suited their needs. Except, we're using text.



Addendum As I continue to experiment with the AI, I'm still surprised by its capabilities. I've found that it can honestly do just about anything you ask it to do, as long as you're careful and intentional with your prompts.