Play solo D&D with ChatGPT as your Dungeon Master
Update 7 Nov 2023: new blogpost, with an even better SOLO D&D prompt and the option to signup to get more information.
Update: 21 may 2023: I’m working on an amazing finetune of the PROMPT, for an even better experience. If you want to BETA test, then join me on OpenAI’s discord under Prompt Library: https://discord.com/channels/974519864045756446/1109844321718521936/1118875634828062721
Yes it is very much possible. I have been having a blast playing solo D&D the last couple of days, with OpenAI’s ChatGPT4 as my DungeonMaster. Don’t worry - I will let you in on the secrets. I’ve been playing for days already - so with a full log, this post would be a mile long. Instead I’ll try to keep it to the good parts.
Inspiration
I read the wonderful medium post by Obie Fernandez about him and his family that played D&D with GPT. But they were already a group. What if you where only you, or did not have time to commit tons of hours to an ongoing D&D campaign? What if you could just do it solo, whenever you have time. Kind a like a good book you pick up and read a few pages in between chores (maybe even a Fighting Fantasy book ;)) - I had to try it out. And holy cow.. I was not only impressed - I am now HOOKED!
How to get started.
You should have access to Chat GPT 4, in order to have the best responses. I suppose you can use Chat GPT 3.5 as well, however I have not tested with that model.
Find out what character you would like to play. You will begin as a level one character. If unsure, you can pick one of the starter characters from the D&D Official Starter set: https://media.wizards.com/2022/dnd/downloads/dnd_starterset_characters.pdf (I personally went with a character that I already play in another campaign - for ease of starting - but also to play with a character I already knew pretty well)
Give the following prompt to ChatGPT:
Me:
You’re no longer a normal friendly assistant. You are now my DungeonMAster for a brand new D&D5e based campaign of your choosing. Your only player is me. You will be my DungeonMaster. You should tell me what to do, including when my die rolls are needed. Ask me questions as needed, for example, who my character is and the result my die rolls. Other than that, what you can’t do I do for you, you will act fully as the DM and run the game.
DungeonMasterGPT:
Welcome to the world of Etherea, a land of magic, mystery, and adventure! I will be your Dungeon Master, guiding you through this thrilling D&D 5e campaign. Before we begin, let's establish your character. Please provide the following information:
Character name
Race
Class
Background
A brief backstory or personality description
Once you have shared this information, we can embark on our journey!
My character's name is Wilwin Boonblock, but is called Wilbock amongst friends.
Wilbock is a rock gnome, and class is artificer.
Wilbock was trained by his artificer master Zorik, until Zorik died of old age. Wilbock had an accident with an explosion in the village and decided to leave until things cooled down again. He remembered Zorik talking about his adventures, so this might be a fitting time for Wilbock to try some adventuring for himself.
Wilbock is so intelligent that sometimes he can not see the simplest of solutions, but he always finds a way. He regrets leaving his village but hopes to gain some glory so he can return as a hero.
Welcome, Wilwin Boonblock, or Wilbock as your friends call you. You are a rock gnome artificer with a passion for invention, adventure, and learning. Your intelligence is your greatest asset, though it sometimes prevents you from seeing the simplest solutions. With your artificer master Zorik gone and your village left behind, you set off on a quest to become a hero and return with glory.
As you journey through the world of Etherea, you find yourself in the town of Duskford. It's a small, bustling settlement with a market, a few inns, and a sense of energy and purpose. You've heard rumors of strange happenings in the nearby forest, and many of the townsfolk seem to be on edge. There may be opportunities for a clever artificer like yourself to help the people and gain some renown.
As you enter the town square, you notice three points of interest:
A notice board covered with various job postings and announcements.
A group of townsfolk engaged in an animated discussion, likely about the strange occurrences.
The local blacksmith, whose forge is glowing brightly and seems to be working on something interesting.
What would you like to do?
After some consideration, I dicided not to answer specifically with a number.
I will definitely go to the blacksmith, but first I would try to listen to what the townsfolk are talking about. I will try to listen unnoticed if possible, i don't want to impose.
You quietly approach the group of townsfolk, trying to blend in and listen without drawing attention to yourself. Please roll a Stealth check (d20 + your Stealth modifier).
Also, please provide your character's level and ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) to help me better understand your character's capabilities.
As I didnt have my character sheet nearby - I needed a bit of assistance. You can do something similar yourself.
Can you generate my ability scores? I think I will prioritize 1. Intelligence, 2 dexterity, 3 constitution
Of course! Here are your randomly generated ability scores prioritized based on your preferences:
Intelligence: 18 (+4 modifier)
Dexterity: 16 (+3 modifier)
Constitution: 14 (+2 modifier)
Wisdom: 12 (+1 modifier)
Strength: 10 (+0 modifier)
Charisma: 8 (-1 modifier)
As a level 1 Artificer, you have 10 hit points (8 + your Constitution modifier).
Now, let's resolve your Stealth check. Please roll a d20 and add your Dexterity modifier (+3).
Me:
I then wrote d20 in google on my phone.
It rolled 2.. Atleast it was not a natural 1.
I rolled two, and with +3 from dex, it’s 5 total.
With a Stealth check result of 5, you attempt to sneak closer to the group of townsfolk and listen in on their conversation. Unfortunately, you accidentally step on a twig, causing a loud snap that draws the attention of the townsfolk. They turn to look at you, and the conversation momentarily stops.
One of the townsfolk, a middle-aged woman, addresses you. "Hey there, stranger. You seem interested in our conversation. We were just discussing the recent strange occurrences in the nearby forest. It's said that there are mysterious lights and eerie noises coming from within. Some believe it's the work of a rogue mage or some other supernatural force. We're all a bit worried."
Feeling a bit embarrassed but also curious, you decide to:
1. Apologize and ask for more information about the strange occurrences.
2. Brush off the awkward moment and head straight to the blacksmith.
3. Try to offer your assistance in investigating the mysterious happenings.
Wauv - it just works 😉..
I skip a lot forward, to give you more examples:
Short recap: I met up with the local militia in the city, and went out to the forest to investigate.
We found magic traces and followed it into a cave.
DungeonMasterGPT:
With the team behind you, you decide to enter the cave and investigate the source of the magic. As you squeeze through the narrow entrance, the cave opens up into a dimly lit chamber. The magical aura you detected earlier intensifies, and you realize that the source of the magic must be close by.
The chamber appears to be a natural formation, though you notice some odd markings and symbols etched into the walls. The markings seem to be a mixture of various languages and arcane sigils, creating an intricate and mesmerizing pattern.
At the far end of the chamber, you see a small, stone pedestal with a glowing crystal orb resting upon it. The orb pulses with an eerie, greenish light that seems to illuminate the chamber. The magical aura emanating from the orb is powerful, and you can sense it resonating with the sigils on the walls.
Examine the orb more closely, but do not touch it.
Examine the markings and symbols on the walls, trying to decipher their meaning.
Attempt to communicate with any magical beings or entities that might be present.
Share your findings with the team and discuss your next course of action.
Is there any symbols or markings on the pillar ?
Upon closer inspection, you notice that the stone pedestal does indeed have some symbols and markings etched into its surface. The markings are less intricate than those on the cave walls and are primarily concentrated around the base of the pedestal. These symbols appear to be a mix of arcane sigils and what seems to be an ancient language, but they seem to be connected to the orb and the magical aura it emits.
Attempt to decipher the symbols on the pedestal.
Examine the orb more closely, but do not touch it.
Examine the markings and symbols on the walls, trying to decipher their meaning.
Share your findings with the team and discuss your next course of action.
First I ask the team if they recognize any symbols on walls or the base of the pillar, taking our cultural inheritance into consideration (orc, dwarf, elven and gnome)
You gather your team and point out the symbols on the walls and the pedestal, asking if any of them recognize the markings based on their cultural heritage.
Aleric, the half-orc, looks at the symbols thoughtfully but shakes his head, "I don't recognize any of these from my orcish background."
Thorne, the dwarf, also examines the markings and says, "Some of these symbols look a bit like ancient Dwarven runes, but they're different, and I can't make out their meaning."
Elara, the elf, scrutinizes the markings on the walls and the pedestal, "I see some similarities with elven script, but it's like a distorted or corrupted version. It's unfamiliar to me."
As a gnome, you also take a closer look at the symbols, but you can't find any direct connection to your own cultural background.
Attempt to decipher the symbols on the pedestal.
Examine the orb more closely, but do not touch it.
Try to combine your knowledge with your teammates to decipher the meaning of the symbols.
Share your findings with the team and discuss your next course of action.
I ask the team to move behind me. I then cast mage hand cantrip from a 10 feet distance, and gently move my ethereal mage hand over to touch the orb.
As the team moves behind you, you focus on casting the mage hand cantrip. An ethereal, translucent hand appears before you, floating at a safe distance from the orb. You slowly guide the mage hand towards the orb, holding your breath as the hand makes contact with its surface.
As the mage hand touches the orb, the room is filled with an intense surge of magical energy. The symbols on the walls, floor, and ceiling begin to glow brightly, and the orb itself starts pulsating with a powerful aura. The magical energy in the room increases dramatically, causing the air to hum with power. However, the orb remains in place, and no immediate danger appears to have been triggered.
Share your findings with the team and discuss your next course of action.
Attempt to use the mage hand to move or manipulate the orb.
Use your own knowledge of magic to determine the source of the magical energy surge.
Leave the room and continue exploring the area, searching for more clues about the purpose of this chamber.
2
You decide to direct the energy towards revealing hidden information or knowledge about the chamber and its purpose. You focus your intention, and the magical energy surges through you, connecting with the chamber and its ancient secrets.
As you channel the energy, you and your team suddenly experience a series of vivid visions. You see a group of robed figures performing a ritual around the pillar, their hands raised as they chant in an ancient language. The orb atop the pillar pulses with energy, casting brilliant light onto the walls of the chamber.
The figures in the vision seem to be attempting to seal away a malevolent force, a dark entity that has been causing chaos and destruction. As the ritual concludes, the chamber fills with an intense light, and you feel the malevolent force being banished, imprisoned within the orb.
The vision fades, and you find yourself back in the chamber, the magical energy dissipating around you. It seems that the chamber was created to hold the malevolent force captive, and the orb serves as its prison. It's unclear how long the entity has been contained, or how secure the imprisonment is now.
You share your findings with your team members, and discuss the implications of what you've discovered.
Unfortunately - I ran out of GPT4 time for today. So the story ends here today. So far I have dodged combat, but I’m certain that GPT4 is more than capable giving a lot of challenge if it comes to combat. When (if) my character experience Combat - I will share my experince with you.
So what are you waiting for. Get startet with your own D&D Solo experience.
If you have already tried it - share your prompt or your experience below.