#6 - The Best DM Tools
I have been experimenting with ChatGPT for various work-related tasks and I’ve been very impressed. So, I recently decided to see what could it do for my DMing.
Let’s say your players unexpectedly decide to explore the deep dungeon they discovered that lies beneath the castle cellars (where you initially assumed they’d be adventuring in); rather than railroading them to remain in the cellars, you ask for a five minute break and break open ChatGPT.
The results are... game changing.
Here is the process I used (ChatGPT’s responses are italicized):
“You are an expert at the D&D 5e Monster Manual. Do you understand yes or no without elaboration”
….
Yes
….
“Create four difficult encounters using earth elemental creatures that the five, 5th level players will discover in an underground dungeon.”
….
Sure, here are four challenging encounters for five 5th level characters in an underground dungeon:
1. **The Living Walls**:
- 2 Gargoyles (Monster Manual, pg. 140)
- 1 Earth Elemental (Monster Manual, pg. 124)
The party enters a seemingly empty room. As they proceed, the stone walls around them animate into the forms of 2 Gargoyles and an Earth Elemental, presenting an immediate threat from all sides.
2. **The Tremors**:
- 1 Bulette (Monster Manual, pg. 34)
In a large, cavernous chamber, the ground is soft and sandy. Suddenly, a Bulette bursts from the ground, attacking the characters. The sandy ground around them may make it difficult terrain and make it easier for the Bulette to use its burrowing abilities.
3. **The Stone Guardians**:
- 2 Stone Golems (Monster Manual, pg. 170)
In a hallway adorned with statues, two Stone Golems awaken to block the path and attack any intruders. A magic ward on the hall might prevent the characters from simply bypassing the golems.
4. **The Heart of Stone**:
- 1 Earth Elemental Myrmidon (Elemental Evil Player's Companion, pg. 11)
In the final room, the characters face an Earth Elemental Myrmidon, a much more dangerous and skilled foe than a regular Earth Elemental. The Myrmidon might be protecting a magical artifact or treasure of great value, providing the characters with a significant reward if they can overcome this final challenge.
Remember that while these encounters are designed to be challenging, the exact difficulty can depend on many factors, such as the characters' resources, tactics, and the specific features of each encounter location. Always adjust encounters to suit your specific party and campaign.
….
So, that is a pretty good series of impromptu encounters to flush out the unexpected side-trek the players have sprung on you. BUT - let’s say you know the PCs plan on helping out a Myconid leader in an underground raid. In the same chat, simply have ChatGPT weave your encounters into a short story:
“Create a story that could combine all four of these encounters in a short adventure about the players helping the mushroom king reclaim his underground home from evil cultists with appropriate treasure for fifth level player characters:”
….
**Title: The Fungal Crown's Claim**
Long ago, a sentient fungus, known as the Mushroom King, ruled over a vast underground kingdom. Recently, an evil cult worshipping a primordial earth entity took over his realm, driving the Mushroom King and his myconid subjects out and occupying the cavernous home. The Mushroom King, desperate to reclaim his kingdom, sends out a plea for help.
1. **Encounter One: The Living Walls**
As the adventurers enter the Mushroom King's realm through a secret entrance, they find themselves in a seemingly empty chamber. Suddenly, the stone walls around them animate into the forms of 2 Gargoyles and an Earth Elemental. They are the cult's first line of defense, animated by the cult's primal magic to guard the entrance.
If the adventurers can defeat these guardians, they'll find their first treasure: a *Wand of Magic Missiles* (DMG, p. 211) hidden in a niche in the wall, a remnant of a previous adventurer who wasn't lucky enough to make it past these guardians.
2. **Encounter Two: The Tremors**
Venturing deeper into the labyrinth, they enter a sandy, cavernous chamber. A sudden tremor precedes the emergence of a Bulette, a creature corrupted by the cult's magic and made to serve as a second line of defense. The sandy terrain makes it a tough and memorable fight.
If they defeat the Bulette, they'll discover a hidden chest buried beneath the sand, containing a *Cloak of Protection* (DMG, p. 159), along with 500 gold pieces in assorted precious stones, a fortune swallowed by the Bulette over time.
3. **Encounter Three: The Stone Guardians**
As they proceed, the adventurers come to a hallway adorned with statues. As they tread, two Stone Golems awaken, blocking their path. A magical ward prevents teleportation or any easy bypassing of the stone guardians.
Upon defeating the Golems, the adventurers discover that one of the statues holds an ancient *+2 Warhammer*, a relic of the dwarves who originally carved these tunnels, and a *Potion of Superior Healing* (DMG, p. 187) hidden in a recess in the wall.
4. **Encounter Four: The Heart of Stone**
The final room holds the earth cult's leader, an Earth Elemental Myrmidon. The Myrmidon is busy performing a ritual to fully convert the realm into an elemental dominion, threatening not just the Mushroom King's domain, but the entire region above.
Defeating the Myrmidon not only disrupts the ritual but also rewards the adventurers with the cult leader's *Ring of the Ram* (DMG, p. 193), and a spell scroll of *Stone Shape*, an emblem of their dominion over earth.
Once the Myrmidon falls, the Mushroom King's forces can retake their cavernous home, and the grateful monarch rewards the adventurers with his own gift: a *Gem of Brightness* (DMG, p. 171), a radiant jewel cultivated by the fungal king himself. The Mushroom King thanks them and offers his alliance, leading to potential future adventures
In addition, each adventurer receives enough experience for aiding in this endeavor to reach their next level of experience. Through this, the adventurers not only gain valuable treasure and allies but also help restore balance in the vast underground ecosystem.
….
Now, by itself, this is not a complete adventure; but it does do a tremendous amount of the work for you and allows you to springboard off this material for your own campaign. And when combined with a random map generator, you have a night or two of playing with almost no prep required. Right HERE is a Sample Map generated for the above adventure.
So, in 15 minutes and with three commands, you have created a customized, detailed adventure - complete with a map, encounters, a simple plot and appropriate treasure.
Encouraged, I then asked ChatGPT:
“What are the best commands to use with ChatGPT to enhance your dungeons and dragons game?”
And it responded with a whole range of possibilities and examples:
“ChatGPT can be a valuable tool to enhance your Dungeons & Dragons game. Here are some ways you can use ChatGPT, along with example commands:
1. **Creating NPCs**:
- "Generate a detailed tavern keeper NPC."
- "Create a backstory for a gnome wizard."
2. **Building Encounters**:
- "Design a challenging encounter for five level 10 characters."
- "Create a random encounter table for a haunted forest."
3. **Generating Story Ideas**:
- "Give me a plot hook for a group of adventurers in a coastal town."
- "What is an interesting twist for a classic 'rescue the princess' quest?"
4. **Worldbuilding**:
- "Describe a bustling city in a desert."
- "Create a unique religious order in my fantasy setting."
5. **Rules Clarification**:
- "Explain how grappling works in D&D 5E."
- "What spells can a level 5 druid cast?"
6. **Item Generation**:
- "Create a legendary magical sword."
- "Describe a mysterious potion and its effects."
7. **Adventure Design**:
- "Outline a short dungeon crawl adventure for a party of level 3 characters."
- "Give me a description of the final boss in a lich's tower."
8. **Role-playing Scenes**:
- "How would a stoic dwarf warrior react to petty insults?"
- "Describe a conversation between a shy elf bard and an outgoing halfling rogue."
Remember, as an AI, I can generate content on the fly and can be a valuable tool in many aspects of your game. Use these commands as inspiration to meet your specific needs.”
Never be caught off guard by random player whims again!
