Hello. As we all know, AI is playing a larger and larger part in D&D as the months go by. So lets take stock of what it can and can't do and how you can work alongside of it to improve your Dungeon Mastering skills.
Alright so the prompt I gave it (Google Gemini) was: "Make me a dungeon for my D&D game"
The Sunken Temple of the Serpents
Location: Deep within a forgotten jungle, swallowed by the swamp, lies the ruins of a once-grand temple.
Theme: This dungeon is an ancient temple that has been taken over by yuan-ti (snake people) who use it to summon a powerful serpent god.
Levels:
Entrance: The entrance is a treacherous swamp, filled with quicksand, sinkholes, and giant insects. A hidden path leads through the swamp to the temple itself.
Collapsed Entry Hall: The grand entry hall of the temple is now a crumbling ruin. Giant snakes slither through the debris, and statues of forgotten gods lie shattered on the floor. A large stone slab blocks the entrance to the next level. A glyph is carved into the slab, and requires a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check to decipher. The glyph is a riddle that hints at the offerings needed to raise the stone slab (such as a jewel or a sacrifice of blood).
Flooded Library: This level is a flooded library, filled with water and decaying books. Giant eels lurk in the murky depths, and shadows writhe on the ceiling. Waterproof scrolls detailing the rituals of the serpent people can be found here with a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check.
Sacrifice Chamber: This chamber is a dark and bloody place, filled with the bones of past sacrifices. An altar in the center of the room is stained black with blood. A hidden compartment in the altar contains a magic stone serpent egg.
Summoning Chamber: The deepest level of the dungeon is a vast chamber filled with strange, pulsating crystals. In the center of the room is a swirling vortex of energy. Yuan-ti malisons (evil snake people priests) conduct a ritual here to summon a giant serpent god. The adventurers must defeat the yuan-ti and disrupt the ritual before the serpent god is summoned.
Monsters:
Yuan-ti Purebloods - snake people warriors
Yuan-ti Malisons - snake people priests
Giant snakes
Giant eels
Giant spiders
Traps:
Quicksand pits in the swamp
Pressure plates that trigger poison darts in the collapsed entry hall
Crumbling floors in the flooded library
Treasure:
The magic stone serpent egg hatches into a loyal pet snake for the characters.
Gems and jewelry scattered throughout the temple
A hidden chamber containing ancient scrolls and artifacts related to the serpent god (depending on your campaign setting)
Plot Hooks:
The characters are hired by a group of explorers to investigate the ruins of the temple.
The characters are on a quest to find a lost artifact that is hidden within the temple.
The characters are sent to stop a cult of snake people from summoning a terrible evil.
Additional Notes:
This is just a basic framework for a dungeon, and you can add your own details and encounters to make it unique for your campaign.
Be sure to consider the level and abilities of your players when designing the challenges in the dungeon.
The dungeon can be easily adapted to fit into any campaign setting.
I hope this helps you create a fun and exciting dungeon for your D&D game!
This documentation isn't too bad actually. It is something I could have came up with, but only after working for an hour or more, so that is a good time save there. The dungeon is pretty small though. I told it to give me 5 more rooms.
5 More Rooms for the Sunken Temple of the Serpents:
Serpentarium: This room is a twisted greenhouse filled with exotic plants that bear strange, glowing fruits. Giant constrictor snakes slither through the foliage, guarding the plants. The fruits can be used as components for powerful poisons (discovered with a DC 15 Intelligence (Herbalism) check) or as offerings to appease the yuan-ti (discovered with a DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check).
Guardian's Crypt: This room is the final resting place of a forgotten temple guardian. A massive stone sarcophagus dominates the center, adorned with carvings of serpents and warriors. The sarcophagus is trapped with a magical glyph that triggers a cloud of poisonous gas when disturbed (Dexterity saving throw DC 13). Inside the sarcophagus lies the skeletal remains of a powerful warrior, clutching a magical shield that grants resistance to non-magical weapon damage (successful DC 15 Perception check to find).
Collapsed Corridor: This narrow passage has been choked by rubble and debris. A rickety wooden bridge spans a section of the collapsed floor, but it looks barely stable enough to hold one person. A successful DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check is required to cross the bridge safely. On the other side, a hidden passage (DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) to find) leads to a secret chamber.
Hidden Treasury: This chamber was once used to store the temple's riches. Now, it is filled with dust, cobwebs, and a few remaining treasures. A large, ornate chest sits in the center, but it is rusted shut and requires a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check to pry open. Inside, the characters find a collection of gold coins, a ceremonial serpent staff imbued with minor illusion magic (revealed with a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check), and a brittle scroll containing a powerful snake summoning spell (successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check to decipher).
Trials of Valor: This room is a series of pressure plates arranged in a challenging pattern. Stepping on the wrong plate triggers a variety of traps, such as falling spikes, jets of flame, or hidden pits. The pressure plates can be deactivated by solving a riddle or puzzle displayed on the walls (DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check). Successfully navigating the trials grants access to a secret passage leading to a hidden chamber or a shortcut to another level of the dungeon.
These additional rooms can be placed throughout the dungeon depending on your desired flow and difficulty. They offer opportunities for exploration, combat, puzzle-solving, and treasure hunting, adding variety and depth to your Sunken Temple adventure.
Alright looking good so far, now here is the real question- can it draw me a map? Answer is a big fat resounding NO, other than concept art. This is where the AI falls flat on its face, so it is up to me to make the map still. At least it gives you good descriptions to follow along with, speeding up the workflow. Here it is, along with the finalized documentation. I didn't make any edits or elaborations, but I would recommend it normally.
Entrance: The entrance is a treacherous swamp, filled with quicksand, sinkholes, and giant insects. A hidden path leads through the swamp to the temple itself.
Collapsed Entry Hall: The grand entry hall of the temple is now a crumbling ruin. Giant snakes slither through the debris, and statues of forgotten gods lie shattered on the floor. A large stone slab blocks the entrance to the next level. A glyph is carved into the slab, and requires a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check to decipher. The glyph is a riddle that hints at the offerings needed to raise the stone slab (such as a jewel or a sacrifice of blood).
Flooded Library: This level is a flooded library, filled with water and decaying books. Giant eels lurk in the murky depths, and shadows writhe on the ceiling. Waterproof scrolls detailing the rituals of the serpent people can be found here with a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check.
Sacrifice Chamber: This chamber is a dark and bloody place, filled with the bones of past sacrifices. An altar in the center of the room is stained black with blood. A hidden compartment in the altar contains a magic stone serpent egg.
Summoning Chamber: The deepest level of the dungeon is a vast chamber filled with strange, pulsating crystals. In the center of the room is a swirling vortex of energy. Yuan-ti malisons (evil snake people priests) conduct a ritual here to summon a giant serpent god. The adventurers must defeat the yuan-ti and disrupt the ritual before the serpent god is summoned.
Serpentarium: This room is a twisted greenhouse filled with exotic plants that bear strange, glowing fruits. Giant constrictor snakes slither through the foliage, guarding the plants. The fruits can be used as components for powerful poisons (discovered with a DC 15 Intelligence (Herbalism) check) or as offerings to appease the yuan-ti (discovered with a DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check).
Guardian's Crypt: This room is the final resting place of a forgotten temple guardian. A massive stone sarcophagus dominates the center, adorned with carvings of serpents and warriors. The sarcophagus is trapped with a magical glyph that triggers a cloud of poisonous gas when disturbed (Dexterity saving throw DC 13). Inside the sarcophagus lies the skeletal remains of a powerful warrior, clutching a magical shield that grants resistance to non-magical weapon damage (successful DC 15 Perception check to find).
Collapsed Corridor: This narrow passage has been choked by rubble and debris. A rickety wooden bridge spans a section of the collapsed floor, but it looks barely stable enough to hold one person. A successful DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check is required to cross the bridge safely. On the other side, a hidden passage (DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) to find) leads to a secret chamber.
Hidden Treasury: This chamber was once used to store the temple's riches. Now, it is filled with dust, cobwebs, and a few remaining treasures. A large, ornate chest sits in the center, but it is rusted shut and requires a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check to pry open. Inside, the characters find a collection of gold coins, a ceremonial serpent staff imbued with minor illusion magic (revealed with a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check), and a brittle scroll containing a powerful snake summoning spell (successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check to decipher).
Trials of Valor: This room is a series of pressure plates arranged in a challenging pattern. Stepping on the wrong plate triggers a variety of traps, such as falling spikes, jets of flame, or hidden pits. The pressure plates can be deactivated by solving a riddle or puzzle displayed on the walls (DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check). Successfully navigating the trials grants access to a secret passage leading to a hidden chamber or a shortcut to another level of the dungeon.
And there we have it. This is VTT ready after laying down the dynamic lighting and adding monster and trap tokens to the DM layer.
In conclusion, the value that I'm seeing in AI as far as Dungeon Mastering is concerned is that it takes a lot of the tedious documentation out of the process, allowing you to focus on drawing up the maps based on its admittedly pretty good descriptions while making minor tweaks and additions or simply prompting the AI to elaborate with more specifics. I didn't showcase it here but it can also give you stat blocks and the like. So what is your opinion on all this?
About Me: Godless monster in human form bent on extending their natural life to unnatural extremes /general of the goose horde /Moderator of Vinstreb School for the Gifted /holder of the evil storyteller badge of no honor /king of madness /The FBI/ The Archmage of I CAST...!
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Fun Fact: i gain more power the more you post on my forum threads. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
A few of the rooms are decent. I particularly like the serpentarium, and the room with the crystals is workable. The rest of it is very generic, especially the plot hooks and the treasure (gems are spread around the ruins). The riddle/trap is useless, but that's exactly what I would ask it to write out (since I would never be able to write a good riddle in a 100 years). Here's what gpt just gave me:
"Through valleys deep and mountains high, In dungeons dark where shadows lie, I hide away from mortal sight, Guarded by day and shrouded by night.
Within my grasp, treasures untold, Yet only to the worthy, they unfold. A key of wisdom, not of gold, Unlocks the secrets that I hold.
Seek me out where the rivers bend, Where the ancient trees their branches lend, To shelter secrets that I send, To challenge the bravest, until the end.
What am I?"
Answer: a treasure chest
----
I use chatgpt for ideas sometimes, but more for specific things in a medieval setting that I wouldn't think of, or trap ideas. it's best used to break up our own personal patterns to get us out of a rut.
This is a fair showcase of what AI can do. It's fundamentally good for brainstorming, filling in gaps, and exploring ideas, but still needs the individual DM to step in and make it all flow well and correct logic errors.
I like it for those purposes. It can save time without replacing my own creativity.
Like Faneal said i use it when i am stuck if and I drop what I already have written and as it to expand on what is written but never more than two paragraphs i learned the hard way that if you don't give strict instruction you can get a full page article when you are only looking for a few sentences. One thing I will never use ai for is making a map I love doodling maps way to much it is one of the things that bring me great joy.
A friend is running a simple roleplaying game for me and another on WhatsApp. Not D&D - more like Champions when we remember to roll dice. Kind of just joint storytelling - but I'm really enjoying it.
Main use of AI, outside of it generating the plot (I think) is great visuals.
I'd post some examples, but that seems quite hard on here.
AI is great for quick, good imagery and character portraits
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
RPGs from '83 - 03. A fair bit of LRP. A big gap. And now DMing again. Froth.
I try really hard to be nice on these forums, but since nobody designed this dungeon there's nobody to be nice to. This is pretty bad. There's no cohesion or flow to the rooms. The theming is tedious, the aesthetics dated. It's like someone took Against the Cult of the Reptile God, cut out all the intrigue and mystery that made that adventure iconic, and threw the remains in a blender with a blurry printout on five-room dungeon design.
I would be embarrassed to present something this empty at my table. Sure, I could spend the time dressing it up, but why wouldn't I instead use one of the many high-quality short adventure ideas already available online from so many talented creators?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
And there we have it. This is VTT ready after laying down the dynamic lighting and adding monster and trap tokens to the DM layer.
In conclusion, the value that I'm seeing in AI as far as Dungeon Mastering is concerned is that it takes a lot of the tedious documentation out of the process, allowing you to focus on drawing up the maps based on its admittedly pretty good descriptions while making minor tweaks and additions or simply prompting the AI to elaborate with more specifics. I didn't showcase it here but it can also give you stat blocks and the like. So what is your opinion on all this?
theres a tool you can make a.i generated maps with
https://www.gozzys.com/battlemap/wilderness
a.i generated DND campaign coming soon confirmed!
Pronouns: Any/All
About Me: Godless monster in human form bent on extending their natural life to unnatural extremes /general of the goose horde /Moderator of Vinstreb School for the Gifted /holder of the evil storyteller badge of no honor /king of madness /The FBI/ The Archmage of I CAST...!
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Fun Fact: i gain more power the more you post on my forum threads. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
I have to like it.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
A few of the rooms are decent. I particularly like the serpentarium, and the room with the crystals is workable. The rest of it is very generic, especially the plot hooks and the treasure (gems are spread around the ruins). The riddle/trap is useless, but that's exactly what I would ask it to write out (since I would never be able to write a good riddle in a 100 years). Here's what gpt just gave me:
I use chatgpt for ideas sometimes, but more for specific things in a medieval setting that I wouldn't think of, or trap ideas. it's best used to break up our own personal patterns to get us out of a rut.
This is a fair showcase of what AI can do. It's fundamentally good for brainstorming, filling in gaps, and exploring ideas, but still needs the individual DM to step in and make it all flow well and correct logic errors.
I like it for those purposes. It can save time without replacing my own creativity.
Like Faneal said i use it when i am stuck if and I drop what I already have written and as it to expand on what is written but never more than two paragraphs i learned the hard way that if you don't give strict instruction you can get a full page article when you are only looking for a few sentences. One thing I will never use ai for is making a map I love doodling maps way to much it is one of the things that bring me great joy.
A friend is running a simple roleplaying game for me and another on WhatsApp. Not D&D - more like Champions when we remember to roll dice. Kind of just joint storytelling - but I'm really enjoying it.
Main use of AI, outside of it generating the plot (I think) is great visuals.
I'd post some examples, but that seems quite hard on here.
AI is great for quick, good imagery and character portraits![]()
RPGs from '83 - 03. A fair bit of LRP. A big gap. And now DMing again. Froth.
I try really hard to be nice on these forums, but since nobody designed this dungeon there's nobody to be nice to. This is pretty bad. There's no cohesion or flow to the rooms. The theming is tedious, the aesthetics dated. It's like someone took Against the Cult of the Reptile God, cut out all the intrigue and mystery that made that adventure iconic, and threw the remains in a blender with a blurry printout on five-room dungeon design.
I would be embarrassed to present something this empty at my table. Sure, I could spend the time dressing it up, but why wouldn't I instead use one of the many high-quality short adventure ideas already available online from so many talented creators?