How close are we to running a game of AD&D using AI?
Oh, what a thrill it is to reminisce about those grand, immersive adventures in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D)! Can you remember the excitement of navigating the treacherous Caverns of Tsojcanth or uncovering the mystery of The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh? Those moments, filled with laughter, tense battles, and tough decisions, are what make tabletop role-playing games so special. But like many, you might find it harder these days to gather the old gang or carve out hours for those long campaigns. So here’s a question for you: Could AI be the key to bringing these epic games back to life? Could it take on the roles of Dungeon Master (DM) and player characters (PCs), while keeping the magic of AD&D alive?
Believe it or not, we’re closer to this reality than you might think!
AI is already making strides in managing everything from combat decisions to exploration, even dipping its toes into role-playing. But how far have we really come? And more importantly, how much further do we have to go before AI can run a full AD&D campaign? Let’s dive into what’s possible today, the challenges we still need to overcome, and the exciting future AI holds for tabletop gaming.
AI in gaming: where are we now?
If you’ve played modern RPG video games like Divinity: Original Sin 2 or Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ve already seen AI in action, handling complex combat systems and NPC behaviour. These games show how AI can create responsive, immersive environments. But what about tabletop games like AD&D?
Tabletop gaming is a different beast, and while AI hasn’t quite mastered the art of being a fully integrated Dungeon Master, tools like DungeonAI and virtual tabletops like Roll20 are making strides to automate parts of the experience. Even AI Dungeon, which uses natural language processing to generate dynamic stories, hints at the potential AI holds for storytelling, though it still stumbles in places.
Have you tried using AI in your own games yet? If so, how did it fare? If not, let’s look at how AI is already helping and where we are today.
AI’s role in AD&D: what can it do today?
AI is already proving helpful in AD&D, handling structured tasks that streamline gameplay. But how much control would you be willing to hand over to an AI in a game that thrives on human creativity? Here’s what AI can do right now:
AI-controlled player characters (PCs)
Today’s AI can manage the basics of player characters. It can interpret character sheets, manage abilities, and even make decisions based on alignment. Would you trust AI to run your character when you’re unable to join a session? Here’s what AI is capable of:
- Combat actions: AI can manage dice rolls, attack enemies, and cast spells. Imagine playing The Keep on the Borderlands, and your wizard automatically casts Fireball when a group of enemies gathers together.
- Exploration: AI can explore by checking for traps or uncovering secret doors. Think of a rogue instinctively scanning for traps in Caverns of Tsojcanth while the rest of the party presses forward.
- Basic role-playing: AI can follow simple alignment rules. A lawful good paladin might always choose the honourable path, while a chaotic neutral rogue could opt for unpredictable actions. This is especially handy when a player misses a session and AI keeps the story moving.
What do you think? Could you see AI taking over these roles in your campaign, or would it take too much control away from the players?
AI as the Dungeon Master (DM)
Now, let’s talk about the heart of AD&D: the Dungeon Master. Could AI really step into this role? So far, AI can manage structured elements of a campaign. If you were playing through a pre-written module like The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, here’s what AI could handle:
- Manage combat: AI can roll dice, track hit points, and apply modifiers with ease. It could run large-scale battles, freeing up the DM to focus on storytelling and engaging with the players.
- Pre-written scripts: In a structured adventure, AI can follow pre-set storylines, introducing NPCs, dialogue, and decision points. For example, AI could guide you through combat encounters and tricky traps in Tomb of Horrors.
- Player choices: AI can present players with multiple-choice scenarios like ”Do you fight or flee?” and determine outcomes based on those decisions and dice rolls.
What makes this challenge easier is using classic AD&D modules that already have maps, encounters, and storylines fully developed. In these pre-written scenarios, AI doesn’t need to create a complex open-world experience from scratch. It just needs to follow the script, which makes it a perfect starting point for AI development. Modules like The Village of Hommlet or The Keep on the Borderlands offer highly structured gameplay where AI can manage encounters and track progression without needing to improvise too much.
But what happens when players go off-script? Let’s say you use Dimension Door to bypass a carefully laid trap or attempt to convince an NPC to join your party. Right now, AI struggles with this kind of improvisation. A human DM would adapt, weaving this creative detour into the story, while AI might get a bit stuck or offer limited responses.
overcoming challenges: what’s holding us back?
We’re so close to something remarkable, but significant hurdles remain before AI can run a fully immersive AD&D campaign. Let’s explore the main challenges:
1. better user interfaces (UI)
For AI-driven AD&D to really shine, we need to improve the user experience. Imagine you’re mid-battle and need instant access to your character’s abilities and spells. How would a streamlined UI improve your game? Here’s what’s currently missing:
- Real-time character management: Players need a seamless way to access stats, abilities, and spells. A dynamic character sheet integrated with virtual tabletops would make combat and exploration smoother, constantly updating with each move.
- Dynamic maps and tabletop integration: Imagine virtual tabletops with AI-driven maps—where environments react as your party explores, enemies shift in response to your movements, and traps are activated based on player decisions.
Example: Some developers are already working on tools like Ardent Roleplay, which uses augmented reality to enhance immersion by adding digital elements to tabletop games. But these still require manual input, unlike the fully integrated AI experience we’re dreaming of.
2. specialised AI models for RPGs
For AI to truly thrive in AD&D, it needs to be trained on the game’s specific mechanics. Right now, general-purpose AI simply doesn’t capture the complexity of AD&D’s intricate rules. Picture an AI that knows the Player’s Handbook inside and out, making informed decisions about combat, magic, and character interactions.
- Rulebook integration: AI needs to be deeply familiar with AD&D’s rules—spells, abilities, and class mechanics—so it can handle the game accurately.
- Role-playing with consistency: AI should be able to role-play according to alignment and character traits, making decisions that reflect the background and moral compass of each character.
Real-world example: DungeonAI and similar tools are beginning to incorporate basic rule systems into AI decision-making, but they’re still in the early stages. A fully-fledged AI DM would need to know AD&D as well as a seasoned Dungeon Master.
3. open-world storytelling and dynamic NPC reactions
What happens when players take the game off the rails and start improvising? AI has a hard time managing spontaneous, creative choices—like trying to negotiate with an enemy instead of fighting. Can AI adapt and change the narrative in real time?
Luckily, by starting with classic AD&D modules with fixed narratives, we can make this challenge simpler. AI doesn’t need to handle all the complexity of an open-world experience just yet. Modules like The Temple of Elemental Evil are scripted, with pre-determined encounters and outcomes, so AI can follow a set path without needing to improvise every move.
- Player creativity: AI needs to manage unexpected player actions. For example, if you use Charm Person to avoid a combat encounter, AI should adapt and adjust the story accordingly.
- NPC memory and reaction: NPCs should remember player actions and react dynamically. If you rob a merchant in one session, they should treat you differently the next time you meet. AI needs to handle these evolving relationships to create a more immersive world.
4. collaborative development and community involvement
The future of AI in tabletop RPGs depends on collaboration between developers and the community. What would your perfect AI-driven experience look like? Have you contributed to any open-source projects or helped play-test AI tools? Enthusiasts and developers alike have a role to play in shaping the next generation of AI-powered role-playing experiences.
what’s next? let’s create the future together!
We’re standing at the edge of an exciting new era in tabletop role-playing, and the path ahead is filled with promise. With AI improving every day, we’re inching closer to a world where AI can handle both Dungeon Master and player roles, allowing us to bring classic AD&D modules to life in thrilling new ways.
If you’re passionate about RPGs
and AI, now is the time to get involved. Whether you’re contributing to open-source AI projects, play-testing new systems, or brainstorming creative AI models, there are endless opportunities to help shape the future of role-playing games. What excites you most about the possibilities? Would you like to see AI run a campaign, or are you interested in helping develop these systems?
But why wait? Want to see where AI stands today? Here’s a prompt you can copy and paste into your AI assistant to get a taste of where we are right now in AI-driven storytelling. It’s just the start, but it’s a fun glimpse into the future of AI-powered role-playing games.
Try this example adventure:
Prompt:
You find yourself at the edge of a dense, dark forest. Thick vines and overgrown foliage block the path ahead. The air is heavy with moisture, and the occasional screech of unknown creatures echoes through the trees. You’ve heard rumours that a powerful sorcerer guards a treasure deep within the woods. What do you do?
Copy the prompt above, drop it into your AI assistant, and see how it handles exploration, decision-making, and interactions. This little test will give you a glimpse into what’s already possible—and what’s still to come.
And if you’re up for a bigger challenge, how about we team up to tackle The Temple of Elemental Evil? With AI as our trusty DM and a couple of AI-controlled adventurers at our side, we’re bound for an unforgettable journey. Grab your dice—it’s time for an adventure of epic proportions!
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