The last year or so has seen huge leaps in the power of A.I. in generating images and text. Some creators feel threatened by this technology. Others see it as just another tool.
As a media designer, I’ve benefited from the A.I. assisted tools in Adobe Photoshop and other creative cloud apps. But I also worry about artists and designers losing work to people who can use these tools to generate art that looks good on the surface but is does not benefit from the research, creativity, and knowledge of design principles that a good designer puts into their work.
The same goes for text and ideas generated by A.I. An essay written by a chatbot may read like it was created by a human writer, but any good writer or editor will spot many errors.
I decided to see if ChatGPT could create decent content for my Dungeons & Dragons games. First, I asked “Please describe five unique magic items for Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition.”
It’s reply:
Sure, here are five unique magic items for Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition:
- Cloak of the Etherwalker – This cloak allows the wearer to move through solid objects, as if they were ethereal. The wearer can pass through walls, doors, and other barriers with ease. Additionally, while wearing the cloak, the wearer gains resistance to force damage.
- Staff of the Elements – This powerful staff grants the wielder control over the elements. The staff can be used to summon powerful storms, create earthquakes, and even control the flow of lava. The wielder gains resistance to fire, cold, and lightning damage while wielding the staff.
- Ring of the Astral Plane – This ring allows the wearer to enter and exit the astral plane at will. While on the astral plane, the wearer can travel to any location in the multiverse, and can even find their way to other planes of existence. Additionally, while wearing the ring, the wearer gains resistance to psychic damage.
- Mask of the Shapechanger – This mask allows the wearer to take on the form of any creature they have encountered before. The wearer gains all of the abilities and traits of the creature they transform into, but retains their own mental stats. Additionally, while wearing the mask, the wearer gains resistance to poison damage.
- Wand of Reality Warping – This wand allows the wielder to manipulate reality itself. The wielder can use the wand to create objects out of thin air, teleport themselves and others across vast distances, and even alter the fundamental laws of the universe. However, using the wand too frequently can have unpredictable and dangerous consequences, and can draw the attention of powerful beings who seek to control or destroy it.
I was actually surprised by how well ChatGPT knew D&D lore and lingo in creating these five items. However, any experienced DM could tell that they were either overpowered or too similar to an existing magic item. Of the five, I thought the Staff of the Elements was most interesting.
I prompted “Please create Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition stats for the Staff of the Elements.”
It’s reply:
Sure, here are some stats for the Staff of the Elements in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition:
Staff of the Elements
Staff, rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)This staff is made of dark, twisted wood and is adorned with swirling patterns of gold and silver. It hums with elemental energy, ready to unleash its power at the wielder’s command.
Properties
- This staff grants a +2 bonus to spell attack rolls and to the save DC of spells cast with it.
- The wielder gains resistance to fire, cold, and lightning damage while wielding the staff.
Spells While holding the staff, the wielder can use an action to cast one of the following spells (save DC 17), expending a spell slot as normal:
- Call Lightning
- Cone of Cold
- Fireball
- Ice Storm
- Lightning Bolt
- Wall of Fire
Once a spell has been cast from the staff, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Additionally, the staff has 10 charges, which can be used to cast the following spells (save DC 17), expending the corresponding number of charges:
- Control Weather (8 charges)
- Earthquake (7 charges)
- Investiture of Flame (4 charges)
- Investiture of Ice (4 charges)
- Investiture of Stone (4 charges)
- Investiture of Wind (4 charges)
The staff regains 1d6+4 charges daily at dawn.
Note: These stats are just a suggestion, and you can adjust them to fit the needs of your campaign.
My first reaction was “Wow, this is SO overpowered for a rare item.” At least the chatbot included the note at the end admitting that the stats needed adjustment. I suggested that the item should be Legendary instead, and ChatGPT revised the stats only slightly by changing the spell save DC from 17 to 19.
It still felt overpowered, but I was impressed that it knew enough about D&D spell rules to make higher level spells use more charges that low level spells.
I decided to make the Staff of the Elements my next magic item, but with some changes. Here’s the final result, using a free stock image from Pixabay.
Staff of the Elements
Staff, rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)
This staff is made of dark, twisted wood and is adorned with swirling patterns of gold and silver. It hums with elemental energy, ready to unleash its power at the wielder’s command.
The staff has 10 charges, which can be used to cast the following spells (save DC 17), expending the corresponding number of charges:
- Control Weather (8 charges)
- Earthquake (7 charges)
- Investiture of Flame (4 charges)
- Investiture of Ice (4 charges)
- Investiture of Stone (4 charges)
- Investiture of Wind (4 charges)
The staff regains 1d6+4 charges daily at dawn.
ChatGPT is currently good for helping generate ideas for magic items, but those ideas need tweaking in order to work in a well-balanced way. As chatbots keep learning, I suspect that the ideas they generate will get closer to what your average DM can create.
But for now, it’s a helpful tool.
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