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Introducing the AI-Powered Lore & Timeline Event Generator for Game Masters

August 31, 2023 by Kenji Leave a Comment

After a bit of a summer hiatus, I’ve been delving back into building more AI-powered Game Master tools, such as the NPC generator, the 5th edition stat block generator, and the location generator. These tools are all free and barring any unforeseen jump in API costs I intend to keep them free. However, with the increase in patrons, I felt it would be great to create more patron exclusive tools. First came the bookshelf generator, which can create a list of book titles in any location on the fly. Now, I’ve launched the Lore and Timeline Event Generator. Although it’s meant for patrons, I’ve made it accessible to non-patrons until the end of September. Afterwards it’ll be accessible to $3 patrons.

Features:

Specify and Generate: Simply input a person, place, or thing, and choose a year. The tool will prompt you with a variety of event types such as:
- Good events
- Bad events
- Destructive events
- Mysterious events
Receive & Review: Upon clicking ‘generate’, you’re presented with three potential events tailored to your specifications.
Timeline View: Once satisfied, you can add these events to a visually engaging timeline. This timeline can be navigated horizontally, resembling a film strip.
Summaries: For a quick overview, you can also generate summaries of all the events present in your timeline.
Export Options: Whether you’re a fan of homebrewery or you have a personal GM notes system, the tool supports you. Export your timeline and summaries in markdown format for homebrewery compatibility or as plain text for use in any GM notes platform.

The Lore or Timeline Event Generator was created as a solution for the hours of preparation that go into creating immersive lore. Whether you’re looking to craft the intricate history of a homebrewed city, trace the origins of a magical item, or delve deep into the life of an individual character, this tool is designed to streamline your process. Enjoy!

Introducing the RPG Bookshelf Generator for Game Masters

July 16, 2023 by Kenji Leave a Comment

Who knows what books and secrets your players may find!

I’ve been busy working on some AI-powered Game Master tools, some of which will eventually become exclusive to our patrons. The first of these tools is the Bookshelf Generator, a concept that was proposed by one of my users on our AI Game Master Tools discord server. This user mentioned that a particular PC in their group always had a penchant for investigating bookshelves, with the aim to perhaps find some hidden lore. This GM often found it challenging to have in depth material prepared for every bookshelf, however and suggested a tool that could generate a list of book titles as well as a description of the contents within. This seemed pretty straightforward to make, so I went ahead and created it.

This tool enables you to not only input a setting—be it a generic RPG setting like Dungeons and Dragons, specific realms within those worlds like Forgotten Realms, Waterdeep, or Baldur’s Gate, or other game worlds like Night City from Cyberpunk 2077, the Ninth World from Numenera, or Rokugan from Legend of the Five Rings—but also specify the exact location of the bookshelf. Whether it’s in the study of an eccentric wizard or the waiting room of a ripperdoc clinic.

Finally, the Bookshelf Generator presents an optional field where you can input unique genres that may not be typically found in that location. Perhaps it’s a collection of cookbooks in a wizard’s tower or romance novels in a town master’s office.

The tool then generates an appropriate list of book titles. From there, you can choose to generate more specific details about the title, including the author name, author Background, physical description of the book, a summary of the book and a book excerpt. Finally, each book has a potential hidden secret that players may uncover if they pass the appropriate check. I’ve aimed for this tool to be system-agnostic, with checks ranging from easy to very hard and corresponding to generic skills you can align with the system you’re using.

The Bookshelf Generator will be freely accessible until the end of August. Afterward, it will become exclusive to patrons at the $3 tier.

I welcome any questions or feedback about this new tool—I’m excited to hear what you think. Happy bookshelf exploring!

Introducing the 5e Monster Statblock Generator, Powered By ChatGPT

June 12, 2023 by Kenji Leave a Comment

After many months of hard work, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of a ChatGPT API-powered statblock generator. This app uses the chat GPT API to create monster statblocks for D&D 5th edition. Tackling this project was a unique challenge. While ChatGPT can craft a reasonably convincing stat block, the balance often falls short. To address this, I scoured the SRD for a wide range of monsters, stripping them down to their basic mechanics. This process allowed ChatGPT to utilize the underlying CR mechanics while adding the necessary flavor.

Recognizing the diversity in stat blocks, I’ve included options for stronger defense, balanced monsters, and those with heightened offense. This caters to the varied CR dynamics, whether defensively or offensively inclined.

The final touch? Once a creature is generated, you can export the stat block to Homebrewery Markdown, Foundry VTT, or the Improved Initiative app. This ensures compatibility with several popular platforms.

I’m committed to keeping this tool free for as long as possible. For those who’d like to support this venture and offset my API costs, joining my Patreon is always appreciated. Thanks a ton!

Kenji’s AI Powered Game Master Tools

April 18, 2023 by Kenji 4 Comments

If you’re a Game Master looking for ways to make your campaigns even more engaging, then you’re in the right place. These AI RPG Companion tools can help you bring your campaigns to life.

D&D 5e Statblock Generator

This generator will create a fully fleshed out statblock based on a monster name you provide it. You can also copy the generated in markdown format and create a PDF with it in homebrewery. The free version of the statblock generator is limited to generating 5 statblocks per day while the premium version allows for unlimited generation.

Setting Generator Tool and Worldbuilding Dashboard

The Setting Generator Tool was created to alleviate the burden of creating intricate and immersive worlds from scratch. Whether you’re building an Elven Enclave, a clockwork kingdom, or a bustling space station, this tool streamlines the process, helping game masters focus on storytelling and creativity. Enjoy!

Features:

Lore Integration: Input your existing lore to generate an overview of cities, towns, villages, space stations, planets, etc.
Sublocations: Create sublocations within each location, complete with lists of factions and NPCs.
NPCs as Quest Givers: Generate NPCs that can serve as quest givers.
Dashboard Interface: Quickly generate and organize information for session building.
Export Options: Copy generated content as plain text, hierarchical HTML (h1, h2, h3 tags), or homebrewery markdown.
Foundry VTT Compatibility: Export HTML format for use in Foundry VTT (confirmation needed).
Homebrewery Markdown: Manually insert page breaks in exported markdown.

D&D 5e Magical Item Generator

The magic item generator is designed to streamline the process of creating custom magical items for D&D 5th edition. You start by choosing the item type—armor, potion, ring, rod, scroll, staff, wand, weapon, or wondrous item. From there, the generator can craft a completely random item or one that’s nearly so, depending on how much you decide to customize. You have the option to specify details like the item’s name, select its rarity level, and even add lore. The lore can be generated by ChatGPT automatically, or you can dive deeper with the lore generator tool for more intricate backstory. This tool simplifies the creation of magical items, offering flexibility in how detailed or randomized you want your items to be. Enjoy crafting your magical items!

D&D 5e Encounter Generator

The D&D 5e encounter generator (Free Version | Premium Version) allows you to create custom monsters or groups of monsters and set difficulty levels by multiplying the number of players by their levels. It calculates the total adjusted experience based on the number of monsters and their Challenge Rating (CR). You can input brief location descriptions and decide if the encounter is an ambush, which influences the presentation. It generates a narrative description, non-combat resolution options, and potential outcomes. Additionally, it produces custom stat blocks that can be exported in markdown format for use in Homebrewery to enhance your campaign files. Finally, you don’t need to fill out any of the fields. Just click “Generate Encounter” for something completely random!

Dungeon Generator Tool

The dungeon generator tool is designed to make the life of a Game Master even easier by automating the creation of intricate and engaging dungeons.

How It Works:

Dungeon Summary Generation: Start by generating an overarching summary of your dungeon. This gives you a foundation to build upon, including the atmosphere, history, and purpose of the dungeon.
Potential Rooms: From the summary, the tool suggests various rooms that could exist within this dungeon, each with a unique atmospheric touch.
Room Detailing: Choose a room to flesh out further. The generator will provide a detailed description, transforming it into an integral part of your dungeon.
Room Customization: These rooms can be added, removed, or rearranged in any order, allowing you to craft the dungeon layout according to your campaign needs.
Homebrewery Markdown Export: Once your dungeon is complete, the tool allows you to export the content in markdown format for use in Homebrewery, ensuring a seamless integration into your game.
Fifth Edition Stat Blocks: Generate custom stat blocks for creatures within your dungeon. Specify the Challenge Rating (CR) and watch as the tool provides a tailored stat block, which can also be exported for various platforms like Foundry VTT or the Improved Initiative app. The free version of this tool limits statblock generation to 5 per day, while the premium version allows for unlimited statblock generation.

This tool makes dungeon creation a lot less onerous, saving you time and enhancing your storytelling. As always, I’m eager to hear your feedback and ideas for further improvements!

The free version currently limits the user to generating 5 stat blocks per day while the premium version allows for unlimited generation of statblocks.

Location Generator

The Location Generator creates detailed descriptions of any location you can imagine. With this tool, you can spend less time on worldbuilding and more time creating memorable adventures for your players. Simply give the generator a prompt like “Abandoned temple of Lolth” and you’ll get a description like this:

The abandoned temple of Lolth looms before you, its eaves heavily draped in cobwebs and mist. The air trembles with the faint sound of spectral chanting. A series of crooked pillars surrounds a raised dais, atop which sits a stone altar carved with the sigil of the spider queen. As you draw closer, a swarm of giant spiders emerges from the shadows, their eyes glowing with malevolent intent.

You can pop the description into Midjourney while you’re at it!

NPC Generator

The NPC Generator generates fully realized characters with backstories, motivations, and even relationships to other characters. With this tool, you can create interesting and dynamic NPCs for your campaigns in a matter of seconds. Simply give the generator a prompt and it will generate a character with a backstory and personality that you can use in your campaigns.

Currently, the NPC Generator is free to use for everyone. However, I may make it exclusive to patrons in the future as the tools evolve and improve. Your support on Patreon will help me maintain and continue to develop these tools, and in return, I’ll provide you with exclusive features and content.

GM Dashboard/Town Generator

One of the exclusive features available to patrons is the GM Dashboard/Town Generator which combines the Location Generator and NPC Generator into one convenient tool. The Dashboard essentially functions as a Town Generator. First you generate a location description and then the town generator gives you a list of potential NPCs and sub-locations. You can then choose to generate descriptions for those NPCs and sub-locations.

This tool is exclusive to $5 patrons.

AI Powered Bookshelf Generator

The Bookshelf Generator is an AI-powered tool designed for those in-game moments when characters decide to explore bookshelves. This tool lets Game Masters define the setting, specify the exact location of a bookshelf, and optionally include unique genres. Once these details are set, the tool generates appropriate book titles, detailed descriptions, and even hidden secrets that players might discover through checks. System-agnostic and designed to align with generic skills in your game.

This tool is exclusive exclusive to $3 tier patrons.

Lore & Timeline Generator

Features:

Specify and Generate: Simply input a person, place, or thing, and choose a year. The tool will prompt you with a variety of event types such as:
- Good events
- Bad events
- Destructive events
- Mysterious events
Receive & Review: Upon clicking ‘generate’, you’re presented with three potential events tailored to your specifications.
Timeline View: Once satisfied, you can add these events to a visually engaging timeline. This timeline can be navigated horizontally, resembling a film strip.
Summaries: For a quick overview, you can also generate summaries of all the events present in your timeline.
Export Options: Whether you’re a fan of homebrewery or you have a personal GM notes system, the tool supports you. Export your timeline and summaries in markdown format for homebrewery compatibility or as plain text for use in any GM notes platform.

This tool is exclusive to $3 patrons.

Join Our Discord Server

In addition to getting access to exclusive features and content, patrons and the first 100 non-patrons are also invited to join our Discord server. Here, you can connect with other Game Masters, players, and enthusiasts who share your passion for tabletop RPGs. You’ll also be able to provide feedback and suggestions for new features and tools, as well as receive updates on the latest developments and improvements to the AI RPG Companion tools.

Joining our Discord server is a great way to be a part of a community of like-minded individuals who can help you take your campaigns to the next level. So, if you’re interested in joining us and supporting the development of these tools, please consider becoming a patron today!

“Nash Vegas” | My 1 month review of Nashville

October 3, 2022 by Kenji Leave a Comment

Serpy the Wombat takes in the view of the Parthenon at Centennial Park in Nashville | Who is Serpy?

This is the seventh and last in a series of seven articles about my 9 month trip through the Southern US.

Thoughts about Nashville after a month of living there.

“New” Nashville

Of all the cities I have visited on my trip through the South, I’m convinced that no city has changed as much in recent years as Nashville.

As a visitor to the city, I had done some casual internet research and the phrase “New Nashville” kept popping up. And while I had chalked this newness up to its booming population and gentrification–something that’s happening in all the cities I visited, I don’t think I realized how these forces had truly transformed Nashville. Even after having lived in Seattle the last 12 years and witnessing firsthand the transformation of that city into a yuppie playground, I still wouldn’t call it “New Seattle”. Seattle is still Seattle, in spite of the changes. Nashville, as far as I can tell, is no longer Nashville.

So what about Nashville has changed so much that we’re calling it “New”? I wanted to get a frame of reference and so I watched Robert Altman’s film Nashville (1975) and it seemed like a smaller, more intimate city. It was a place where you might see big country stars at a local dive bar and seemed to have a lot of that grit that Memphis still has today. Today Nashville seems much more polished and cosmopolitan than it was in the past. And that “down home country” vibe that I saw in that old movie seems like a caricature of itself now–a manufactured marketing ploy.

Image of some surreal street art — Some rather

So it isn’t surprising that “Nash Vegas” as it’s sometimes called, has grown into a Disneyfied theme park version of the city it once was, even to the extent that it’s apparently become the bachelorette party capital of the US. Mainstays like the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ol’ Opry are still there, and you can go and seem some truly ancient country musicians playing the same music they had since the 50’s. These tidbits of Old Nashville, seem ossified, however. They’re not really a part of the city any more. It reminds me of a giant and grossly opulent golden temple built around the rotted teeth of some saint.

The small area downtown that constitutes “Nash Vegas” aside, Nashville just seems like another yuppie town that has a serious problem with gentrification. I mean, when you push enough of the original residents out of your city so that those who where born and raised there are called “unicorns” you know that the soul of the city has left and has been replaced by something entirely new.

Humid Soup full of Cars

Bridge with the word "Moist" in large ornate letters Graffitied on the side

When I visited Nashville I had some back and spine issues (daily pilates classes fixed that, thankfully) so I didn’t get out as much as I had compared to the other cities I had visited. On top of that, I had already decided to choose San Antonio as the place where I was going to live even before arriving in Nashville, so I didn’t feel as motivated to explore this city as thoroughly as I had others.

Also, Nashville in June was a thick and humid soup, and even a walk to my car drained me of all vitality. Nashville isn’t a very walkable city and you need to drive to go just about anywhere. Even when I went for a run I had to drive 10 minutes just to find a good running path from where I was.
So while I hadn’t explored Nashville extensively, I feel like I saw enough to get a good feel for the place. Overall, it seemed like a city that had grown so fast it forgot who it was.

I give Nashville, TN 2.5 stars.

Gallery

Gallery of additional pics I took in Nashville. Click to large

House with very large cactus obscuring the front of ti — Strange boat-like structure near Shelby Park

Nashville home with unique lawn decor — Strange boat-like structure near Shelby Park

Previous Stop: Memphis

Grit and grind | My 1 month review of Memphis

October 3, 2022 by Kenji Leave a Comment

Serpy the Wombat checks out the Great Bass Pro shop pyramid in Memphis | Who is Serpy?

This is the sixth in a series of seven articles about my 9 month trip through the Southern US.

Thoughts about Memphis, TN after living there for a month:

Wide Build

Those familiar with computer strategy games will generally talk about two ways to build: wide or tall. And as a city, Memphis has gone wide.

When it comes to cities, wide builds are more spread out. There might be a city center but it’s generally pretty small and sometimes ill defined. Wide builds will have a lot of suburbs, and as a result of this, having a car is generally a necessity to get anywhere. This is probably one of the reasons why (in addition to the poverty) that housing in Memphis is very cheap. Any particular house in Memphis will go for nearly 500K cheaper to a comparable home in Seattle.

On the other hand, tall builds will generally be more compact, have efficient public transportation, and have centrally located apartments around which there are a variety of cafes, restaurants, and bars in walking distance. It’s a bit more busy and a bit more noisy, but there’s usually always something interesting going on within a 10 minute walk from where you live.
As you might have guessed, I much prefer the tall build when it comes to cities, and everything in Memphis is far too spread out for me. Yes, there are some pockets of interesting culture and nightlife, but they’re tiny and often barely fill an intersection.

Even the famous Beale Street with the soft glow of the vintage neon lights advertising honkytonks and BBQ joints only extends for a few blocks and because it’s hard to find a place to live anywhere near it, my guess is that most of the people you see there are those who are ubering in or who happen to be staying at a nearby hotel.

The Weather

Memphis is smotheringly humid, with the occasional thunderstorm thrown in. No thanks.

Music City

Statue of Johnny Cash standing in front of the Church where he made his first performance

Judging by the impressive list of musicians that Memphis has produced from Elvis to Johnny Cash to BB King to Aretha Franklin, it’s certainly earned the name “Music City”.

And they won’t let you forget it. From the many local spots that take great pride in saying “Elvis ate a burger here once”, to the statue of Johnny Cash in front of the church where he first performed, to the rather humble sized Full Gospel Tabernacle Church run by pastor Al Green (yes that Al Green), walking through this city is like mainlining nostalgia for music nerds. Oh yeah, and my Airbnb had a 3 foot decal of the King to watch over me in my sleep.

In addition to this are the innumerable music venues that have a live band playing most nights if you like that sort of thing. Given that the city is so spread out though you’ll likely need to be driving or find an uber to get there. As someone who has a casual interest in going to these sorts of places, I probably wouldn’t end up going to many.

Grit and Grind

A local bartender told me that the city’s unofficial motto is “grit and grind” which I later found out originated from the days when the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team didn’t have any star players, but they did the best with what they had–perhaps more than anyone could reasonably expect.

The motto feels like a good fit for Memphis–at least when it comes to all the grit. The grit is in the busted up roads, crumbling infrastructure, and decaying apartment buildings. It’s in the impoverished and segregated neighborhoods. It’s in the orange-brown asphalt streets lined with strip malls. And it’s in the boarded-up buildings in the silent and deserted neighborhoods outside of downtown.

A lot of memphis is brown asphalt, stripmalls and chain restaurants

To “grind” is to make small gains and to tenaciously hold on to those gains. It’s about playing hard defense, and not to risk anything on flashy moves. It’s acknowledging that life in Memphis is hard, but that we’re making the most of it here.

To “grind” also means to work hard. And since Tenessee is in a right to work state, you kind of have to. Due to the cheap labor that Memphis offers, the town has attracted a lot of companies in the shipping and logistics industries. FedEx makes it home here, and even built a stadium where those grit and grind grizzlies play.

And yet, in spite of all of this industry–which one would expect would lead to greater prosperity among its people, Memphis is still one of the poorest cities in the country, with 29% of the population below the poverty line.

And you can see it in the neighborhoods. They aren’t “grinding”, but they are being “ground down”. Ground down by years of just barely making ends meet. Even in the less impoverished parts of town I couldn’t help shake the vibe of the resignation that results from years of frustration.

Condemned buildings in Memphis were a common sight

In 1968, 1300 black men working in the Memphis sanitation department went on strike after 2 of them were crushed by faulty machinery. This event crystalized the fact that the city barely enforced safety standards for its sanitation workers and it was the last straw to be added to a list of other indignities like having to live on welfare in spite of being forced to take on late night shifts without overtime.

On April 3rd of that year, Martin Luther King went to Memphis to deliver his “I’ve been to the Mountaintop” speech in support of the workers.

The next morning, Martin Luther King was assassinated at the Lorraine motel.

The demonstrations that came in the wake of this shocking event eventually forced the city to come to the table and sign an agreement with the sanitation workers. And yet, workers in Memphis still struggle to have their voice heard.

Political and Racial Tensions

“Black Lives Matter” crosswalk near Overton Square in Memphis

Memphis is now a majority black city but for most of its history it wasn’t, and politics in this town are divided strictly on racial lines. If that isn’t a source of tension, I don’t know what is.
I can only imagine the resentment that the local Trump supporters, whose grandparents once owned this town and were openly racist must feel now that the city has changed so much demographically and politically.

A bumper sticker that reads “another bright blue dot in a really red state”

As a half-Asian, I’m rarely conscious about my ethnic background, but in Memphis I felt acutely conscious of it. Never in any of the major southern cities that I had visited did I feel that I was being watched, but here in Memphis I did. It was in sidelong glances at the grocery store so fleeting that it was hard not to them chalk up to my imagination, but I felt a real discomfort here, especially in the predominately white areas.

The Black people I met, however, were quite welcoming and friendly even though I was a visitor. It was great to feel included there, especially because there were other places where I didn’t. This is a place where you truly “wear your race on a sleeve” as Memphis native and sociologist Zandria Robinson says. I couldn’t agree more.

I don’t really want to live in place where I have to do that though.

I give Memphis, TN 1.5 stars.