Context: In this interaction with ChatGPT, I knew there was a critical bit of information (detailed below, in the prompt) that I needed to deliver to my players but (for various reasons relating to how the prior session had played out) I was no longer sure how to deliver that information. It was pretty critical for their understanding of the rest of the adventure, so I couldn't just hope that an opportunity would happen to turn up during the next session. I needed to have a fallback, just in case. That's a pretty hyper-specific thing to brainstorm, but it's an area where ChatGPT really shines.
Prompt:
Act as if you are an artistic, brilliant, creative writer. I want you to help me with brainstorming ideas as I prepare a story for a Dungeons & Dragons game that is set in a fantasy-renaissance inspired world and which prominently features themes of geopolitical espionage between world powers, investigating occult mysteries, joining secret societies, fighting fantasy monsters, encountering eldritch horrors, devising elaborate financial schemes, politicking with senators, mingling with privileged nobles, and capturing dangerous magic items.
The campaign takes place in the city of Arcstead, which is located between two major world powers: the Crescent Kingdom to the north, and the Southern League to the south. The Crescent Kingdom is a theocratic-monarchy ruled by a goddess-emperor named Imera. The Southern League is a confederation of independent city-states and small kingdoms which have allied together in a defensive pact against the Crescent Kingdom. Arcstead is an independent city caught in a geopolitical tug of war between the Southern League and the Crescent Kingdom, with both world powers claiming sovereignty over the city. Arcstead is very Italian-Renaissance inspired in its architecturae, theme, and tone.
These are the player-characters and protagonists of the campaign, who are all members of the same secret society:
- Thea Anique Radwic, Countess of Edgewood. She is an undercover vampire and a warlock.
- Lord Montagu Willoughsby, brother of Baron Willoughsby. He is also an undercover vampire, an avid monster hunter, and a casanova.
- Lady Zimi Adar, daughter of the Marquis Adar. She is an Aasimar and secretly married to a minor deity.
- Rosaria Földváry. She is the only one who is not nobility. She owns and operates a vineyard, and runs a smuggling operation trafficking migrants in and out of the city. She is a teifling, and the only known tiefling in the entire city.
- Caja Toussaint, granddaughter of Baroness Toussaint. She's engaged to the minor noble Theodore LeBlanc, whom she despises. She is having an affair with Rosaria. She is also has psychic powers.
In the current adventure, the player-characters are attending a party of count Norbonne Mead-Hales held in honor of his ancestor Richter van Hales, famous for ending the "Changeling Panic," a historic period when Arcstead was terrorized by many assassinations of nobles and clergy, perpetrated by a changeling assassin. One huge secret however is that Richter didn't kill the changeling, but instead the changeling killed Richter and assumed Richter's identity for the rest of his life. As a result, the count Norbonne Mead-Hales is a "hidden heir": an unknowing descendant of a changeling, not a changeling himself but capable of potentially siring one. His daughter Charlotte is a changeling, although she herself is unaware of this.
A changeling is like a doppelgänger, a humanoid creature capable shape-changing and transforming their physical appearance. They're even able to assume other people's identities and impersonate them near-perfectly. The player-characters know about Richter van Hales and they suspect that Richter was killed by the changeling assassin, but they don't know what it means to be a "hidden heir" and the implications it has for Norbonne and Charlotte. Brainstorm some ideas for how they could discover clues revealing this information.
ChatGPT:
As the artistic and creative writer, I shall immerse you in a tapestry of intriguing ideas and clues for your player-characters to discover the hidden truth about Norbonne Mead-Hales and his daughter Charlotte. Here are some brainstormed possibilities:
The Forbidden Library: While exploring Norbonne's mansion, the player-characters stumble upon a secret chamber concealed behind a bookshelf in the vast library. Within this chamber, they discover ancient tomes and diaries written by Richter van Hales himself. These documents hint at a dark secret within the family lineage, but the true revelation is shrouded in cryptic codes and hidden passages.
Vanishing Portraits: During the party, the player-characters notice a series of portraits hanging along the grand hallway. As they observe these paintings, they realize that the portrait of Richter van Hales seems subtly different each time they look at it. With keen perception and magical detection, they discover that the painting occasionally morphs to display the changeling assassin's face, revealing the hidden truth.
The Telling Mirror: While exploring Norbonne's personal chambers, the player-characters come across a large ornate mirror. This mirror possesses ancient enchantments that reveal a person's true form. Through careful examination, they notice that when Norbonne gazes into the mirror, his reflection briefly shifts to that of a changeling before returning to normal. This discovery prompts further investigation into the family's lineage and secrets.
The Changeling's Journal: Hidden away in a secret compartment within Norbonne's study, the player-characters uncover a journal belonging to the changeling assassin who took on Richter's identity. The journal chronicles the changeling's experiences, including the assassination of Richter and the subsequent life lived as Norbonne. Clues within the journal lead the player-characters to further revelations about the hidden heir and Charlotte's true nature.
Ancient Prophecies: Deep within the catacombs beneath Arcstead, the player-characters stumble upon an ancient chamber adorned with cryptic symbols and prophecies. One of the prophecies alludes to a hidden heir of the changeling bloodline and the imminent rise of a new Changeling Panic. The prophecy's meaning unravels gradually, culminating in the realization that Norbonne and Charlotte are tied to the prophecy and their true identities must be uncovered.
A Mysterious Contact: The player-characters receive a message from an anonymous source claiming knowledge of Richter van Hales' true fate. They arrange to meet this contact in a secluded tavern known only to members of their secret society. This contact, a retired spy who once worked against the changeling assassin, provides them with crucial information and a hidden item—a pendant that reacts in the presence of changelings. By bringing this pendant near Norbonne and Charlotte, the players observe the pendant's subtle reaction, hinting at their connection to the changeling lineage.
Remember, these ideas are mere sparks of inspiration. Feel free to mix and match, adapt, or expand upon them to suit the narrative flow and dynamic of your Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Let your imagination soar, and weave a tale that captivates your players as they uncover the secrets hidden within the fantasy-renaissance world of Arcstead.
Context: I immediately latched onto the fifth suggestion. Independently of all this, I had already prepared a dungeon for the adventure, but because I had been adapting a module for the dungeon it had not occured to me to mess with its lore or set dressing.
Prompt:
There is a dungeon beneath the mansion, a secret crypt where the changeling assassin was buried. The walls and ornamentation and inscriptions found in this crypt could be a great opportunity to reveal a lot of this lore about the changelings.
Brainstorm some ideas for written narratives, illustrated narratives, or cultic/religious writing that the player-characters might discover inscribed on the walls of the crypt which could inform them of the nature of "hidden heirs" and changelings.
ChatGPT:
Certainly! Here are some ideas for written narratives, illustrated narratives, and cultic/religious inscriptions that the player-characters might discover in the crypt beneath Norbonne's mansion:
The Lament of the Changeling: On a weathered stone tablet, the player-characters find a melancholic poem engraved in elegant calligraphy. It speaks of the changeling's curse, their eternal longing for acceptance, and the twisted fate that befalls their descendants. The verses hint at the nature of hidden heirs, explaining that they are unwitting conduits for the changeling bloodline to resurface.
The Changeling's Manifesto: Scrawled across the walls of the crypt in fading blood-red ink, the manifesto serves as a chilling proclamation. It reveals the changeling's contempt for the mortal world and their ambition to infiltrate positions of power. The manifesto speaks of hidden heirs as the bridge between changelings and humans, paving the way for a future where the lines between identities blur.
The Tapestry of Lineage: Adorning a massive mural, the tapestry depicts a genealogical tree that intertwines the noble lineage of Richter van Hales with the shadowy heritage of changelings. Each branch of the family tree represents a hidden heir, marked by an ethereal glow. As the player-characters examine the mural, they notice that one of the branches leads directly to Norbonne Mead-Hales and his daughter, Charlotte.
The Book of Shifting Faces: Within an ancient tome stored on a stone pedestal, the player-characters discover detailed illustrations depicting changelings in various forms. The book acts as a guide to the art of shape-shifting and includes instructions on how to recognize a changeling's true nature. Scattered throughout the pages are cryptic annotations pointing to Norbonne and Charlotte as potential vessels for the changeling lineage.
The Covenant of Shadows: Etched onto the crypt's entrance arch, the Covenant of Shadows is a set of religious writings detailing the worship of the changeling entity itself. The inscriptions describe hidden heirs as the chosen vessels to carry the essence of the changeling bloodline. The player-characters uncover that the cult-like secret society they belong to has its roots in this ancient worship and that their mission is intertwined with the rise and fall of changelings.
The Forbidden Ritual: In a corner of the crypt, a mural depicts a forbidden ritual performed by a group of hooded figures surrounding a hidden heir. The ritual's purpose is to awaken the dormant changeling bloodline within the hidden heir, granting them powers beyond mortal comprehension. Through decoding symbols and piecing together fragmented texts, the player-characters come to understand the precarious fate awaiting Charlotte as a potential awakened changeling.
These inscriptions and narratives provide a rich tapestry of lore that can gradually reveal the secrets of hidden heirs and changelings, creating an immersive and enigmatic atmosphere for your Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Context: I ended up finding suggestions 1 (The Lament of the Changeling) and 2 (The Changeling's Manifesto) the most compelling here. These proved incredibly productive as brainstormed ideas, and they ended up helping me define the motivations and drives of the changeling assassin. I went through a few iterations of workshopping these ideas and ultimately produced (with the further aid of ChatGPT) two different prewritten descriptions of murals/inscriptions that I could just drop anywhere in the dungeon for the players to find.