5 ChatGPT Prompt Additions for GMs To Get Better Results | Smarter Prompts, Stronger Campaigns
- Danny McKeever
- 12 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Introduction: Why Your AI Assistant Keeps Disappointing You
You: “Generate an NPC.”ChatGPT: “Here is Boblin the Goblin. He guards a door. He is angry.”You again: sighs in GM.
If you’ve ever felt like your AI assistant is just tossing dice behind the scenes and hoping for the best, you’re not alone. Results from ChatGPT are hit or miss—but most of the time, it’s not the AI. It’s the prompt.
In her Forbes article, “5 ChatGPT Prompt Additions to Get More Accurate Output,” Jodie Cook shares five ways to level up your inputs and finally get the results you actually want.
While she wrote it for entrepreneurs, we’re going to shamelessly loot it for GMs—because guess what? Storytelling is our business, and business is booming (or it would be, if ChatGPT would stop giving us 3-paragraph descriptions of yet another generic tavern).
In this blog, you’ll learn how to apply each of Jodie’s five techniques directly to D&D game mastering—across worldbuilding (Dreaming), campaign prep (Building), and live sessions (Running).
You’ll also get prompt examples tailored for GMs, sarcastic commentary included.
Let’s stop settling for “meh” and start prompting like we mean it.
1. Make ChatGPT Score Its Work (Especially for Encounters)
Main prompt example: “Read my current campaign planning guide, [insert guide]. Create a multi-solution encounter tied to my [campaign’s desert arc encounter].”
Then, add this to the end of your prompt to increase flexibility and accountability:
“Design the encounter so it supports five possible player outcomes: - Combat - Parley - Sneaking or bypassing - Discovering hidden information - Avoiding the encounter entirely Then rate your design from 1–10 for: - Flexibility - Creativity player agency - Narrative balance Revise anything scoring under 8.”
Why It Works: Encounters are where player choice lives or dies. This prompt forces ChatGPT to think like a storyteller, not a stat block factory. It builds encounters that adapt to the party, not railroad them.
Sarcastic Tip: If the only options are “stab or be stabbed,” you didn’t build an encounter—you built a vending machine for XP.
2. Ask for Reasoning, Not Just Results
Main prompt example: “Read my current campaign planning guide, [insert guide]. Give me a twist ending for this [encounter name].”
Then, add this to the end of your prompt to force the AI to explain itself:
“For each main point, explain your reasoning process. What supports this idea? What assumptions are you making? Where might this break down or feel weak? Tell me what more you need from me to improve it.”
Why It Works: Most bad AI answers collapse under mild questioning. This prompt makes ChatGPT justify its logic like a junior designer presenting to a cranky creative director—you.
Sarcastic Tip: If its logic wouldn’t survive a tavern debate between your bard and the bartender, it’s not ready for session night.
3. Diagnose the Prompt Before It Answers
Main prompt example: “Read my current campaign planning guide, [insert guide]. Create for me a wilderness encounter for my Level 6 party. Suggest how it ties into my story, set the scene for the encounter, and describe the encounter from the players perspective.”
Then, add this to the end of your prompt to make ChatGPT a better listener:
“Before answering, review my request and identify what’s missing. Ask me 2–3 specific questions to improve the quality and relevance of the result.
Current Story Arc or Challenge: [ ] Desired Encounter Type: [ ] Relevant NPCs, Items, or Factions: [ ]”
Why It Works: Great encounters rely on great inputs. This prompt makes ChatGPT ask the questions you should’ve asked yourself before hitting enter.
Sarcastic Tip: If you’re treating ChatGPT like a wish-granting genie, expect monkey’s paw energy.
4. Find Blind Spots You Didn’t Know You Had
Main prompt example: “Read my current campaign planning guide, [insert guide]. Then, help me write lore about an ancient order of paladins tied to my campaign’s lost city of [insert city name].”
Then, add this to the end of your prompt to uncover what you’ve overlooked:
“Review my request and identify angles I’m missing. What would an opposing perspective consider? What three questions would an expert GM ask that I haven’t? Push my thinking before generating your answer.”
Why It Works: Blind spots are what derail great stories. This prompt helps ChatGPT point out your narrative gaps—before your players do it mid-session.
Sarcastic Tip: If your villain’s master plan only works because no one asked a follow-up question, it’s not a plot—it’s a pothole.
5. Raise the Bar to Expert-Level Responses
Main prompt example: “Read my current campaign planning guide, [insert guide]. Then help me design a major villain who will appear in Act 2 of my campaign.”
Then, add this to the end of your prompt to elevate the quality:
“Answer as if you’re in the top 1% of DMs. First, explain what a world-class version of this would include that average answers don’t. Then deliver your answer using nuanced thinking, counter-intuitive ideas, and advanced techniques only experienced GMs would know.
Current Challenge or Goal: [ ] Desired Outcome or Tone: [ ]"
Why It Works: This isn’t about getting a response—it’s about getting one that raises the ceiling. You’re not running a starter module. You’re crafting a campaign to remember.
Sarcastic Tip: If your AI’s “expert villain” is just “evil guy with red eyes,” congratulations—you’ve discovered the RPG version of instant oatmeal.
Conclusion: Train Your AI Like It’s Your Co-GM, Not Your Intern
Most GMs treat ChatGPT like a vending machine, insert prompt, get mediocre snack. But with the right additions, it becomes a trusted co-GM that helps you build richer worlds, sharper encounters, and sessions that actually surprise your players.
These five prompt add-ons, adapted from Jodie Cook’s insights in Forbes—aren’t just about getting more accurate responses. They’re about raising the standard. Holding the AI accountable. And making sure the time you spend prepping leads to creative momentum, not another round of “Regenerate Response.”
So stop settling for bland. Start prompting like the brilliant, sarcastic, story-first GM you are.
Try These Prompts in Game Master Platform
Inside Game Master Platform, you can drop these enhanced prompts directly into the AI Assistant. Use this to create smarter encounters. Generate better NPCs. And finally make your AI assistant live up to your standards.
Your campaign deserves it. Your players will notice.
And Boblin the Goblin can finally retire.
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