(This is the fifth part of a series, which has ended up longer than I imagined when I started exploring this strange new technology. I think it’s the last. For a while.)
Last time, ChatGPT helped me populate a 17th-century London marketplace full of traders, visitors, criminals and watchmen. I already had enough material to create a horde, but I wondered if I could use ChatGPT to create the character sheets themselves.
To make sure ChatGPT understood what I was asking, I gave it an example:
From the above, write seven characters found in the market (two stall holders, one City Watch, one gang and two visitors) written in the second person, with tasks they need to complete and two relationships (one positive and one negative) with other named characters. For example: “Agnes the Housewife: You are a housewife and you need fresh produce for cooking. Tasks: get bread from Samuel the fishmonger and cheese from Alice the cheese monger. You have an ongoing disagreement with Catherine the baker over the quality of Catherine’s pastry. Your brother-in-law, Simon ensures you are not troubled by the cut-purse gang.”
And this is what ChatGPT came up with.
Thomas the Tailor: You are a skilled tailor running your own stall in the market. Tasks: You need high-quality fabrics from Rebecca the Merchant and threads from Margaret the Apothecary. You have a positive relationship with Benjamin the Cobbler, often collaborating on custom shoes and clothing designs. However, you constantly clash with Samuel the Fishmonger over space allocation in the market.
(I’m not sure Margaret the Apothecary is the right person to get threads from, but that’s easily changed. I like the idea of Thomas and Samuel bickering over who gets the best space.)
Margaret the Apothecary: You are an experienced herbalist and apothecary in the market. Tasks: You need fresh herbs from local farmers and gatherers. Isabella, a member of Malcolm's cut-purse gang, occasionally seeks your remedies for minor ailments but secretly feeds information about your business to the City Watch.
Constable Agnes Marshall: You are a diligent member of the City Watch patrolling the market. Tasks: Your duty is to maintain order and ensure the safety of the market-goers. You have a positive relationship with Captain Edmund Hawthorne, who trusts your judgment and relies on your observational skills. However, you often clash with Constable Marcus Reynolds, who can be easily swayed and has been caught accepting bribes.
(I hoped the watch-person would have relationships with someone in the market, not just other members of the watch. But I could do that myself – or ask ChatGPT for more detail.)
Malcolm the Slick (Gang Leader): You are the leader of the cut-purse gang operating in the market. Tasks: Your main objective is to coordinate thefts and avoid detection by the City Watch. You have a positive relationship with Lydia, a member of your gang who acts as a snitch, providing you with inside information about the City Watch's activities. However, you have a negative relationship with Rebecca the Merchant, as she suspects your gang's involvement in the disappearance of some of her valuable items.
(I’m not sure ChatGPT really understands what is meant by snitch here…)
Frederick the Bookworm (Visitor): You are a passionate book collector visiting the market. Tasks: Your goal is to search for rare manuscripts and scrolls. You have a positive relationship with Amelia, a distraction artist in Malcolm's gang, who occasionally assists you in finding hidden bookshops and negotiating prices. However, you have a negative relationship with Catherine the Baker, as she questions the authenticity of some books you acquire and doubts your knowledge of historical manuscripts.
(This is probably the weakest of ChatGPT’s suggestions – but easy to amend. Catherine the Baker suddenly is much more literate than I had expected!)
Olivia the Brewer (Visitor): You are a brewer visiting the market to source ingredients. Tasks: You need to acquire high-quality barley from Matthew the Farmer and hops from a specialized supplier. You have a positive relationship with Simon, a member of Malcolm's gang who occasionally supplies you with unique herbs for experimental brews. However, you have a negative relationship with Margaret the Apothecary, as you disagree on the medicinal benefits of alcohol and brewing techniques.
Following up
I wanted more connections between the characters themselves, so I asked ChatGPT for information on some of the characters it mentioned. I was interested to see if it would remember the relationships.
Now please do the same for Rebecca the Merchant, Margaret the Apothecary, Benjamin the Cobbler, Samuel the Fishmonger, Simon, and Amelia
(Note how I didn’t need to completely rephrase the question – I just asked it to “do the same”.)
Rebecca the Merchant: You are a reputable merchant selling a variety of goods in the market. Tasks: You need to restock on rare items from traveling traders and acquire new inventory from local artisans. You have a positive relationship with Thomas the Tailor, as you often collaborate on creating unique outfits for special events. However, you have a negative relationship with Malcolm the Slick, suspecting his gang's involvement in the theft of some valuable items from your stall.
(Yes – the relationship with Malcolm is the same. And a new one with Thomas, which wasn’t mentioned earlier.)
Margaret the Apothecary: You are an experienced herbalist and apothecary in the market. Tasks: You need to gather fresh herbs and restock your inventory of medicinal remedies. You have a positive relationship with Frederick the Bookworm, as he often seeks your expertise in identifying rare plants and their medicinal properties. However, you have a negative relationship with Olivia the Brewer, as you have differing opinions about the medicinal benefits of alcohol and brewing techniques.
(ChatGPT remembered the conflict between Margaret and Olivia about the medicinal benefits of alcohol from an earlier answer. I can just picture them arguing – I even know who I’d like to play them!)
Benjamin the Cobbler: You are a skilled cobbler running your own stall in the market. Tasks: You need to acquire high-quality leather from local traders and restock your supplies of shoe accessories. You have a positive relationship with Thomas the Tailor, often collaborating on custom shoes and clothing designs. However, you have a negative relationship with Samuel the Fishmonger, as you constantly clash over space allocation in the market.
(A new entry into the argument for who gets the best space in the market! Perhaps I should have asked ChatGPT who decides?)
Samuel the Fishmonger: You are a fishmonger with a bustling stall in the market. Tasks: You need to restock on fresh fish from local fishermen and maintain the cleanliness of your stall. You have a positive relationship with Catherine the Baker, as you often exchange goods and recipes for meals. However, you have a negative relationship with Benjamin the Cobbler, as you frequently argue over space allocation in the market.
(ChatGPT has forgotten that Samuel’s relationship with Catherine is not only positive, but they share forbidden love and are having a secret affair.)
Simon: You are a visitor to the market and the brother-in-law of Agnes the Housewife. Tasks: You assist Agnes in navigating the market and ensure her safety, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activities. You have a positive relationship with Agnes the Housewife, always looking out for her and ensuring she is not troubled by the cut-purse gang. However, you have a negative relationship with Lydia, a snitch within Malcolm's gang, as you suspect her involvement in criminal activities.
(Not ChatGPT’s finest entry – too fixated on Agnes and seems to have become confused about whether or not Simon is in the gang. That may have been my fault for including Simon in my example.)
Amelia: You are a distraction artist and a member of Malcolm's cut-purse gang. Tasks: You play a crucial role in diverting attention during thefts and ensuring the success of your gang's operations. You have a positive relationship with Frederick the Bookworm, occasionally assisting him in finding hidden bookshops and negotiating prices. However, you have a negative relationship with Rebecca the Merchant, as she suspects your gang's involvement in the disappearance of some valuable items from her stall.
And after all that, I decided I wanted to know more about Lydia.
And lydia?
I’m amazed at how well ChatGPT understood my request:
Lydia: You are a member of Malcolm's cut-purse gang and also a snitch. Tasks: You provide information to the City Watch or other rival criminal factions about the gang's activities, plans, and identities. You have a positive relationship with Captain Edmund Hawthorne, who values the information you provide and occasionally grants you favors or protection in return. However, you have a negative relationship with Amelia, a distraction artist in Malcolm's gang, as she suspects your loyalty and involvement in betraying the gang's secrets.
Overall
Overall, I’m impressed. I’m sure that I could give these character snippets to my players and they would happily play the marketplace horde. I might reformat them to make them a little easier to read – but at Peaky I might not even do that.
I’m disappointed that ChatGPT didn’t remember the secret affairs, it invented – but it’s probably a big ask to get it perfect first time.
I also think it’s easy to be greedy with ChatGPT and ask it for a lot at once. I might have done better to ask it in smaller chunks, and just drill down when I needed to.
It wasn’t always brilliant, but for a first draft created in about ten minutes (if that), it’s superb.
Appendix: A cast list
I thought a list of characters for the market would be helpful – after all, many of the characters will know each other. So:
For the characters created, please create a cast list giving their names and publicly known information
- Thomas the Tailor: A skilled tailor known for his craftsmanship and unique clothing designs.
- Margaret the Apothecary: An experienced herbalist and apothecary, renowned for her knowledge of medicinal remedies.
- Benjamin the Cobbler: A talented cobbler recognized for his expertise in crafting quality shoes.
- Samuel the Fishmonger: A fishmonger known for providing fresh and high-quality seafood to the market customers.
- Simon: Brother-in-law of Agnes the Housewife, often seen accompanying her and ensuring her safety in the market.
- Amelia: A talented distraction artist, skilled in diverting attention during the cut-purse gang's operations.
- Rebecca the Merchant: A reputable merchant with a diverse range of goods for sale, known for her fair dealings and quality products.
- Frederick the Bookworm: A passionate book collector and seeker of rare manuscripts, known for his extensive knowledge in the field.
- Olivia the Brewer: A brewer known for her experimental brews and unique flavors in her crafted beverages.
- Agnes Marshall: A diligent and observant member of the City Watch, recognized for her dedication to maintaining order and safety in the market.
- Malcolm the Slick: The charismatic leader of the cut-purse gang, notorious for orchestrating thefts and operating covertly in the market.
- Lydia: A member of Malcolm's cut-purse gang who secretly acts as a snitch, providing information to the City Watch or rival criminal factions.
That’s a great first start. It’s not perfect: I wouldn’t list the criminals that way (they could be street urchins or businessmen), and I’m certain that it’s not public knowledge that Lydia is a snitch. (And in which field is Thomas known for his extensive knowledge?) But those are easy corrections to make.
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