I have not touched D&D 2024 until today. I have the D&D 2024 books. I have the official character sheets. I have never looked inside or read anything about it.
I have a backlog of D&D stuff that I've bought but done nothing with:
- Wild Beyond the Witchlight (This one I have read, and I wrote a guide that is 96.2% done a few years ago).
- The Planescape Set
- The Spelljammer Set
- Vecna: Eve of Ruin
- The Deck of Many Things Box
- The Beadle and Grimm Planescape platinum edition
It all took a backseat to real life. I am way, way behind on D&D, I have no idea what's been going on. I know 2024 has had a mixed reception. All I can say is that I generally like to jump into whatever they're doing now. I like to stay current.
First, let's do some campaign clean-up, then we'll go over my character (Dane, level 1 human fighter).
Art Fixes
If you've been reading along, you know that I am about to attempt playing through a D&D campaign run by ChatGPT. I want to go all the way to 20th level.
I had it make some maps of the Soul in Shadows campaign world, and it struggled a lot with placing the right names and places. So I fired up Photoshop and did my best to fix them.
I'm assuming Wintermere is supposed to be up at the top, because it is a winter-y realm. I fixed some typos and removed the second misspelled Embercoil Reach (which was partially gibberish text).
The town map was a more major task.
I'm a little concerned that there aren't enough of the right kind of locations - there's no general store, there's only one church, etc. I am sure ChatGPT will just make up a new location if we need it, and right now there is room on this map for me to place it.
Now we need art of my NPC healer sidekick:
NOVICE THALEN REEDBROOK
Priest-Acolyte of Ioun, Goddess of Knowledge & Prophecy
Neutral Good • Earnest, bookish, brave in spite of himself
I feel like he's not going to live long.
I got nervous and asked the bot if it remembered the name of the campaign:
"We are officially in Soul in Shadows mode.
I’m hyped. You’re hyped. Dane the Conjured is somewhere in Tarokhold dramatically pulling up his hood for no reason.
The Deck is trembling. Arelia is sweating. Baba Yaga is laughing."
OK, that's pretty fun. It remembers!
Now, let's get an image of my NPC buddy Thalen:
My Character
I sat down, busted out an official D&D 2024 character sheet and a pencil, and I made my level 1 fighter. What better way is there to learn a new edition (or whatever D&D 2024 is) than by making a character?
Things I noticed about D&D 2024 so far:
Backgrounds: I like how backgrounds feel more statistically important.
Alignment Definitions: I don't care too much about alignments, but I had it in my head that this character is Chaotic Good, but when I read the description and the words associated with it, the only alignment that appealed to me was Lawful Good. I think Neutral Good had the word "selfish" attached to it, which shocked me.
Fighting Style: These feats were really interesting. Defense really gives me a +1 to AC? With chain mail and a shield, I am at a 19 AC..? I'm fine with that, just worried that I misunderstood something.
Heroic Inspiration: I am almost positive I am going to forget that I have this.
Crafting: I am very interested in the tools and the crafting rules (pg 233). I love the idea that I can make my own potions of healing for 25 gp.
Dane
Here is the basic rundown. My character is Dane, the "Knight Who Wasn't". A queen drew a knight card from the Deck of Many Things, and instead of a 4th level fighter appearing - I did, as a baby. Now I am 21 years old and ready to set out into the world.
Name: Dane
Race/Ancestry/Heritage: Human
Class & Level: Fighter 1
Background: Farmer
Alignment: Lawful Good
Experience: 0 xp (300 XP to lvl 2)
ABILITY SCORES & ABILITIES
Strength 16
Dexterity 13
Constitution 16
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 8
Charisma 12
AC 19 | HP 15 (hit dice 1d10) | +5 to hit, 1d8+2 damage (+ sap) | INIT +1 | Spd 30 |
11 ... Passive Perception
Sickle, Short Bow
Chain Mail, shield
Fighting Style - Defense: While you're wearing Light, Medium, or Heavy armor, you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
FEATURES, TRAITS, SPECIAL ABILITIES
Farmer Background
Proficiencies & Languages:
• Proficiency Bonus: +2
• Armor: light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, shields
• Weapons: simple weapons, martial weapons
• Tools: carpenter's tools
• Skills: Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Nature, Survival
• Languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarvish
Tough Feat: Your Hit Point maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your character level when you gain this feat. Whenever you gain a character level thereafter, your Hit Point maximum increases by an additional 2 Hit Points.
Skilled Feat: You gain proficiency in any combination of three skills or tools of your choice. (I chose proficiency in cook's utensils, herbalism kit, and perception).
Defense Feat: While you're wearing Light, Medium, or Heavy armor, you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
Human Traits
• Creature Type: Humanoid
• Age: 21 years old
• Medium Size (6' 0", 175 lbs.)
• Resourceful (gain Heroic Inspiration after each long Rest - In the 2024 D&D rules, Heroic Inspiration is
a resource that lets a player reroll any die immediately after rolling it, but they must accept the new result.)
• Skillful (Athletics proficiency)
• Versatile (Skilled feat)
Fighter Class Features
• Fighting Style (Defense)
• Second Wind (regain 1d10 + 1 h.p.) (You have a limited well of physical and mental stamina that you can draw on. As a Bonus Action, you can use it to regain Hit Points equal to 1d10 plus your Fighter level.)
You can use this feature twice. You regain one expended use when you finish a Short Rest, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
When you reach certain Fighter levels, you gain more uses of this feature, as shown in the Second Wind column of the Fighter Features table.)
• Weapon Mastery (3 weapons) longsword, sickle, greatsword
GP: 37
Equipment: All the usual stuff - backpack, bedroll, rope, torches, etc.
Background
I asked the bot to help me come up with Dane's life/backstory in Tarokhold so far. We are going to explain how he was trained in all those tools, and what he did in his life up until now.
I asked it to detail the last time he saw the comatose queen who had summoned him with the knight card:
(Age 11) THE LAST TIME DANE SAW QUEEN BADELIA VOIDSTAR
Where: Deep in the Fate-Spire, in the Forgotten Chamber — the exact location already established.
Dane was 11 years old.
How It Went: He was escorted yearly by Spellbound Sentinels. On this visit, something went wrong.
Dane approached Badelia — frozen on her Coldthorn Throne, soul stolen by The Void.
He whispered:
“Do you know me?”
For the first time ever:
- her head turned slightly
- her fingers twitched
- her lips parted
And in a hollow, layered voice she whispered:
“Knight… not yet…”
The runes in the chamber flashed violet. The air turned cold enough to frost steel. Arelia’s iron-bound chest screamed. The Sentinels panicked, grabbed Dane, and hauled him out.
Aftermath: Arelia immediately issued an edict: “The Conjured boy is forbidden from the Spire’s Heart. The Void stirs in his presence.”
Rumors afterward said:
- Badelia only reacts to him
- or the Knight card isn’t done with him
- or some part of the Void sees him as its door
But officially: They barred him forever. This moment haunts him.
(Ages 10-12) FARMING — Ulmurhold Goatfields
This is how Dane ended up with the Farmer background:
Where He Lived: With the goat-herding Bekkan family in Ulmurhold, the tough frontier village.
Why They Took Him In: Ulmurhold has always taken in strays — their founders were Ruin refugees.
They don’t care if someone came from the Deck, the stars, or the gutter.
Shaping Moment: One night, displacer beasts slipped down from Howling Peak. Most adults grabbed weapons and rushed out.
Dane stayed behind and:
- calmed the goats
- barricaded the barn
- defended a terrified child with only a pitchfork
When the beasts retreated, Old Bekkan put a hand on Dane's shoulder and said: “You protect what’s in front of you, boy. That’ll carry you far.”
This is where Dane developed his quiet, steadfast moral compass.
(Age 12-15) COOKING — The Twisted Cup Tavern
This is how Dane became trained with Cook's Utensils:
Where Dane Worked: From ages 12–15, Dane worked in the kitchen of The Twisted Cup, the town’s rowdy, shape-shifting tavern.
NPC: Durgan Highcup: Grumpy dwarf. Former mercenary. Calls Dane “ladle-boy.”
How He Learned: Durgan didn’t trust Dane at first — too many people whispered that “Deckborn bring bad luck.”
But during one especially chaotic night — a minor geomantic surge caused all cookware in the tavern to float and spin over the fire-pits — most workers fled.
Dane stayed. He grabbed pans out of the air, kept the stew from burning, and improvised dishes for a thirsty bar full of panicking patrons.
Afterwards, Durgan grudgingly handed him real cook’s utensils and said: “If the Deck spat you out, at least you can make a decent stew.”
This became one of the few places Dane felt useful.
(Age 15-17) CARPENTRY — The Sentinel’s Post (Repair Apprentices)
This is how Dane was trained in Carpenter's tools:
Where He Learned: From 15–17, Dane was assigned to the Sentinel’s Post, helping town engineer Jasker Thornwright repair buildings damaged by magical misfires.
Jasker is canonically:
- practical
- sarcastic
- sick to death of rebuilding things broken by magical nonsense
The Incident: A wagon wheel exploded after rolling over a cursed cobblestone in The Holoway.
Dane rebuilt the wagon and reinforced the wheel spokes with clever bracing Jasker didn’t expect.
Jasker grunted: “Fine. You’re useful. Grab your tools and don’t wander near the Ruined Court.”
From then on, Dane helped:
- repair stalls in the Brightmarket
- reinforce flood barriers near Spectre’s Hollow
- fix doors warped by wild surges
This is how he learned leverage, force, and practical engineering.
(Age 17-20) HERBALISM — Bramblemaw Willowhex in Brightwood
This is how Dane was trained in the use of a herbalism kit:
Where It Happened: Dane wandered Brightwood, partly to avoid the whispers in town. That’s where Bramblemaw Willowhex, the Brightwood herb-witch, found him.
Why She Took Him In: She sensed something different about him: “You came from magic, boy… but maybe you don’t want to be ruled by it.”
She taught Dane:
- to identify herbs by scent
- how to brew mild healing draughts
- how to quiet fate’s attention with teas
- forest etiquette around the fey
- how to navigate tree-roads that shift at dusk
Shaping Moment: When Dane successfully brewed his first real healing potion — the Brightwood variant — Bramblemaw whispered: “Good. When blood spills, you’ll save more than you harm.”
This moment planted the seed of the healer-warrior he will become.
The Knight Card
ChatGPT asked me a few questions. I have a trinket from the 2024 PH - a card. I decided it was a replica of the knight card. It wanted to know more about it. I told it that I assumed it was a gift from Bramblemaw the herb witch.
Here is the response:
❤️ The Knight Card Gift — Made by Bramblemaw Willowhex
"This is canon now:
When Dane was around ten years old…
Bramblemaw quietly left a hand-painted Knight card on his doorstep. Not the real card — but a gentle, symbolic one.
She told him: “A creature born of fate must choose their own.”
This card becomes:
-
his guiding symbol
-
a focus for courage
-
a potential magical upgrade later (I have ideas…)
The fact that Bramblemaw made it?
chef’s kiss perfect."
The Preview
Then the bot wanted to give me a preview of the first session:
🎬 Session One Will Begin with a Cinematic Opening
"Here’s a preview of the opening shot:
Black screen. A rising hum.
The Floatstone begins to vibrate, humming violently over the canopy of Brightwood.
Birds scatter. Witchlights flicker across Tarokhold’s rooftops.Inside the Fate-Spire, a scream echoes — not of pain, but prophecy.
Dane the Conjured wakes with a start, his heart pounding, feeling a tug —
a whisper of Badelia’s stolen soul across the Veil.Something has changed.
Something involving the Deck.
Something involving him.The bells of the Sentinel’s Post ring in alarm.
We will roll directly from cinematic to interactive gameplay."
Final Image
I decided to ask ChatGPT:
"Now I'd like you to write an A.I. art prompt - an image of whatever you want, relating to the campaign."
Is it going to make an image of the lich again? The lich who maybe, just maybe is the holder of the soul I am questing for?
Nope:
The prompt:
"A moody, mystical fantasy illustration set deep within the Whispering Glade of Brightwood. Soft golden-green light filters through the trees, but the air is filled with drifting silver motes — echoes of timelines rewritten long ago. In the center of the glade stands a cracked stone pedestal marked with ancient runes of fate.
Hovering above the pedestal is a ghostly, half-formed tarot card, shimmering between possibilities — its image shifting from The Void, to The Fates, to the Knight, to an unknown symbol you've never seen in the Deck before. Whisper-like strands of light stretch from the card, weaving through the trees as if searching for someone.
In the foreground, an unseen figure’s silhouette watches from behind a tree — only their hand visible, clutching a journal filled with sketches of the Deck. They are not hostile… merely observing. Waiting. Studying you.
Around the pedestal, the forest subtly warps:
• flowers bloom and wilt in seconds,
• shadows move independently of their sources,
• faint ghostly outlines of past rulers flicker — Ralvar, Vessra, Voran, Ellisar — watching silently.
The mood is reverent, eerie, exquisite — a crossroads of prophecy."
...I have no idea what this means!
Guess what? We start actually playing the campaign tomorrow!
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