# CALYPSO: LLMs as Dungeon Masters' Assistants arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.07540 ยท HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.07540/ ## Key facts - Cited by 23 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). - Builds on 12 of its 50 references that are in the map. - First posted on arXiv 15 Aug 2023. ## Builds on (most cited first, 12 of 12) - [Attention Is All You Need](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.03762/) (2017) - [Language Models are Few-Shot Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.14165/) (2020) - [The Curious Case of Neural Text Degeneration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.09751/) (2019) - [Creative Writing with an AI-Powered Writing Assistant: Perspectives from Professional Writers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.05030/) (2022) - [STORIUM: A Dataset and Evaluation Platform for Machine-in-the-Loop Story Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.01717/) (2020) - [Wordcraft: a Human-AI Collaborative Editor for Story Writing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.07430/) (2021) - [Dungeons and Dragons as a Dialog Challenge for Artificial Intelligence](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.07109/) (2022) - [Bringing Stories Alive: Generating Interactive Fiction Worlds](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2001.10161/) (2020) - [I Cast Detect Thoughts: Learning to Converse and Guide with Intents and Theory-of-Mind in Dungeons and Dragons](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.10060/) (2022) - [FIREBALL: A Dataset of Dungeons and Dragons Actual-Play with Structured Game State Information](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.01528/) (2023) - [Creative Wand: A System to Study Effects of Communications in Co-Creative Settings](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2208.02886/) (2022) - [Rolling the Dice: Imagining Generative AI as a Dungeons & Dragons Storytelling Companion](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.01860/) (2023) ## Built on by (most cited first, 23 of 23) - [A Survey on Large Language Model based Autonomous Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.11432/) (2023) - [From Persona to Personalization: A Survey on Role-Playing Language Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.18231/) (2024) - [Large Language Model Agent: A Survey on Methodology, Applications and Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.21460/) (2025) - [A Survey on Large Language Model-Based Game Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.02039/) (2024) - [Large Language Models and Games: A Survey and Roadmap](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.18659/) (2024) - [Oolong: Evaluating Long Context Reasoning and Aggregation Capabilities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.02817/) (2025) - [Patchview: LLM-Powered Worldbuilding with Generative Dust and Magnet Visualization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.04112/) (2024) - [A Survey on Game Playing Agents and Large Models: Methods, Applications, and Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.10249/) (2024) - [Assessing Logical Puzzle Solving in Large Language Models: Insights from a Minesweeper Case Study](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.07387/) (2023) - [LLM-based multi-agent poetry generation in non-cooperative environments](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.03659/) (2024) - [Unbounded: A Generative Infinite Game of Character Life Simulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.18975/) (2024) - [GPT for Games: A Scoping Review (2020-2023)](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.17794/) (2024) - [GPT for Games: An Updated Scoping Review (2020-2024)](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.00308/) (2024) - [Beyond Survival: Evaluating LLMs in Social Deduction Games with Human-Aligned Strategies](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.11389/) (2025) - [Skill Check: Some Considerations on the Evaluation of Gamemastering Models for Role-playing Games](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.13702/) (2023) - [Can Large Language Models Capture Video Game Engagement?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.04379/) (2025) - [Unveiling Disparities in Web Task Handling Between Human and Web Agent](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.04497/) (2024) - [Shall We Play a Game? Language Models for Open-ended Wargames](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.17192/) (2025) - [PolicyEvol-Agent: Evolving Policy via Environment Perception and Self-Awareness with Theory of Mind](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.15313/) (2025) - [Hybrid Voting-Based Task Assignment in Role-Playing Games](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.18690/) (2025) - [Zero-shot 3D Map Generation with LLM Agents: A Dual-Agent Architecture for Procedural Content Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.10501/) (2025) - [DungeonBench: A Benchmark for Rules-Rich Tactical Reasoning in Dungeons & Dragons Combat](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.29577/) (2026) - [Position: AI Is Not Ready for Strategic Conflicts](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.16189/) (2026) ## Abstract (arXiv) The role of a Dungeon Master, or DM, in the game Dungeons & Dragons is to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. The DM must digest information about the game setting and monsters, synthesize scenes to present to other players, and respond to the players' interactions with the scene. Doing all of these tasks while maintaining consistency within the narrative and story world is no small feat of human cognition, making the task tiring and unapproachable to new players. Large language models (LLMs) like GPT-3 and ChatGPT have shown remarkable abilities to generate coherent natural language text. In this paper, we conduct a formative evaluation with DMs to establish the use cases of LLMs in D&D and tabletop gaming generally. We introduce CALYPSO, a system of LLM-powered interfaces that support DMs with information and inspiration specific to their own scenario. CALYPSO distills game context into bite-sized prose and helps brainstorm ideas without distracting the DM from the game. When given access to CALYPSO, DMs reported that it generated high-fidelity text suitable for direct presentation to players, and low-fidelity ideas that the DM could develop further while maintaining their creative agency. We see CALYPSO as exemplifying a paradigm of AI-augmented tools that provide synchronous creative assistance within established game worlds, and tabletop gaming more broadly.