Short answer: you type what your character does, and an AI Dungeon Master describes what happens, voices NPCs and calls for rolls. For real 5e rules with friends, use Friends & Fables. For free solo 5e play, use AI Realm. For a ready-made campaign you can start in seconds, try Questner's 5e Sandbox. For full control, set up ChatGPT or another chatbot with the prompt below.
The hardest part of D&D has always been getting everyone, including a DM, at the same table at the same time. An AI Dungeon Master removes that problem: it's available at 2 a.m., runs any setting and never cancels.
This guide covers how AI DnD works, the best ways to play it, and how to get a campaign that feels like real D&D. Questner is our own platform, and it's one of the options below.
How AI DnD works
Every AI DnD game runs the same loop as a tabletop session:
- The DM sets the scene. The AI describes where you are and what's happening.
- You act. You type anything: "I lie to the guard about who sent us", or "I search the altar for traps".
- The dice decide. When there's a real chance of failure, the game calls for a roll, either by real dice mechanics or by the AI judging the outcome.
- The world responds. The AI describes the result and NPCs react.
The big difference between AI DnD apps is how seriously they take the rules. Some track hit points, spell slots and initiative like a real 5e table. Others focus on story and let the AI judge outcomes. Neither is wrong; it depends on what you love about D&D.
The best ways to play AI DnD
| Option | Rules | Group play | Free option | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friends & Fables | 5e-inspired, dice, maps, tokens | Up to 6, friends free | Up to 25 turns a day | $19.95/mo |
| AI Realm | 5e SRD, dice, combat map | Solo-focused | Messages that refill every ~4 hours | $4.99/mo |
| Questner | Varies by game; 5e Sandbox uses dice | Mainly solo | 40 messages + 7-day trial | $9.99/mo |
| Old Greg's Tavern | D&D-lite, original system | Up to 6, friends free | Starter adventure | $4.99 for 50 rounds |
| Everweave | D&D-style, AI tracks HP and checks | Solo | ~60 messages a month | $5.99/mo |
| AI Dungeon | Few rules, open sandbox | Limited | Free tier | Up to $99.99/mo |
| ChatGPT or another chatbot | Whatever you set up | No | Yes | $20/mo (ChatGPT Plus) |
Prices in US dollars, checked 11 November 2026.
Friends & Fables: the most complete D&D table
Its AI Game Master, Franz, runs 5e-inspired campaigns with character sheets, dice, maps, tokens and lore pages it reads during play. It's the closest thing to a full virtual tabletop with an AI DM. Best if you play with friends and care about rules. Less good if you want genres beyond fantasy or a cheap subscription.
AI Realm: free solo 5e
Built on the 5e SRD, with races, classes, spells, turn-based combat on a map and built-in art. Best if you play alone and want rules for free. Less good if you don't want to manage memory: it relies on campaign notes you keep tidy.
Questner: campaigns ready to play
Questner is a library of text adventures run by an AI Game Master, many built by players. For D&D, start with:
- 5e Sandbox: a classic 5e-style sandbox. Make a character, pick a starting location and let the dice decide.
- Dungeon World: a dungeon crawl where you have to escape three floors.
- Veilspire: Corrupted: 100 floors, visible dice math, squad raid battles and optional permadeath.
- In Character: a guild-ranking adventure where you must stay in character.
A "karmic dice" setting stops long streaks of bad rolls, and you can pick the AI model that narrates. Best if you want to start playing in seconds, or play D&D one day and a horror or life sim the next. Less good if you want maps, tokens or group play.
Old Greg's Tavern: quick sessions with friends
Native iOS and Android apps, rated 4.8 on the App Store. Up to six friends share a campaign, and only the host pays. Best if your group wants to drop in from their phones. Less good if you play long solo campaigns, since every round costs.
Everweave: cinematic D&D on mobile
The AI DM tracks HP, inventory and conditions and calls for checks. Best if you want story-heavy fantasy on your phone. Less good if you play a lot: messages run out fast.
AI Dungeon: open sandbox
The original AI story game. Best if you want total freedom. Less good if you want D&D structure, since it has few rules out of the box.
Play AI DnD free with a chatbot (copy-paste prompt)
You can run a campaign in ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude for free. The main problems are that the AI plays your character for you, makes everything too easy and forgets things. This prompt fixes most of that:
You are the Dungeon Master for a solo D&D 5e-style campaign.
Rules you must follow:
- Never decide what my character says, feels or does. Describe the world, then stop and ask what I do.
- When an action could fail, tell me which ability check or save to roll and the DC, then wait for my roll. Don't roll for me.
- Let me fail. Enemies fight smart, NPCs have their own goals, and bad choices have consequences.
- Keep replies under 200 words unless I ask for more.
- Track my HP, inventory and gold. Show them in one line at the end of each reply.
- Every 20 messages, write a short summary of the story so far, important NPCs and open quests.
Setting: [describe your world, or write "surprise me"]
My character: [name, race, class, level, one line of backstory]
Start with a scene that puts me in a situation, not a description of the world.
Roll physical dice or a dice app, and type the result. Tracking everything is your job, but it's free.
What makes an AI DnD campaign actually good
- A concrete starting situation. "You wake in a cell with a stranger's ring on your finger" works better than "you're in a fantasy world".
- Real stakes. Ask for (or choose a game with) permadeath, tough fights or consequences that stick.
- Short replies. Long AI replies feel like reading, not playing.
- Fix it out loud. If the AI forgets something or rushes, say so in your next message. Most AI DMs correct course.
- Memory help. Use the platform's memory tools: notes, lore pages or, on Questner, the story timeline the narrator reads every turn.
Making a character for AI DnD
Keep it short. Give the AI a name, race, class and level, one line of backstory and one goal or secret. For example: "Vessa, half-elf rogue, level 3. Fled her thieves' guild after a job went wrong; the guild wants back what she stole." A goal gives the AI hooks to build the story around.
