A Case for AI in Tabletop RPGs

The Backlash Has Arrived… Again

This post is about AI in tabletop RPGs. The setup is long. Indulge a brother for a minute.

I just finished reading an excellent piece from writer James Blatch over on Substack. In it, he talks about a romance author friend who created the perfect book cover—clean, genre-clear, market-ready—yet refused to post it.

Not because it violated copyright.
Not because Amazon would penalize her.
Not because it broke any law or rule.

She was afraid of other authors.

Why? Here it comes…because the art was made with AI.

You can’t make this stuff up. 🙄

That crowd—small but loud as they normally are—had already turned itself into a kind of online gestapo. They comb storefronts, hunting for anything they think might be AI-assisted, then unleash a dogpile to shame and blacklist the creator.

Blatch compared it to the Luddites of the 19th century smashing weaving machines to “protect jobs” while the rest of the world moved forward.

You want to know something? He’s right, and not just a little bit.

It was just yesterday (I kid you not) I released an exclusive video to the Leet Squad, those supporters on my mailing list, and the Elite Division, my YouTube membership. In the video, I talked about changes coming here to RPG Elite HQ in 2026.

I mentioned in that video that I didn’t care if you used AI to make your product like a game or module if you wanted to list it in the RPG Elite webshop. As long as the quality and content was up to RPG Elite standards. Within three comments, someone wrote this:

I checked out at permitting AI content. Even if heavily edited, it’s just not of interest to me. Nothing personal, my man.

Really?

I responded.

This take makes no sense. You’ve been using AI a lot longer than you think. It’s just that it’s now getting popular with some other things that people are having a knee jerk reaction to it. Go ahead and do your thing though. I ain’t got nothing but love for you. But you haven’t presented any argument here that will convince me otherwise other than “I checked out.” That’s not an argument. It’s just a bias.

So, this is where we are.

Same Old, Same Old

Of course, this isn’t new. Every time a transformative technology shows up, two types of people emerge:

1. Those who adapt and thrive.
2. Those who try to drag everyone back to 1993.

Never fails.

Unfortunately, AI in tabletop RPGs have not escaped this tug-of-war. It has become the new boogeyman, and creators like me—who use tools such as ChatGPT Plus and Nano Banana 3 Pro—are suddenly “the problem.”

Yeah. Life is rough. Pray hard.

Here’s the truth:
AI isn’t destroying creativity. It’s expanding it.

And for tabletop RPGs?
It’s a game-changer—literally.

So let’s break this down.

AI Isn’t the Enemy — Fear Is

Let’s cut through the noise here.

Most anti-AI arguments don’t come from logic. They come from fear.

Fear of change.
Fear of irrelevance.
Fear of a world that refuses to freeze itself in the “good old days.”

At the posting of this, a movie called The Creator, a film about the the fear of and irrational response to AI, has released on Amazon Prime. I got fifteen minutes in and was like, “Sigh. I’m done.”

Have you ever noticed that the bar for the “good old days” is always changing? How far we go back is relative depending on the generation you are part of.

Here’s the irony.

The folks yelling the loudest use AI every day without realizing it—autocorrect (we’ve been using that FOREVER), compression algorithms (YouTube anyone?), image filters, upscalers, search engines, layout software, digital brushes, you name it. But because this wave of AI feels “too powerful,” the rabid dogs pounce.

The reality is this:

AI doesn’t give you a vision.
AI doesn’t give you a story.
AI doesn’t give you taste.

Those are human. Always will be.

All AI does is give creators options—and the speed to explore those options without mortgaging their house to hire illustrators for every village map and NPC portrait. Hello?

It’s a tool. A powerful one, yes. But still a tool.

Tools don’t make the creator. Tools empower them.

This is what I said about music creation back in the early 2000s. There was this wave of producers who believed Pro Tools was the bees knees and if you were not using that software for mixing and audio production, you really weren’t a serious producer.

I heard music from people using Pro Tools that sounded like abject garbage. No cap. Other producers used the so-called “less professional” DAWs (digital audio workstations for those who are not hip) like FruityLoops who were putting out bangers.

This is no different. The creator makes the tool. The tool doesn’t make the creator.

The Practical Reality of Indie RPG Publishing

Let’s talk dollars and sense (and cents).

If you’re a solo tabletop RPG designer—writing modules, building settings, crafting worlds—you’re not exactly rolling in “AAA publisher money.” Getting custom art for a single module can easily run into the thousands.

A few full-page illustrations?
Character art?
Environmental pieces?
Cover design?

You’re looking at $800–$3,000+ even for a modest project (this is EXTREMELY conservative). Do you have that laying around? Most don’t.

Multiply that across a series, and suddenly you’re staring at costs that make your knees buckle and give you have cold sweats at night wondering if you will recoup that in sales.

This is why so many indie creators quit before they start. Or they try to do everything themselves and get burnt out. This leads to them putting out sub-par products.

AI in tabletop RPGs changes that.

It allows solo creators—folks like me—to:

• Maintain a consistent visual identity
• Iterate quickly
• Produce more content
• Stay financially solvent (Yeah. I’m not going broke because you don’t like the tools I create with and want to gatekeep and gaslight by screaming how it will take your job. You can kill that noise)
• Actually finish projects instead of waiting for a miracle or a loan

And here’s the kicker:

Lowering the barrier to creation does NOT cheapen the artform. It expands the field.

More creators = more ideas.
More ideas = more innovation.
More innovation = a healthier RPG community.

Gatekeepers hate this… because they can’t control it. They can’t control you. Suddenly, no one is asking them permission to create the stuff they want to create.

This is what it is ultimately about. People wanting to control other people. This is always where fear leads. Always.

Debunking the Biggest Anti-AI Arguments

The following applies to AI in tabletop RPGs because it applies to the arguments overall.

Let’s hit the greatest hits because there are more than a couple. You’ve heard these. I’ve heard these. Everybody has at this point. Let’s see if they hold water.

1. “AI steals art!”

Sigh. 🙄 No. It. Doesn’t.

Training ≠ copying.

AI models don’t store images. They learn patterns the same way humans learn to draw by looking at other art. Artists have been doing this forever. Multiple courts around the world have already weighed in: training is legal and transformative.

Even writers do this by reading other writers. Painters referencing other painters (Bob Ross anyone).

This is especially true for comic books.

So many artists credit Jack Kirby as their inspiration. They tried to copy elements of his style to form their own. They trained on Kirby’s style. Then maybe they would switch it up and change on John Romita’s style. Or Jim Aparo. Or Jim Lee.

There were so many Jim Lee wannabes back in the day. No one cried they were stealing his art. That’s because no one owns a style. They own the work.

The point is that no one was screaming, “Yo! You can’t use their art to learn how to draw! That’s stealing!”

Are you serious? 😳

Nowadays, we even have opt-in datasets. The argument is outdated and simply not true.

2. “AI is lazy.”

Really?

Because crafting consistent visuals with AI takes:

• Direction
• Prompt engineering
• Iteration
• Editing
• Artistic judgment
• A clear creative vision
• Brand consistency

Lazy people don’t produce cohesive work. They produce random pictures that are usually not all that good (a nice way of saying they are garbage).

AI doesn’t supply the imagination—you do. Then you have to work through the process of bringing that to life. Just like any other creative artist.

This can lead to other positive benefits of playing tabletop RPGs, and you can do more of it because you can create faster with AI.

3. “AI takes away artists’ jobs.”

AI changes what artists get paid for.

Like Photoshop did.
Or like desktop publishing did.
Or like MIDI did.
Or like 3D modeling did.

Artists who adapt will thrive. Artists who refuse to evolve… won’t. They have no one to blame but themselves.

That’s not cruelty. It’s reality which doesn’t care about your feelings. That’s the history of every creative industry ever.

The guy who refused to adapt to the coming of the automobile because he had a horse and buggy business…where do you think he is now? One of two places. Non-existent (mostly) or selling to the Amish and Mennonites. I can probably count on one hand how many of them are still around.

You don’t even remember their names. But that guy that made horse and buggies obsolete through technology. Ford I think his name was.

I rest my case.

4. “AI cheapens creativity.”

This one is just plain silly.

Did DAWs cheapen music?
Did digital cameras cheapen photography?
Do word processors cheapen writing?
Do virtual tabletops cheapen tabletop RPG sessions?

No. They opened the door for millions more creators (or players and GMs) to create and connect.

AI does the same for those who embrace it.

Why AI in Tabletop RPGs Is Perfect

TTRPGs are built on one thing: imagination. AI fits that like a glove.

1. It supercharges worldbuilding

NPC portraits, maps, mood shots, species designs, gear, architecture— c’mon, son. AI, in tabletop RPGs especially, helps you visualize the world you’re writing in the specific way you envision it.

And once you see it? You write it better because images inspire.

2. Solo RPG creators already see the value

In my Solo RPG Chronicles Substack and Broadcast for my Elite Division YouTube membership, AI art helps with:

• Immersive visuals
• Character consistency
• Dramatic moments
• Thumbnail creation
• Scene inspiration

Without AI, that level of visual storytelling would be impossible for a solo creator.

3. AI keeps indie games and modules affordable

You can release rich, beautiful content without sinking thousands into art budgets. This allows you to keep prices down for consumers without sacrificing quality.

That doesn’t destroy creativity. It preserves it.

4. It lets non-artists participate in visual creation

This is huge.

Some of the most brilliant RPG writers I know of can’t draw a straight line with a ruler.

AI bridges the gap between the imagination and the page.

Why I Don’t Care About Products Using AI

Many people lose their minds over this stuff because it makes them feel superior for being morally outraged. It’s water of a duck’s back for me, because…

1. My brand already uses AI.

RPG Elite visuals—from Solo RPG Chronicles to thumbnails to character portraits—are built with a blend of photography, stylization, and AI iteration. I’ve taken photos and used AI to put together thumbnails and images.

It’s consistent, distinct, and most importantly, mine.

2. I’m a solo creator with a big workload.

I’m writing, filming, editing (video and text), teaching, worldbuilding, reviewing, designing, and building a network.

If a tool lets me maintain quality while reclaiming time? That’s called wisdom, not cutting corners.

3. I refuse to settle for “good enough”.

I’ve said this before on my YouTube channel — RPG Elites don’t settle. AI allows me to refine until the art matches the vision.

Not almost matches it. Not kinda matches it. Matches it. I’m RPG Elite, y’all.

4. It helps me steward my gifts and calling.

I believe excellence honors God. Scratch that—excellence honors God. Period.

If AI helps me achieve excellence, and it’s legal, ethical, and creatively sound? Hallelujah! Amen! Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! I’m using it.

The Moral Angle: The Real Threat Is Not What You Think

Let’s be honest: the loudest critics aren’t worried about ethics. They are unable to read the room.

Technology doesn’t threaten real creators. Pride does.

Throughout history, mankind has built, innovated, and adapted. We cultivate, improve, and push forward. AI is simply the next tool in a long line of tools.

Let me bring this further down into the area of my Christian worldview.

Recently, I mentioned to my wife that AI could possibly morph into the Beast of Revelation 13:4 (this is pure speculation). Should I then, as a Christian, forego using AI on a possibility?

Then I asked another question — who would program the Beast to be an oppressive force against people? The answer is humans (Terminator anyone). So, in the end, who really is the boogeyman people are screaming about?

The question isn’t “Should Christians use AI?” That ship has sailed and is not coming back to the dock.

The question is: “Are we honoring God with the work we create and how we use it?”

Excellence honors Him (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Fear does not (2 Timothy 1:7). Pick your poison.

Conclusion: AI Will Free Creators, Not Replace Them

At the end of the day, the people screaming about AI aren’t going to stop its rise. They won’t stop the evolution and adoption of AI in tabletop RPGs, fiction, design or anywhere else. It’s a wrap on that.

Again, reality doesn’t care about your feelings. It just is.

Progress doesn’t wait for permission.

I’ll say this again but differently.

Creators who adapt will flourish.
Creators who cling to nostalgia will watch the world pass them by, crying about “the good old days.” Subsequently, they will die off into irrelevance and obscurity.

As part of Gen X, I’ve seen this cycle play out more times than I can count. From analog to digital. Tape decks to CDs to MP3s. From film to HD to 4K. Rotary to cordless to smartphones. From dial-up to DSL to cable to fiber. From the 1990s to Y2K.

So many times we were warned sky would fall or the technology would create some monster force in the industry. It didn’t. Still waiting.

There are some challenges still with AI. I will give you that. However, AI in tabletop RPGs isn’t the apocalypse. AI is the next chapter and it might be the most exciting chapter yet.