I adore roleplaying in various games for the pure escapism and absurd fun. But I do struggle with performance anxiety, especially when breaking out a new voice, or major character change. That can make the lead up to our next session as uncomfortable as it is exciting.
But I've found a solution in an unlikely place for roleplaying games: AI.
Lately, I’ve recruited ChatGPT as my new roleplay and acting coach — and I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more confident. As a creative partner, ChatGPT was a total game-changer. And it's not just ChatGPT — Google Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot, and others, could help you as well.
The yips
I’ve been role-playing — Dungeons & Dragons is the definitive game of the genre, but there are others — for over a decade, but I came to it later in life than most. I didn’t know anyone who played as a kid, and as an adult, I could never muster the courage to join a local gaming group. When I tried GM'ing games ("game-mastering," or leading) with other inexperienced friends, the results were underwhelming and did little to build my confidence.
I enjoyed performing as a kid, but stage fright kept me from attending school productions as I grew older and more aware of myself. That same anxiety made socializing difficult, so when I finally found a role-playing group in my 20s, it was transformative.
Combining a comfortable atmosphere among friends and forced improvisation changed my life forever. I rediscovered the part of me that loved playing a character and doing voices.
But even after running multi-year campaigns in Call of Cthulu and Dungeons & Dragons, playing various characters, 10s of NPCs, and creating more in-depth props than I care to admit, I can still find the idea of roleplaying as a character deeply ... nerve-wracking.
When I haven’t played for a few weeks or months, the first utterance of a character’s voice often comes out wrong. I’ve forgotten some of their mannerisms, or can’t quite find the right moment to jump in when everyone has something to say. Sometimes it takes me 30 minutes to find my voice.
ChatGPT has helped change that.
Building characters and confidence
I’ve been using AI for years to make character art and help with backstory narrative hooks, but recent versions of ChatGPT have been much more involved than that. When I built a new character I was eager to play but had no game for, I needed a way to test his voice and get a feel for how he sounded and would behave. Talking to my dog wasn’t cutting it.
So, I turned to ChatGPT. “My name is Lafayette Delacroix,” I declared in my best Cajun-British hybrid accent. Instead of silence, ChatGPT immediately responded in character as an NPC. And then we were off and running.
We riffed back and forth in a tavern the two of us manifested in our conversation. When I finally broke off the call I felt satisfied that I’d been able to inhabit this character as and when I wanted, without having to wait for a real game to play them in.
It scratched that itch, and made me so confident in the voice, that I started sending voice notes to my gaming group in character — something I’d never done before, and would never have done without having this chance to try out the character in a safe space first.
Custom coaching when you want it
Beyond just having someone to dutifully listen to my ramblings, ChatGPT can act as an improv and acting coach, too. It can help refine my roleplaying abilities and flesh out how the character would behave with tips and suggestions.
This comes from ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode. It goes beyond the typical transcribing and text-to-speech style of the more basic voice modes and “understands” tonality, pacing, sarcasm, and implication.
I can practice a character giving a grandiose speech full of poise and generosity while suggesting darker themes or schemes underneath. And ChatGPT gets it.
More importantly, I can do it on a whim. While practicing the character at my own pace and convenience, I can pause and ask ChatGPT to give me feedback on what I just said and how I said it. How could I be more sinister? How can I be more charming? Give me some catch phrases or asides to throw out to better cement the idea of who this character is.
I’m not a professional actor or improviser, and ChatGPT isn’t either. However, through our combined efforts, I can have a great time practicing my role-playing and improving with dynamic feedback without any pressure or expense of speaking with a real professional.
Better practice, better roleplaying
Role-playing can be a deeply personal and immersive hobby, but as much as I love it, confidence — and occasionally, a lack of it — can be a real roadblock to my enjoyment.
While reading scripts or practicing out loud in the shower helps, there’s no substitution for dynamic interaction. ChatGPT isn’t a real player, but it’s a step closer to it, making all the difference.
It offers an interactive, low-pressure way to practice anytime, anywhere. I can practice my voices, try new character mannerisms, and continue refining my identity with feedback and suggestions. It removes the fear of judgment and failure that are ever-present if I struggle with anxiety.
ChatGPT won’t replace my gaming group any time soon, but it has made me a more confident player, and I hope, a more engaged storyteller. If you struggle with stage fright, or even if you don’t, I can’t recommend it enough.
The next time you’re unsure about a character or voice you’re working on, let ChatGPT be your practice partner. I think you’ll enjoy the difference it makes.
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