We’ve set up this feature to function like other Plot Components, so you can add AI Instructions from the Scenario or Adventure levels with the + Add Plot Component button.

If you don’t want to start with a blank slate, use the + Insert Default button when creating or editing a Scenario to populate the section with an example of our default instructions. From the Adventure level, use the + Insert Example button to do the same.

Like other Plot Components—such as Plot Essentials or Author’s Note—AI Instructions are not required to create a Scenario or play an Adventure, but having good instructions can help keep the AI on track, which leads to more coherent and consistent gameplay.

AI Instructions are extremely powerful. You can use them to control anything from the:

• Writing style (want an H.P. Lovecraft vibe?)
• Conflict level
• Events in your story
• Character behavior
• Point of view (first, second, third person)
• Much more

You can also use instructions to solve common issues like:

• Avoiding cliche phrases (if a sense of dread washes over me one more time...)
• Avoiding repetitive phrases
• Avoiding other common tropes

Model instructions are one of the first things sent to the AI during prompt construction. For some models, they are formatted in a unique way to ensure the AI follows the directions they contain. So, you can use the model instructions to solve some of the issues described above. For instance, you might add lines like:

• Use unique phrasing and language. Avoid common phrases and cliche tropes.
• Keep the story centered on topics and themes that would be appropriate for a younger audience
• This is a historical fantasy. Only use technology, tools, settings, and locations that would have been present during the Middle Ages. Swords, knights, castles, etc.

One thing to pay attention to is that the AI doesn’t always respond well to “don’t talk about this” sorts of instructions. Think of AI language models like a probability machine. If you say “don’t think about the blue banana”, it might have a hard time forgetting about blue bananas. It’s better to instruct with what you want it to stick to, like the examples above.

Remember: AI Instructions is part of the total context. Longer custom instructions will take up more tokens and should be used sparingly if you have limited context.

Up to this point, you may have been using Author’s Note to accomplish what AI Instructions can now do more easily. But, both components can be used together to guide the AI into generating a coherent story.

While AI Instructions are included toward the beginning of the context, Authorʻs Note is inserted near the bottom, which means it has more of a direct influence on how the AI generates outputs. You shouldn’t add too much information here, or the AI is likely to focus on those details instead of what happened most recently in your Adventure. Our recommendation is to keep Authorʻs Note short, no more than 3 or 4 sentences, and only focus on a couple of key instructions about your story’s theme and setting that you want the AI to follow.

If AI Instructions is like talking to a customer support rep, Authorʻs Note is “Can I speak to the manager?” Try to address most issues in AI Instructions, and use Authorʻs Note when the AI Instructions isnʻt accomplishing what you need.

Comparing AI Instructions and Author’s Note

The Banned Words feature has been deprecated. Many of you have noticed that the banned words system hasn’t worked well (due to issues with token conversion and logit bias not being supported on many modern models). We believe AI Instructions will be more effective at helping you guide the AI away from words and topics you wish to avoid. Read more about this change →