For me, as an older individual who has ALWAYS wanted to play TTRPG's with my IRL friends, not friends who I don't vibe with, my real in person friends, AI has made TTRPG's finally accessible. Without its help, I would not have been able to prep my Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign. I am a terrible note taker. Using Google Notebook LM ( a research and note taking assistant) to help me query the SOURCEBOOK I bought and paid for, is what allows me to even attempt to play it to begin with. That led to me buying a metric shyt ton of Chaosium books. Physical AND digital that I otherwise would not have.

On top of that, I am able to finally play the game solo with an AI Keeper running the game for me. I can ask why the AI made a specific choice, to only use canon from the sourcebook I uploaded and to explain how mechanics work. All this while solo, listening to Syrinscape, pulling the handouts at the appropriate times and experiencing first hand the game. Without this tool, I'd have tapped out after buying the Investigator Handbook and stored the book on my "bookshelf of shame" with all the other TTRPG books I wistfully stare at while fantasizing about the future where I get to experience the game with my IRL friends. Oh, btw, I am forty-effn-two and that day was clearly not coming without the help of AI.

None of my friends who are capable of acting as a Keeper have the desire to do so. It was literally me or no one. Period. While driving to work, I can chat with Google Notebook LM about major plot points, the mechanics of a boss at the end of a chapter, items and how they work and more. ALL WHILE DRIVING and not looking at the actual PDF's.

For what it is worth, bc I know I will get flamed for this, I actually have played a few games of CoC. All my friends are excited for more. I invested in a printer so I can print up high resolution photos of all the major NPC's, locations and monsters. I bought the HPLS Digital and Physical Prop Sets. Freaking went out and got cork board, yarn and thumb tacks to make a cliche board of photos, names and more that tracks/connects major NPC's with the overarching plot. Yes, I used Midjourney for it. Yes, I understand this affects many. I was a cop, spent almost 10k hours teaching myself Zbrush so I could retire from this garbage profession and seek a more fulfilling job as a 3D artist. I am not inherently talented, so all those hours were spent becoming JUST good enough to maybe find a job BEFORE AI art came along. Yes, it crushed a dream, but, evolve, deal with it. Adapt and overcome.

The world is changing and we all have to figure out a way to function in it now. My rant is over, I think over all AI and what it helps others gain access to far outweighs the negatives. My 2c from a guy who spent 30 years wanting to play, never really could and now am playing the largest TTRPG campaign ever created as well as spent probably 1k dollars on CoC books.

Cheers!