Declaration of How AI Was Used

Narateer was created with care, creativity, and a clear conscience. Because players deserve to know how something was made, I want to be open about how AI supported my process—what it did, and what it didn’t.

This is not a disclaimer. It’s a declaration of method, intent, and authorship.

1. AI Didn’t Create Narateer—I Did

Narateer began over 35 years ago when I started hacking 2nd Edition D&D to fit my own vision. That work grew across decades of playtesting, frustration, iteration, and ambition—until a new system took shape.

Every rule in Narateer is my own: forged at the table, refined through failure, and rewritten by hand. AI tools were never used to generate content wholesale. They supported the work, but they didn’t replace it.

2. AI Helped Me Think, Not Decide

I used modern AI tools—like ChatGPT—to brainstorm alternatives, stress-test mechanical logic, and examine assumptions. Sometimes those interactions led to new insights. Often, they reinforced the choices I’d already made.

I discarded more than I kept. AI helped me explore—but the compass and destination were always mine.

3. Organization, Not Invention

AI tools helped me structure the rulebook more clearly—offering draft headings, reorganizing outlines, and highlighting gaps. This sped up the editorial process and helped the final product feel cohesive.

But the material itself—the rules, the vision, the purpose—was built long before those tools existed.

4. Final Words Were Always Mine

When drafting sections, I often asked AI to refine phrasing or clarify sentence flow—similar to a smart editor. I reviewed every suggestion. I kept what aligned with my voice, and I rewrote what didn’t.

Think of it like using spellcheck with a brain. Polishing? Yes. Substituting? Never.

5. Mechanics Were Human-Made

Narateer’s core mechanics—narrative systems, Vitals, Action Dice, skill system, classes, etc.—are original. They were conceived and tested by me, then validated through structured play and data-informed modelling.

I used AI’s Python capabilities and simulation tools to test probability curves and edge cases, which made my process faster and more rigorous. But AI didn’t generate these systems—it helped stress-test them.

6. AI Images With Manual Control

The imagery included in this book were initially generated using AI tools such as ChatGPT. However, many of these AI images required significant enhancements to meet my personal creative standards.

I manually edited most images in GIMP—adjusting composition, exposure, repainting details, and refining pixel-level inconsistencies to meet my standards. The result is a blended medium: AI provided an initial base, with final creative control in human hands.

I’ve avoided derivative styles and have taken care to ensure all visual elements align with Narateer’s tone and aesthetic integrity.

7. AI Is an Amplifier, Not Author

AI has made me faster. It has saved me from reinventing wheels, helped me organize ideas more clearly, and challenged me to think harder.

But it never replaced the work. It never made decisions. It never carried the vision.

Narateer is mine—built on my failures, driven by my curiosity, and sharpened through human hands.

8. A Commitment to Ethical Creation

I believe AI, used responsibly, can enhance creative work without undermining human authorship. In Narateer’s development, that’s exactly how it was used: to increase clarity, improve quality, and accelerate iteration—not to outsource the creative core.

No content was copied. No existing RPG material was extracted or imitated. I’ve treated these tools with discipline and integrity—and I stand by the originality of this system.

If you ever have questions about how something was made, I’ll answer them. If you ever want to know where something came from, I’ll show you.

Narateer is open, honest, and human at heart.

That will never change.

— Stuart Shaw
Founder and Steward of Narateer