Cast an NPC as an AI character

Tested

Casting hands an NPC over to an outside language model, which then answers players when spoken to.

In the menus: ESC → Design → NPCs → select an NPC → LLM

What has to be switched on

Three controls govern different parts of the system:

  • The server's master switch, sf_llmnpc, The server's master switch for AI NPCs. With it off, nobody sees the LLM verb and /llm says the feature is disabled.
  • The NPC tools, available to community admins while nobody is directing, or to the director while somebody is
  • Arming for this map, from the SYSTEM band. It needs clerical rank by default, and controls whether the prepared cast can answer

The server also needs a usable API token and HTTP support before an NPC can answer.

Run LLM NPCs covers that setup. You can cast an NPC and set the shared scene while the system is disarmed.

Saving characters to a library is a fourth, separate permission. Save a persona an NPC can keep covers it.

Cast an NPC as an AI character

Give the NPC a display name first, from name an NPC.

Without one every reply is thrown away and the call is paid for anyway.

  1. Select the NPC on the roster and select LLM.
  2. Type who the character is into Detail:. CAST requires this field.
  3. Type how they behave into Instructions:.
  4. Select CAST.

Detail: and Instructions: use paragraph editors. Each takes up to 1,024 bytes of text.

CLEAR (UNCAST) frees the slot. Only 3 NPCs can be cast at once.

Opening a cast NPC refills both fields.

The SET beside either one updates that field alone.

Using the Instructions SET on an uncast NPC creates one with a generic identity, so use CAST for the first setup.

Set the scene every AI character shares

The scene is one piece of shared context, and every cast NPC gets it.

Select SET SCENE..., type the planet, the time and what is happening, then select SET.

The Scene editor also takes up to 1,024 bytes of text.

Steer what it says next

On a Director Notes channel, start a note with the NPC's full display name, then a space, comma or colon and an instruction.

The note makes no API request and no reply. It becomes private direction for later answers.

Prefer the console?

/llm on its own prints a help block covering every verb. /llm on arms the system for the session and /llm off keeps the cast while stopping the replies.

instructions takes the same shape, and /llm persona 4 clear uncasts the NPC.

/llm poke makes a cast NPC speak now and reports why it cannot answer. Reach for it when ordinary speech produces nothing.