Adapt (Variant Generator)

Adapt takes content you've already created --- NPCs, encounters, monsters, traps, and plots --- and reshapes it for a different environment or narrative tone. Instead of generating from scratch, the AI modifies mechanics and descriptions to fit a new setting while preserving the core concept.

When to Use Adapt

• Your party unexpectedly travels to a new biome and you need to repurpose prep
• You want the same encounter concept in multiple environments (e.g., a bandit ambush in forest, desert, and arctic)
• You want to shift the tone of existing content (e.g., make a straightforward dungeon crawl feel like a horror scenario)
• You're building a campaign across multiple regions and want consistent content adapted per location

Quick Start

From a Content Detail Page (Recommended)

1. Open any saved NPC, encounter, monster, or plot from your library
2. Click the Adapt button in the action bar
3. Choose an Environment from the grouped dropdown
4. Optionally select a Tone (horror, heroic, mystery, comedic, gritty, intrigue, or epic)
5. Click Generate Variant
6. Review the result --- approve it or send it to the review queue

From the Navigation Menu

1. Open the Create menu in the header
2. Click Adapt (under Session Prep)
3. Select a Content Type (trap, monster, encounter, plot, or NPC)
4. Enter a Base Blueprint Type (e.g., pit_trap, goblin_ambush)
5. Choose an Environment and optional Tone
6. Click Generate Variant

Environments

Environments are grouped into four categories to help you find what you need quickly:

Common --- Castle, Cave, Dungeon, Forest, Mountain, Outdoor, Ruins, Temple, Urban

Natural --- Aerial, Arctic, Desert, Jungle, Lakeside, Swamp, Volcanic

Aquatic --- Ship, Underwater

Exotic / Planar --- Airship, Crypt, Deep Realm, Fey Realm, Planar, Shadow Realm, Tower

Each environment has its own set of rules that guide the AI:

• Preferred damage types (e.g., cold for arctic, fire for volcanic)
• Forbidden damage types (e.g., no fire underwater)
• Spatial constraints (e.g., tight corridors in caves, open spaces outdoors)
• Narrative keywords (e.g., "frost," "permafrost," "blizzard" for arctic)

Narrative Tones

Tones are optional. If you skip this, the AI uses a neutral default tone.

How Scoring Works

Every generated variant is scored across three dimensions:

• Mechanical --- Are the game stats balanced? Do damage types fit the environment? Are DCs appropriate?
• Spatial --- Does the content make sense in the physical space? Can a trap work underwater? Does a formation fit in a cave?
• Narrative --- Do descriptions reference the environment? Is the tone consistent? Are keywords appropriate?

These combine into a composite score (0--100):

The Review Queue

Variants that don't auto-approve land in your Review Queue, visible on the right side of the Adapt page.

Approving a Variant

Click Approve to persist the variant as a usable blueprint in your library.

Rejecting a Variant

1. Click Reject
2. Enter a reason (required) --- e.g., "Fire damage doesn't fit underwater"
3. Optionally add feedback for AI --- e.g., "Use cold damage instead, add ice-themed descriptions"
4. The variant can be regenerated up to 3 times with your feedback incorporated into the AI prompt

Your feedback directly shapes the next generation attempt, so be specific about what you want changed.

What Changes and What Doesn't

The AI separates content into mechanical fields and narrative fields:

Mechanical changes (stats, damage, DCs):

• Damage types swap to fit the environment (e.g., fire becomes cold in arctic)
• Resistances and immunities adjust
• Equipment and gear adapt (no plate armor underwater)
• Ability checks shift (Survival in wilderness, Investigation in urban)

Narrative changes (descriptions, dialogue, flavor):

• Descriptions reference environment features (ice, sand, stone, etc.)
• NPC backstories and mannerisms adjust to the setting
• Read-aloud text reflects the new environment
• Tone vocabulary shifts if a tone is selected

What stays the same:

• Core concept and purpose of the content
• Challenge Rating / difficulty tier
• Fundamental structure (number of enemies, scene count, etc.)
• Content that's already environment-neutral

Tips

• Start with the contextual Adapt button on a content detail page --- it's faster than the standalone page since everything is pre-filled
• Use environment-only first (no tone) to see baseline adaptation, then add tone in a second pass if needed
• When rejecting, be specific in your feedback --- "make it scarier" is less useful than "add descriptions of sounds echoing in the darkness"
• The same base content can be adapted to multiple environments --- great for recurring themes across a campaign
• Creature-intrinsic damage types are preserved (a fire elemental keeps fire damage even in an arctic setting)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I adapt content I didn't create in CritForge?

Yes --- use the standalone Adapt page from the Create menu and enter the content type and base concept manually.

Why was my variant sent to the review queue instead of auto-approved?

Variants scoring below 80 are queued for your review. This usually means the AI struggled with a complex adaptation (e.g., underwater encounters are harder to adapt than forest ones). Review the result and approve if it looks good, or reject with feedback.

What happens if all 3 regeneration attempts fail?

After 3 attempts, the system suggests manual editing. You can still approve a lower-scoring variant if it's good enough for your table.

Does adapting content use my generation quota?

Yes, each adaptation counts as one generation against your tier's quota.

Can I undo an approved variant?

Approved variants are saved as separate blueprints --- your original content is never modified.