Improv
Start an AI improv scene with /improv. Buddy plays a character, answers your lines in the channel and keeps the scene going until chat goes quiet.
On this page
/improv turns Buddy into an improv partner. It plays one character in a short scene, in the style
you pick, and replies to whatever people say in the channel. Everyone can jump in, and the scene keeps
going until chat goes quiet.
Before you start#
Improv uses OpenAI to write Buddy's lines. See AI and your messages for what's sent.
A scene reads every message in the channel while it's running, so start it in a channel meant for games or roleplay, not your main chat.
How to play#
Type /improv. Optionally add a scene (a starting prompt like "two pirates arguing over a map")
and a style.
Buddy replies with its character's first line, in the first person.
Type your lines in the channel. Buddy waits about 8 seconds after the last message, then answers everyone at once with one short line.
The scene ends after 5 minutes without new messages, or when it reaches its limit. Buddy posts "Improv ended due to inactivity." or "Improv ended (session limit reached)."
Without a scene, Buddy builds one from the last 20 messages in the channel.
Options#
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| scene | Your starting prompt. Leave it empty to use recent chat as inspiration. |
| style | Funny, Serious, Awkward, Romantic or Random. Random (or no choice) picks one of the first four. |
/improv [scene] [style] EveryoneCreate a short improv scene.
Anyone who can send messages can start a scene, unless you limit it with command roles.
Limits#
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Scenes per channel | One at a time. Starting another says "An improv scene is already running in this channel." |
| Starting a scene | Once per minute per member |
| Scene length | Up to 30 minutes, or 40 replies from Buddy, whichever comes first |
| Idle timeout | 5 minutes without a message ends the scene |
| Server AI budget | AI commands share a per-server budget of 12 AI replies a minute. If you hit it, Buddy waits and then answers. |
Buddy's lines never ping anyone, even if the AI writes a mention.
AI and your messages#
When you use /improv, Buddy sends this to OpenAI:
- Your scene text and style, or, if you didn't give a scene, the text of the last 20 messages in the channel.
- The text of messages people send in the channel while the scene is running (up to 20 at a time).
Message text is sent without usernames. Nothing is sent before you run the command or after the scene ends. See the Privacy Policy for how this text is handled.
Examples#
/improv scene: A nervous wizard's first day running a coffee shop style: Funny
nervously adjusts hat W-welcome to Brews & Brooms! Today's special is a latte that only levitates a little.
Can I get it to go? Preferably not floating out the door.
waves wand frantically One grounded latte, coming right up! Please ignore the smoke.
Troubleshooting#
"AI commands are cooling down. Try again in 42s."#
You started an AI command less than a minute ago, or your server has used its AI budget for this minute. Wait the time shown.
"OpenAI API key not configured."#
The AI isn't available on Buddy right now. Try again later, or play Showdown, which has built-in fallbacks.
Buddy stopped answering#
The scene ended after 5 minutes of silence, 30 minutes total, or 40 replies. Start a new one with
/improv.
Buddy takes a few seconds to reply#
That's on purpose. Buddy waits about 8 seconds after the last message so it can answer several people in one line instead of flooding the channel.