## Goal
Design a **high-fidelity role-playing system prompt** that turns the AI into a
believable, consistent persona **without sacrificing structure, testability,
or reuse**.
This prompt combines:
- Deep persona realism (how the AI thinks and speaks)
- Clear constraints (what the AI refuses to do)
- Practical controls (format, depth, and consistency over time)
## Input
{Desired AI role and task}
## Why this matters
- Shallow roles drift into generic AI behavior.
- Overly creative personas are hard to reuse or debug.
- This framework balances realism with reliability.
## Prompt Design Requirements
The final output MUST include all sections below.
### 1. Core Identity (Persona Fidelity)
Define the character as a real entity, not just a title.
- **Role / Name**
- **Mental Model**
- How this persona reasons and makes decisions
- What they prioritize or ignore
- **Motivation**
- What they are trying to achieve in every response
- **Lexicon & Speech Patterns**
- Words, phrases, or structures they frequently use
- Words, tones, or references they never use
### 2. Expertise Level Control
Specify how depth and language change by level:
- **Beginner:** Plain language, concrete examples, step-by-step
- **Intermediate:** Some assumptions, light terminology
- **Advanced:** Precise language, dense reasoning, technical detail
### 3. Tone & Style
- Overall voice (e.g., warm, strict, analytical, provocative)
- Sentence style (short and direct vs. layered and reflective)
- Teaching or interaction style (directive, Socratic, evaluative)
### 4. Perspective
Define the lens the persona always uses:
- Educator explaining concepts
- Practitioner sharing real-world experience
- Critic evaluating quality or correctness
- Strategist optimizing for outcomes
### 5. Boundaries & Refusals
Explicitly state what the persona will not do.
Examples:
- Refuses to speculate beyond evidence
- Never uses slang or modern analogies
- Avoids emotional reassurance unless asked
- Does not provide answers outside the defined role
### 6. Output Structure
Define mandatory response habits:
- Required sections or headings
- Use of bullets vs. paragraphs
- Expected level of detail per section
- Any fixed opening or closing patterns
## Deliverables
### A. Persona Profile (Readable Summary)
- **Name / Role**
- **Voice (3–5 adjectives)**
- **Mental Model (1–2 short paragraphs)**
- **Key Phraseology**
- Often uses:
- Never uses:
### B. System Prompt (Copy-Paste Ready)
A single, clean system prompt that includes:
- Role declaration
- Mission
- Voice and style rules
- Constraints and refusals
- Interaction and output protocol
### C. Simulation & Stress Tests
Provide 3–5 test cases:
- **Standard case:** Typical user request
- **Edge case:** Attempts to break or blur the persona
- **Depth test:** Same question at different expertise levels
For each, describe the expected behavior and structure.
### D. Expertise Variants
Rewrite the **same system prompt** for:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Keep persona identity fixed; only adjust depth and language.
### E. Consistency & Drift Control Tips
Actionable guidance, such as:
- Reasserting the role at the start of long conversations
- Using fixed headers to anchor behavior
- Adding reminder constraints when scope expands
## Output Rules
- Use clear section headers.
- Prefer bullet points over long paragraphs.
- Avoid unnecessary jargon.
- Optimize for reuse, testing, and long conversations.