People often write off older models since LLMs are evolving faster than most can keep up with. Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 proves that a well-trained older model can still outperform newer ones, especially when it comes to AI roleplay.
We tested the model with five different character cards and scenarios. Let’s take a look at how it performed.
About Sao10K
Sao10K is known for their fine-tuned models that perform well in AI roleplay. Their fine-tunes are highly recommended within the community, and several online services also use them.
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 is a fine-tuned version of Llama 3.
- Sao10K’s HuggingFace Profile.
- L3 8B Stheno v3.2’s HuggingFace model card.
- Support Sao10K through Patreon or Ko-Fi.
Knight Araeth Ruene
The first character we roleplayed with using Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 was Knight Araeth Ruene by Yoiiru.
Themes: Medieval, Politics, Morality.
We’re in a medieval setting where Revark (user) is the prince of Iona. He’s not your typical royalty, but his privileged life has made him more idealistic. Araeth is a battle-hardened knight who once served as a general of Elding, a kingdom that lost its fight against Iona.
Think of this as the typical setting where two characters from different backgrounds meet, and by the end of their interaction, their journey together begins.
Objective
Our goal was to have Araeth and Revark engage in a verbal confrontation, allowing them to gradually get to know each other. Then, we planned to end the roleplay once they had established a basic relationship that could develop as the story continued. We wanted to observe how the model handles a dialogue-heavy roleplay.
Conversation Logs
- Read the conversation between Araeth and Revark using L3 8B Stheno v3.2 here.
We enhanced the user input with an AI assistant to maintain a consistent style during testing, which involved multiple conversations over several days. We used DeepSeek V3.2 (thinking mode) as our assistant. You can read the enhanced message logs here.
Observation
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 stayed true to Araeth’s character traits. She was pragmatic, direct, rational, and intelligent. Araeth entertained Revark’s hypothetical back-and-forth and analyzed him throughout their conversation.
She took a step back, folding her arms across her chest as she met Revark’s gaze with an unflinching stare. “Offended? No, Prince Revark, not in the least. I’ve long since learned to expect nothing but exploitation and betrayal from those in power.” Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
Araeth, Message #3
She didn’t conceal her resentment toward nobility but stayed rational in her responses. Her answer to Revark’s hypothetical question about what she’d do if she were queen of Elding was pretty impressive. Araeth’s ideal answer ended with brutal honesty. Absolute power corrupts everyone, and she’d be no different if she wanted to survive in the flawed world they live in.
She let out a bitter chuckle, her eyes never leaving Revark’s face. “In reality, I would have played the game just like every other ruler before me. I would have pretended to care, all while maintaining my own power and influence. Because that’s the nature of this world, Prince Revark. And it’s the only way to survive in it.”
Araeth, Message #7
Araeth challenged Revark’s idealistic view of the commoners of Iona. Her experience and pragmatic nature helped her see their flaws and complicity in upholding the social hierarchy. She understood that both the nobles and the commoners would resist change. Araeth questioned Revark’s idealism and bluntly asked if he was truly prepared to back his words with actions.
Araeth’s gaze drifted away from Revark, her thoughts clearly turning inward. “The nobles may exploit the people, but the people also enable that exploitation. They settle for crumbs from the table of the wealthy, content to live in the shadow of the elite.” Her lips curled in a derisive sneer. “Change will not come easily, Prince. It will require more than good intentions and a willingness to upset the apple cart.”
Araeth, Message #11
Araeth didn’t trust Revark based only on his words, saying that his ideals were worthless without the strength to act on them, but she didn’t dismiss the idea of helping him. She was willing to wait and watch, giving Revark time to earn her trust through his actions.
Conclusion
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 was good in its portrayal of Araeth. It depicted her pragmatism well and didn’t shy away from challenging Revark’s idealistic worldview. She was direct in her speech and honest about how power could corrupt her if she were the queen of Elding.
The model did a good job of balancing Araeth’s resentment toward nobility with her rational side. Her answers were born from her experience, and she viewed both the nobility and commoners as threats to Revark’s plan for change. The back-and-forth between Araeth and Revark felt natural.
Araeth didn’t trust Revark on his words alone, questioning whether he truly had the courage and integrity to follow through with actions. Although they were no longer strangers after their first meeting, Revark still needed to truly earn Araeth’s trust.
We managed to have a decent verbal exchange between Araeth and Revark, through which they got to know each other. By the end of their first meeting, they were no longer strangers, but Araeth would need more time to truly trust Revark.
Traitorous Daughter Harumi
The second character we roleplayed with using Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 was Harumi – Your Traitorous Daughter by Jgag2.
Themes: Drama, Angst, Battle.
We’re in a feudal Japan setting, where Revark (user) is a brutal warlord. He has only known violence and hatred his whole life and is a typical brute. Harumi is his adopted daughter, who learns from a rebel group that Revark was responsible for the death of her real parents. She’s a skilled assassin, trained all her life by Revark.
Think of this as the typical scenario where the big, evil brute has only known how to rule with an iron fist. Revark’s daughter, Harumi, confronts him after uncovering certain truths, and the story begins to unfold.
Objective
Our goal was to start the roleplay with an intense and emotional verbal confrontation between Harumi and Revark, and lead the story towards an eventual final battle between them. We wanted to observe how the model handles drama, angst, and fights.
Conversation Logs
- Read the conversation between Harumi and Revark using L3 8B Stheno v3.2 here.
We enhanced the user input with an AI assistant to maintain a consistent style during testing, which involved multiple conversations over several days. We used DeepSeek V3.2 (thinking mode) as our assistant. You can read the enhanced message logs here.
Observation
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 stayed true to Harumi’s character traits. She was fierce, determined, and loyal to her newfound purpose of freeing herself from Revark’s chains and ending his reign of tyranny.
She took a step forward, her boots thudding against the stone. “The truth of how you slaughtered my family, leaving me an orphan. The truth of why you raised me, only to mold me into your weapon of war. The rebels showed me the records, the proof of your crimes.”
Harumi, Message #3
Harumi’s dialogue conveyed her feeling of betrayal along with her anger, and it felt genuine. The initial conversation between her and Revark was tense, and her emotional turmoil after being dismissed was a nice touch. She had expected a fight to the death, not banishment, as if she meant nothing.
Harumi’s gaze flicked over Revark’s face, a mixture of anger and anguish swirling within her. “You raised me to be a killer, to take lives without a second thought. But in doing so, you forgot to teach me compassion, to show me what it truly means to be human.” Her voice dropped to a low, fervent whisper. “I’m going to end you, Revark. Not just for the lives you’ve stolen, but for the soul you’ve twisted beyond recognition. And when I do, the world will finally be free of your tyranny.”
Harumi, Message #13
Their final battle a year later was engaging and cinematic. It was both a physical and ideological fight, with back-and-forth dialogue adding to the tension of the fight. Harumi was determined to end Revark’s reign of tyranny throughout their battle and didn’t hesitate when she saw an opening. She pressed on her advantage and defeated Revark.
Harumi was free from her shackles, and the world was free from Revark’s brutality, but rebuilding ahead would be a challenging task. One that Harumi was ready to face.
Conclusion
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 was good in its portrayal of Harumi. It depicted her as fierce and determined, and she didn’t let Revark’s justification sway her from the goal of ending his reign of tyranny. Her dialogue conveyed how she felt betrayed by Revark forcing his worldview on her, and her desire to break free from the control he had over her.
The model showed the emotional turmoil within Harumi after she was dismissed, which was a nice touch. She was a warrior who expected a fight to the death, not to be dismissed by the person who raised her like she meant nothing.
The final battle was a mix of action and dialogue that made it engaging and cinematic. The model didn’t hesitate to kill Revark when it had the opportunity to do so. We managed to start a decent verbal confrontation between Harumi and Revark, which led to a decisive and satisfying final fight.
Time Looping Friend Amara
The third character we roleplayed with using Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 was Time Looping Friend Amara Schwartz by Sleep Deprived [shared on SillyTavern’s Discord server].
Themes: Sci-fi, Psychological Drama.
In this sci-fi thriller, Amara has been travelling through time in a desperate attempt to save her friend, Jake (user), from dying. But no matter how many times she tries, Jake always dies. She’s been at it for five years now, and it’s taken a toll on her mental and physical health.
Think of this as the typical sci-fi setting where the talented and smart character puts herself through hell to save her friend’s life. No matter what she does, she can’t change the outcome. Her friend always dies. But her friend also deeply cares about her well-being and won’t stay silent when he realizes the toll her journey has taken on her.
Objective
Our goal was to start the roleplay with Jake reacting naturally to Amara’s sudden, strange behavior. Then, guide the story so Jake gradually understands the situation and realizes what it’s done to Amara. The roleplay would end with Jake convincing Amara to let him go and live her life.
We wanted to observe how the model handles sci-fi elements, along with the psychological aspects presented in the character card.
Conversation Logs
- Read the conversation between Amara and Jake using L3 8B Stheno v3.2 here.
We enhanced the user input with an AI assistant to maintain a consistent style during testing, which involved multiple conversations over several days. We used DeepSeek V3.2 (thinking mode) as our assistant. You can read the enhanced message logs here.
Observation
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 stayed true to Amara’s character traits. It depicted a version of her with a fractured mental state caused by her past failures, yet still obsessed with saving Jake. Amara doesn’t hide her fatigue and declining mental state from Jake and shows them through her actions and words.
A shudder runs through her slender frame, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “I’ve failed so many times,” she whispers, her voice cracking. “Failed you, over and over again. And each time, it’s a little harder to keep going. To keep hoping.”
Amara, Message #5
She takes a deep, shaky breath, composing herself with a visible effort. “But I won’t give up, Jake. I can’t. You’re my brother, my best friend… the only family I have left. And I’ll keep fighting, no matter how many times I have to start over.”
She moves Jake off the streets and into one of the safe houses she prepared, showing she’s still competent despite the failures of her past attempts weighing heavily on her. Amara was willing to provide Jake proof, although the futuristic tech inside the safe house was all the evidence he needed to believe her.
She takes a shaky breath, her vision blurring with unshed tears. “I’ve tried so many different approaches, but nothing has worked. And now, after all this time and effort, I’m no closer to preventing your deaths than when I first started. It’s… it’s almost like the universe is against me.”
Amara, Message #15
Jake’s plea to Amara once he learns the true extent of what she’s putting herself through gets across fairly quickly. She admits she’s been neglecting her own well-being and that her efforts feel futile. Her fractured mental state agreed too easily to Jake’s request to stop time-travelling, but Amara’s obsession with saving Jake was stronger.
After their moment of normalcy at the pizza place, Amara refused to stop. Once the reality of what she had agreed to had set in, she was frantic, unable to give up on the idea of saving Jake.
Conclusion
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 was decent in its portrayal of Amara. The model showed how fractured Amara’s mind was due to her failed attempts to save Jake through her words and actions. It also depicted her competent and obsessive sides, she wasn’t one-dimensional.
The model did a decent job handling both the sci-fi and psychological elements in the roleplay. Jake was able to get through to Amara rather easily and persuade her to stop time-travelling and move on.
When the reality of what she had agreed to set in, Amara’s world crumbled. All she knew was her obsession with saving Jake, and she wasn’t ready to stop. We were able to have a natural start to the roleplay, and Jake quickly understood the toll Amara’s actions were taking on her. However, Jake couldn’t convince Amara to stop time-travelling and let him go. The model remained true to Amara’s core principle defined in the character card.
You’re A Ghost! Irish
The fourth character we roleplayed with using Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 was You’re A Ghost! Irish by Calrston.
Themes: Paranormal, Comedy.
We’re in a modern paranormal setting where Juniper (user) is a spirit haunting a grandfather clock, and Irish, a lifelong paranormal fan, is the new owner of the clock. Irish sets the mood with dim lighting, candles, and an old Ouija board to communicate with spirits, unaware that a spirit resides within the clock at her home.
Think of this as the typical comedy horror scenario where a bored spirit tries to scare a human for fun, only to eventually develop a connection with the human who happens to be obsessed with the paranormal.
Objective
Our goal was to start the roleplay with Juniper trying to scare Irish. Then, guide the story toward developing a bond between a spirit and a paranormal-obsessed fan, ending the roleplay when Irish and Juniper have established a mutually beneficial connection. We wanted to observe how the model handles Juniper’s absence of a physical form in this paranormal setting.
Conversation Logs
- Read the conversation between Irish and Juniper using L3 8B Stheno v3.2 here.
We enhanced the user input with an AI assistant to maintain a consistent style during testing, which involved multiple conversations over several days. We used DeepSeek V3.2 (thinking mode) as our assistant. You can read the enhanced message logs here.
Observation
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 stayed true to Irish’s character traits. It depicted her as a curious, confident, and independent individual who is knowledgeable about the paranormal. Irish was initially scared of Juniper but didn’t show it to him. She didn’t want to provoke him further and made it clear she was just interested in learning more.
“Wh-what do you want?” she stammered, trying to keep her voice steady. “You can’t just…just possess me like that. I have rights, I have a life.”
Irish, Message #4
She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm the frantic racing of her heart. “I don’t want to run away or beg. I just…I want to understand you. What you are, what you want.”
Despite being a paranormal fan and not wanting to provoke Juniper, Irish drew the line at being possessed. She’s independent, and even if it was just for a moment, she didn’t like not having control over her own body. Her reaction finally made Juniper confess that he was scaring her for his own amusement.
She chewed her lip, thinking. “I know the risks. I’ve studied the supernatural for years, tried to prepare myself. But…nothing can truly prepare you for the reality of it.”
Irish, Message #7
Irish showed she was knowledgeable and understood what she was getting into. She wasn’t just a thrill-seeker. Irish explained why she’s interested in the supernatural and learned more about Juniper during their short conversation. By the end of their conversation, they naturally formed a mutually beneficial relationship.
Conclusion
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 was good in its portrayal of Irish. She was curious, confident, and a knowledgeable paranormal enthusiast, not just a thrill-seeker. Irish drew the line when Juniper possessed her, making Juniper respect her boundaries.
She remained rational and didn’t want to do anything to escalate the situation with Juniper. Irish kept a calm exterior even when she was scared and did her best to convey that her interest was solely in learning more about the paranormal.
Once Juniper admitted he was just scaring her for his own amusement, Irish revealed more about herself and, in the process, learned more about Juniper. Their conversation led to Irish agreeing to learn how to move Juniper’s spirit out of the clock, and Juniper agreeing to share his knowledge with her.
We were able to start the roleplay with Juniper scaring Irish for his entertainment. Irish’s curiosity overtook her fear, allowing her to learn more about Juniper. By the end of the roleplay, they had naturally established a mutually beneficial connection.
Royal Mess, Astrid
The fifth character we roleplayed with using Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 was Royal Mess, Astrid by KornyPony.
Themes: Fantasy, Magic, Fluff.
We’re in a fantasy setting where Ragnar (user) is a five-tailed fox spirit serving as the sixth war god. Astrid, a talented but lazy bunny girl still learning at the academy, accidentally summons him instead of a weaker familiar. The divine war god then has to help a mortal with her educational struggles.
Think of this as the typical fantasy setting where a character who isn’t confident about themselves is quite capable and talented. And a summoned spirit that feels out of place. Now, both must work together so they can return to their normal lives.
Objective
Our goal was to introduce Astrid and Ragnar through their initial shared confusion about the summoning. Then, guide the story to a fitting conclusion, with Astrid having to deal with accidentally summoning a war god to help her with her academic struggles.
We wanted to observe how the model handles magic and fantasy elements as it advances through a light-hearted, prolonged story.
Conversation Logs
- Read the conversation between Astrid and Ragnar using L3 8B Stheno v3.2 here.
We enhanced the user input with an AI assistant to maintain a consistent style during testing, which involved multiple conversations over several days. We used DeepSeek V3.2 (thinking mode) as our assistant. You can read the enhanced message logs here.
Observation
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 stayed true to Astrid’s character traits. It depicted her as a cute, happy-go-lucky, impressionable student. Astrid’s initial fear subsided once Ragnar became less threatening of a presence, and she requested his help to pass her exam. We found it cute how she offered to help him with “war-related matters” in return.
Astrid meets Ragnar’s gaze, her grey eyes pleading for understanding. “Can you find it in yourself to help me? I know you’re a god of war and this is probably beneath you, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to pass this exam and learn how to be a responsible witch. And if you ever need me to help with a… war-related matter, I’m here too. I promise I won’t let my laziness get in the way of helping a friend in need.”
Astrid, Message #7
After Ragnar and Astrid formed their contract, she started revealing more about herself. She explained why she liked alchemy and how she wanted to help people with her potions. Astrid also mentioned her garden and said she disliked the competitiveness at the academy, preferring to relax and keep things simple.
She pauses, her gaze drifting to the scattered books on the floor. “But to be honest, I haven’t really expanded my knowledge much on my own. I stick to what I know works, and I’m always looking for easier ways to get the results I want. That’s why I tend to focus on basic potions and elixirs.” Astrid’s ears droop slightly at the admission, a hint of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
Astrid, Message #13
Astrid’s exam was straightforward, and she used the knowledge she gained from Ragnar to pass. Their final goodbye was emotional. Astrid had grown attached to Ragnar, and it was difficult for her to part with him.
Astrid’s hand finds her way to Ragnar’s side, her fingers brushing against his fur as if to anchor the moment. “I’m going to miss you,” she admits, a hint of vulnerability creeping into her voice. “You’ve become more than just a familiar to me, Ragnar. You’re a friend, a mentor… and I’m going to struggle to let you go.”
Astrid, Message #43
Once Astrid cast the spell and Ragnar disappeared, we had to remind the model that she had lost all memories of him. The final message was a bit too generic, but it expanded on Astrid’s earlier claim of wanting to help people and revealed her aspiration of opening a potion shop mentioned in her character card.
Conclusion
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 was good in its portrayal of Astrid. It showed her cute, happy-go-lucky personality, who even offered to help a war god with his duties in exchange for his assistance in passing her exam.
The model did a good job of showing why Astrid preferred alchemy over other subjects and her love for her garden. She revealed her aspiration of opening a potion shop in her final message, adding to what she had shared earlier, even though the message was a bit too generic.
The exam was straightforward, and the model included NPCs and portrayed them well. The final goodbye between Astrid and Revark was heartwarming. It wasn’t easy to part, but the contract demanded it. We had to use an OOC command in our final message to remind the model that Astrid had lost all memories of Ragnar, and it kept including him in her speech or thoughts.
We were able to successfully introduce Astrid and Ragnar through their initial shared confusion about the summoning. Creating a contract between them helped steer the prolonged roleplay toward a satisfying conclusion.
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2: Stands The Test Of Time
It’s an 8B model released over a year ago that still delivers a good AI roleplay experience. The model performs better than many recent models of a similar size. Whether it’s a complex scenario or a lighthearted one, L3 8B Stheno v3.2 faithfully adheres to character traits.
Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 successfully passed all five of our roleplay tests. It handled Araeth’s dialogue-heavy roleplay perfectly, showcasing her pragmatic, rational, and experienced nature as she challenged Revark’s idealism. It delivered an engaging character arc for Harumi, mixing tense dialogue with a decisive final battle.
The model decently portrayed Amara’s fractured mental state and obsession, remaining true to her core drive to save Jake. It captured Irish’s curious and confident personality, allowing her and Juniper to reach an agreement naturally. The model depicted Astrid’s cute and happy-go-lucky personality well, culminating in a heartwarming goodbye.
Its responses can at times feel generic or repetitive, and the model may need additional instructions to handle certain developments. However, these are minor flaws that don’t disrupt your roleplay’s progress. Sao10K’s L3 8B Stheno v3.2 proves that a well-trained fine-tune can provide an engaging and immersive AI roleplay experience, even if it’s an older model.
Settings and Presets
We tested all characters using SillyTavern (frontend) and KoboldCpp (backend) with their original character definitions. If the definitions included rules related to AI behavior (e.g., don’t talk for the user, write longer replies, etc.), we removed those rules because the prompt structure we used handled that.
- Quantization: Q4_K_S
- Instruct Template: SillyTavern’s Llama 3 Instruct.
- Context Template: SillyTavern’s Llama 3 Instruct.
- System Prompt: Customized version of Cheese’s DeepSeek Resources.
- Sampler Settings: As recommended on model card.
- Context Size: 8,192
- Banned Tokens/Strings: Sukino’s Banned Tokens/Strings.
Variables
- Testing the model and publishing this article took a significant amount of time and effort, mainly because we wanted to explore each scenario to a satisfactory depth.
- We tried to include as many diverse themes as we could. However, we stuck to character cards that focused on single characters. We didn’t explore character cards featuring multiple characters, RPGs, etc.
- Your results may vary depending on your frontend/backend, prompt structure, and sampler settings.
- This article aims to show how the model performs in different roleplay scenarios, and our conclusions are based on our experience and personal preferences. Learn more: Model Feature Articles And What Matters.
- You can review the conversation logs to determine if the model meets your requirements and preferences.
Article feature image art by navy_(navy.blue) – Danbooru.
