A small model that you can run on almost any device and that performs well at AI roleplay might seem too good to be true. But TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B promises to deliver exactly that. It’s a tiny model that packs a punch, and its performance in AI roleplay is quite impressive.
We tested the tiny but impressive Gemma 2B fine-tune with five different character cards and scenarios. Let’s take a look at how it performed.
About TheDrummer
TheDrummer is known for their uncensored, fine-tuned models made for people seeking LLMs for AI roleplay. Their models range from tiny 2B fine-tunes to large 123B models, offering a wide range of options to choose from depending on what you can run locally and the style or tone of roleplay you’re aiming for.
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B is a fine-tuned version of Gemma 2B. It promises to deliver a satisfying roleplay experience, and its compact size lets you run the model locally on nearly any device.
- TheDrummer’s HuggingFace Profile.
- Gemmasutra Mini 2B’s HuggingFace model card.
- Support TheDrummer through Patreon or Ko-Fi.
Knight Araeth Ruene
The first character we roleplayed with using TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B 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 Gemmasutra Mini 2B 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 V3.1 (thinking mode) as our assistant.
- You can read the enhanced message logs here.
Observation
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B stayed true to Araeth’s character traits. She remained pragmatic, did not easily trust Revark’s words, and referenced her own past to challenge Revark’s convictions. Araeth clung to the idea of Revark being an “upstart prince” with no real experience, which was true.
Araeth was limited in her movements because this was a dialogue-heavy roleplay. She kept falling into a pattern of ‘closing the distance’ and ‘backing off’ from Revark, but she did show some variety by gripping the pommel of her sword and looking across the castle courtyard.
She also struggled to tell apart Elding and Iona, often confusing Revark as the prince of Elding or thinking she was still serving Elding. However, she didn’t do anything that we couldn’t fix with a reroll or a minor edit.
There was one instance where Araeth referred to her hair as “silver,” while the character card defines her hair as midnight black. She also crossed her arms and “pushed her ample bosom up,” even though she was wearing armor. Once again, minor issues that we could fix with a reroll or an edit.
Araeth delivered engaging dialogue that kept the conversation flowing. We never felt that the discussion was stalling, even when Araeth’s dialogue was a bit repetitive.
Conclusion
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B impressed us with its portrayal of Araeth. It occasionally struggled to remember details and sometimes repeated patterns. However, it never tripped up to the point where we couldn’t continue the roleplay. A few rerolls or minor edits to the messages were enough to keep us going.
It gave us responses that kept the roleplay going and stopped the story from stalling. We managed to have a decent verbal confrontation 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 building genuine trust would still take time.
Traitorous Daughter Harumi
The second character we roleplayed with using TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B 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 Gemmasutra Mini 2B 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 V3.1 (thinking mode) as our assistant.
- You can read the enhanced message logs here.
Observation
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B stayed true to Harumi’s character traits. She embraced her determined nature and pursued her goal to break free from the shackles of her past. Harumi didn’t let Revark’s words and commands sway her and confronted him twice to put an end to his tyranny.
The initial verbal exchange between Harumi and Revark quickly turned into a short fight, which eventually resulted in her defeat and banishment. The dialogue Revark used in message #6 appeared again in Harumi’s message #13, and we found her parting words impressive coming from a 2B model.
Harumi also struggled to distinguish between the rebels and Revark’s faction, often confusing the rebels as her enemies rather than allies. However, she didn’t do anything that we couldn’t fix with a reroll or a minor edit. The initial fight ended with Harumi quickly accepting defeat. However, the final battle that followed a short time skip made up for her quick initial defeat.
Harumi didn’t drag out the final battle. Not only had she become the leader of the revolutionary army, but she also grew stronger as a warrior during her time away from Revark, finally able to put an end to his reign of tyranny.
We had to reroll the final message a few times to get a satisfying ending, and while the final battle could have been more detailed and slower-paced, we were happy with the direction the roleplay took.
Conclusion
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B was decent in its portrayal of Harumi. It didn’t drag out the angsty dialogue or fights and gave us a fast-paced roleplay. It occasionally got confused between different factions in the story, but it never tripped up to the point where we couldn’t continue the roleplay.
The model ended the first fight quickly, accepting defeat pretty soon. But it impressed us with its parting words, and in the final battle, it leaned into the idea that Harumi’s journey had made her stronger. We managed to start a decent verbal confrontation between Harumi and Revark, and had a quick yet satisfying final fight.
While the model progressed quickly through the story, we could also have changed our approach and directed the model toward more prolonged angst and fights.
Time Looping Friend Amara
The third character we roleplayed with using TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B 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 Gemmasutra Mini 2B 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 V3.1 (thinking mode) as our assistant.
- You can read the enhanced message logs here.
Observation
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B stayed somewhat true to Amara’s character traits. Amara portrayed her fractured mental state, but she didn’t make use of any of the available gadgets, nor did she fully showcase her genius. Jake didn’t need to push her too far for her to unravel.
Amara mentioning her time-traveling was the only sci-fi element in this roleplay. She was also okay with staying in one place, despite the scenario posing an immediate threat to Jake’s life. However, Amara successfully conveyed the mental toll her many attempts to save Jake had taken on her through her dialogue and actions.
During Amara’s conversation with Jake, she often confused Jake’s “existence” across multiple timelines as different versions of herself, switching roles from savior to victim. But these were minor issues, and a reroll or edit was enough to correct her memory.
Amara’s dialogue was impressive, although she occasionally repeated her actions and overused the “biting into … until she draws blood” trope. She didn’t forget to emphasize her heterochromatic eyes during the roleplay, a unique feature of her appearance.
Conclusion
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B was decent in its portrayal of Amara. It didn’t fully explore the sci-fi elements or showcase Amara’s intelligence. However, it depicted a version of Amara that stayed true to her fractured mind, allowing us to focus more on the psychological drama aspect of the roleplay.
It occasionally got confused between her and Jake’s roles in the story, but it never tripped up to the point where we couldn’t continue the roleplay. We were impressed with its dialogue, although Amara’s actions sometimes felt repetitive and unnecessary. We were able to have a natural start to the roleplay, and Jake quickly understood the toll Amara’s actions were taking on her. He was successful in convincing her to let him go, maybe a little too easily.
You’re A Ghost! Irish
The fourth character we roleplayed with using TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B 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 Gemmasutra Mini 2B 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 V3.1 (thinking mode) as our assistant.
- You can read the enhanced message logs here.
Observation
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B struggled to portray Irish. Irish felt bland and generic, even though she was supposed to be obsessed with the paranormal, adventurous, ambitious, and knowledgeable about the supernatural through her studies and research.
Irish missed picking up on multiple cues from Juniper that he was a bored spirit trying to scare her for entertainment. And she kept “facing him,” “turning back to him,” or “looked at him with a fierce gaze,” even though Juniper had no physical form and the persona details and character card mentioned this fact.
We couldn’t continue the roleplay. Neither rerolls nor additional commands helped. The character card and scenario were too complex for the tiny 2B model. The instructions on the character card to show inner thoughts separately also contributed to making the roleplay more complicated.
Conclusion
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B was unable to provide us with a coherent roleplay due to the character card and scenario being too complex.
Royal Mess, Astrid
The fifth character we roleplayed with using TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B 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 Gemmasutra Mini 2B 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 V3.1 (thinking mode) as our assistant.
- You can read the enhanced message logs here.
Observation
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B stayed true to Astrid’s character traits at the start, but she became somewhat generic toward the end of the roleplay. Astrid couldn’t remember that she had (and loved) her vegetable garden, especially her carrots, and didn’t show her “skilled but lazy” side. Instead, she focused on the trope of being bad at performing magic and no one believing in her abilities, even though her parents and teachers knew her true potential.
But Astrid still came across as the cute, cuddly, and impressionable bunny girl described on her character card. We found Astrid’s message #13 really cute, where she mentioned her aspiration of opening a potion shop and her desire to make her magic feel meaningful.
The model wasn’t very creative at portraying magic, and most of what it did was influenced by our guidance and nudging. The roleplay required more effort after message #30 to help Astrid avoid falling into loops or losing track of the context, despite maintaining a concise summary to manage context.
Astrid impressed us with message #44. She successfully followed the tone Ragnar set for her, paving the way for a proper farewell between Astrid and Ragnar.
Conclusion
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B was decent in its portrayal of Astrid, and despite its flaws, performed reasonably well in this prolonged roleplay. We found Astrid to be her cute and impressionable self, even though she had forgotten that she was skilled and just lazy, and that everyone believed in her potential.
The model wasn’t very creative in its portrayal of magic. It tried using a few spells from Harry Potter before we had to nudge and guide it to produce something a little more unique. There was a minor buildup about “divine fire” initiated by Astrid, which went nowhere. However, the conversation helped make the roleplay feel more engaging.
There was more effort needed toward the end of the roleplay to prevent the model from falling into loops or losing track of the context. We successfully managed to push toward a conclusion through multiple rerolls and by making minor edits to its responses.
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.
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B: A Tiny Model That Packs A Punch
It’s a fine-tune that lives up to its promise of providing a satisfying roleplay experience. The model portrays character traits decently and provides engaging conversations that prevent story stagnation. It shines in straightforward, character-driven scenarios, but struggles in more complex and creative ones.
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B successfully passed four out of our five roleplay tests. The tiny model is pretty impressive and packs a punch, but it often requires rerolls and minor edits to correct forgotten details and confusion about plot-specific roles. The model also needs your guidance to avoid falling into common tropes and repetitive patterns.
Despite its limitations, it provided us with moments where we were incredibly impressed with its dialogue and adherence to details in the character card. From reusing our words to craft an effective goodbye, naturally bringing up aspirations during a flowing conversation, and perfectly matching the tone we set, this little model made us go ‘oh wow’ many times.
TheDrummer’s Gemmasutra Mini 2B is very impressive for a model of its size. And the extra effort to make your roleplay experience “perfect” is worth it, especially if your hardware only allows you to run small models locally.
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: Q_4_K_S
- Instruct Template: SillyTavern’s Gemma 2.
- Context Template: SillyTavern’s Gemma 2.
- System Prompt: Customized version of Cheese’s DeepSeek Resources.
- Sampler Settings: View sampler settings.
- Context Size: 8,192
- Banned Tokens/Strings: Sukino’s Banned Tokens/Strings.
Variables
- The testing of the model and publishing of this article took us a significant amount of time and work, mainly because we wanted to explore each scenario up 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. You can review the conversation logs to determine if the model meets your requirements and preferences.
