DELICIOUS IN DUNGEON: Let the Players Do The Creative Cooking

But seriously, "D-in-D" IS a good manga

Jumping again on the gravy train that is Delicious in Dungeon posting. Here is a post by Grinningrat looking at how to do a Delicious in Dungeon setup, but pointing out that one issue is that most systems are reactive instead of listing in the monster manual what ingredients are found on/in each monster. They lay out 3 nice versions of how to do monster parts.

BUT TO ME, THIS PROCESS TAKES TOO LONG: Each monster might have ~3-5 ingredients and, for instance, the Level 1 monster encounter table for BX D&D includes 20 monsters. This means that a DM would be generating up to ~60-100 unique “things”. I’d rather make a 60-100-room dungeon if I am going to come up with so many things. 

But before I tell you might alternative, the fantastic blog d4 Caltrops of course already has d100 tables for this sorta thing here (Monster Parts for Magical Research) and more distantly related here (Magical Marginalia). The AD&D DMG also has a listing of properties associated with gems that could be useful as well.

MAKE PLAYERS DO THE COOKING: The key piece: let the players provide the connection between the raw material harvested and its use. To me, that connection should be alchemical, occult, religious, or use dream-reasoning and not scientific (they can also use anything of IRL myths). Then write it down in your house-rules doc if you agree. This cuts a lot of time and offloads the creative work while also adjusting the depth of this “crafting” to the level of involvement your players want. If you have real Bobby (S)lay on your hands then they can have at it- you have a campaign to run!

NECTARS, SALTS, BILES, HUMORS, & ESSENCES: Monsters, creatures, and undead of the dungeon produce nectars, salts, biles, humors, & essences. 

• Nectars are from “plants” only or plant parts of monsters: e.g. yellow musk creepers or violet shriekers

• Salts are from rock/stone only, including things monsters turn into stone (I’d also put ground gems in here): e.g. living statues or victims of medusas

• Biles might have to be squeezed or processed out of some “organ” including venoms/poisons: e.g. paralyzing substance from carrion crawler or dragon breath weapons

• Humors would be liquids present in the corporal body: e.g. blood from giant rats which will putrify anything

• Essences might be from things like incorporeal undead, “cloud”-type things, or semi-liquid things like oozes/puddings that don’t have a real differentiated body. Essences could also be from things that are astral or ethereal in origin which might require special equipment to harvest: e.g. black pudding or displacer beast

These categories are not my own, but I think was another good blog post that I can’t seem to find– please, dear readers, if you know the post I’d love to link it. 

Distilling components takes time, prep, & skill

MANUFACTURE OF MAGICAL MONSTER MATERIAL

RAW MATERIALS PRESENT (2-in-6): This is the base chance that a character has to obtain the raw ingredients from the corpse/remains of some dungeon creatures that’s just been hacked apart in melee. Things are a mess and it is likely the desired part/organ has already been butchered by the end of combat. OR it might be the body quickly decomposes, dissolves, disappears, or detonates depending on the creature and can't be gotten to quickly enough.

RAW MATERIAL REFINING TO COMPONENT (DOWNTIME ACTION): During downtime roll 1+1d4 to determine how many raw materials can be processed (if a PC has multiples). Then spend 100sp for each chosen raw material and the DM rolls 1d20 (plus INT bonus) to determine the results of these efforts.  The character may add their level to the d20 roll, but a natural “1” is always “EXPLOSION!”. Gain 100 xp per successful component manufactured. Each refined component takes up a slot.

01 | EXPLOSION! No component & replace equipment, lodgings, and answer to the guard

02 | WHAT’S THAT SMELL? No component & your suspect activities land earn a guard visit

03 | POISON… yeah best not use that…

04-07 | RENDERED INSERT. Bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble…for nothing. No component.

08-17 | SUCCESS! Manufacture 1 unit of nectar, essence, bile, salt, or humor

18-19 | IMPROVED YEILD: 3-in-6 chance manufacturing 2 units otherwise 1 unit

20 | DOUBLE YEILD: Manufacture 2 units of substance

Notes: “POISONS” can be used offensively, but likely will also endow the target with a monstrous property in a very negative, monkey’s paw sorta way. “WHAT’S THAT SMELL?”: remember until a PC gets their own domain space, they are essentially trying to cook fantasy meth in the village– this can have consequences in a world where magic is real/dangerous. If a PC would like to somehow modify some aspect of the process or take shortcuts, perform the same procedure as above, but roll 1d10 (if its really on the fly, 1d8).

HOW TO USE YOUR MYSTICAL SPICE RACK: Again this should be a conversation between the DM and player, but letting the player take the lead and provide the occult rationale as to why these components can be used or used in lieu of time/money/skill in the preparation of something. Here are also a couple of other thoughts on components:

• A substitute for 100 sp or 1 week of time when writing a scroll

• Enhance the spell if used during casting (+1 target, re-roll a “1”, or increase duration 1 turn)

• Speed up the creation of a spellbook

• 3 components to manufacture a potion at no cost provided the components are harmonious

• 1 component for each of the five senses is needed to create a magic weapon/item

• Be sold to a NPC MU for some negotiated amount (at least 100sp)

THIS POST WASN'T ABOUT FOOD! It wasn't. The post above has leaned more toward things a Magic-User (or Elf) PC might want to do mainly because it provides them with a way to enhance and augment their early-level magic. But this system could still be used for a cooking bit too. Same deal as above. Collect raw materials (meat). And prepare it rolling a 1d20 (+ WIS bonus) to see how well you did:

01 | W.T.F! No rations. Meat has gone wrong & something tracked the smell (roll on encounter table)

02 | WHAT’S THAT SMELL? No rations. The cooking might have attracted attention (encounter check)

03 | POISON… No rations. Yeah don't eat that...

04-07 | BURNED. But it looked so easy when nan did it. No rations.

08-17 | DELICIOUS! Feed everyone; +1 to HP and next hireling loyalty check

18-19 | THIS IS AMAZING!: Feed everyone; +1 to HP and hireling loyalty improves +1

20 | (SPEECHLESS STUFFING THEIR FACES): Feed everyone; next single save or death & dismemberment is at advantage

Ah, dungeon food. Delicious in dungeon.

I SHOULD HAVE CAST LIGHT: And Other Lessons From the 4th Level of Hell

Couldn't help making a book cover for the campaign using
the King story that in part inspired Nightwick, Rose Red

Finished our 76th Session of Nightwick Abbey and that session was a bad one. Well "bad" only in the sense that the party did not get much done, gained no treasure, and almost died. Almost. Its good because the Abbey re-established itself as a threat. Its good because narrowly avoiding a TPK made things tense.

What makes it a good "bad" game, well at least from my perspective I felt like with this session I ignored everything I have learned from my previous 75 sessions of delving Nightwick. And as a result, risked a TPK. Here is what I did wrong with Mayfly:

• Lack of basic equipment accounting makes for poor trap management: We've transfered from a VTT to Figma-a virtual white-board. This has been great because it decreased prep time for our DM, Miranda, and made it more likely that game would happen.
  
  But this has caused me to not transfer over some of that stuff to my new sheet. Stupid. Because in our 76th-session we encountered a trap that would have be disabled with 10ft poles, 50' of rope, and sacks. This trap came back to haunt us.
  
  
• Not talking first leads to fights you don't need to have: This one really gets me. I am a big fan of talking to things in dungeons. It is often interesting as a player and interesting as a DM. Sure maybe cutting deals with dark forces is a bad idea, but it makes for exciting gameplay. Not what Mayfly did this time.
  
  The minute two demons introduced themselves- Fireball. Now true one introduced themselves "The Bane of Mothers" and "The Eater of Children" so such a crazy reaction, but...eh... maybe should have given them a few more minutes. They were also immune to fire and Web burst into flames.
  
  However, Mayfly is high INT (can cast Fireball), but low WIS (doesn't always judge the best time)- so this really was on point.
  
  Now the setup orientation looks like this: Demons-Best Fighter-Paralyzing Trap-Rest of the Party. Bad. We escaped due to a well-cast Fog but due to the trap our best fighter was uncontrollably sobbing due to understanding the sins of all mankind.
  
  
• When threats are unknown, assume maximal threats: I have two general spell memorization strategies ✤ for Mayfly (well three as I have one for overland travel) which are:
• Attack Target: Fireball (3), Fireball (3), Web (2), Protection from Evil (1), Light (1)
• Level Recon: Fireball (3), Web (2), ESP, (2), Protection from Evil (1), Charm Person (1), Sleep (1)
  
  What happened here is that I chose the "recon program" without really understanding the threats of Level 4 very well. Which caused Mayfly to not have additional damage heavy hitters. But even so, I might try running more with Lighting Bolt because that will help with fire-immune creatures.
  
  
• Light is still GOAT and a still underappreciated offensive spell: With a now magic-sword controlled fighter (yup, gotta be wary about magic weapons with egos when you are feeling down), the party decides to keep going. We run into 5 "Bleeding Knights". Our sword-possessed charges ahead and the party rushes to form a skirmish line. 
  
  Ulf fires off a Light spell and blinds one knight (in BX you can't attack if blinded✤✤). Mayfly follows up with the single Light scroll he has from 20 sessions ago-- blinding another. Ulf is able to blind another. Then our magic sword friend gains purchase and begins slicing through them
  
  Next time, prep Light at least once. Best twice.

---

✤ In Miranda's Nightwick Campaign, Magic-Users use spell points instead of slots. So the spell level is how many points it costs to cast. I like this system because it still constrains spell choice but allows some high-level spells to be cast a lower levels-- which fits into my view of how to conform old-school play to modern environments (see also here and at All Dead Generations).

✤✤ Even if the Metzer interpretation of Light is used (-6 to-hit and -4 to saves instead of blind) it is still a good bargain and strong against 4+ HD enemies.

PRACTICAL MAGIC II: Or A Magic-User's Tools of the Trade

Ben L. of Ultan's Door fame took the starting spellbooks idea and really did a good job with them! 

The pairs of 1st level spells are well done and I'm a big fan of the inclusion of 2nd level spells to entice advancement. Wonderfully included is a description of the original book, what other knowledge might be learned from it (!), and a description of lesser copies. No specific mechanics are given for learning from the tome which is great! This gives the PC and DM something to negotiate over and encourages more free-form play.

The other reason I think starting spell books are a good idea is because by OSE/BX rules RAW,  the DM is supposed to provide the starting spells for a MU. And, BX MUs only can have in their spellbooks as many spells as they can cast (i.e. as many as they have spell slots).

I am sure no one follows this, but an upside is that spells can be better matched to remove "dud" combinations from random rolling and/or pair them more tightly the adventure, setting, or world. Some of this is reflected in the 1e AD&D DMG where Gygax suggests that starting MUs roll once on an offensive, defensive, and utility magic spell table to compose their first spellbook.

Another layer that might be fun is to provide a few pieces of equipment that a student of said book might use in their research, investigations, rituals, and practices. As such here is how I want to fold Ben's work in to my next campaign:

All MUs start with: Dagger (1d4), Hooded Cloak, Quill, Ink, & Paper (5 sheets)
Roll 1d6 for a lesser copy of:

1. Beyond the Convex Mirror: (1) Light, Ventriloquism; (2) Mirror Image
Equipment: Mirror, Lantern

2. Enchantments of the Twilight Court: (1) Charm Person, Detect Magic; (2) Phantasmal Force
Equipment: Wolfsbane, Wineskin (full)

3. Geometry of Unseen Potencies: (1) Hold Portal, Floating Disc; (2) Levitate
Equipment: Plumb bob + 20' cord, T-Level

4. Saffroy’s Principles of Arcane Dueling: (1) Magic Missle, Shield; (2) Web
Equipment: Torches (3)***, Silver Dagger (1d4)**

5. Lesser Emanations of the Archduke: (1) Sleep, Protection from Evil; (2) Invisibility
Equipment: Bag of Chalk, Hourglass**

6. Inner Illuminations of the First Organ: (1) Detect Magic; Darkness* (2) ESP
Equipment: Candles (10), Compass**

* One minor adjustment made here by using the reverse of Light, Darkness. I believe it still fits the theme as Detect Magic and ESP provided "sight" without light.
** As these would be expensive items, I might say these MUs start with (2d6*100) coin
*** Worth remembering that torches do 1d4 damage (fire); but maybe are extinguished on max dmg. or only after 2 hits like burning oil is after two rounds.

BEGINNING SPELLBOOKS: Get Wizard's Going Quick

I think second to picking equipment, spell selection is the second thing that slows character creation down. So I looked through the level 1 spells and created themed spellbooks. I tried not to repeat any of the spells so each book is unique. The addition of the level 2 spell is to incentivize getting there.

Interestingly, while Readings on Astral Combat contain the most combat-oriented magic and therefore the most powerful, I think the other three books actually solve problems that might stimy level 1 BX PCs or lead to the greatest reward from an early dungeon.

Its might also be interesting to write a dungeon using obstacles implied by level 1 spells.