Endless food for a large group: how?

[qwertyu63]

I need to produce food endlessly for a very large group of indeterminate size (200+ people). I am the DM in this case, but I would like to not use the power of fiat for this. I don't allow spell traps/clocks. Price is no concern.

Thank you in advance.

[ryu]

Wall of stone, stone to flesh, slice, cook, flavor with prestidigitation.

[jaydubs]

There are a few magic items that produce infinite food/water.

The Field Provisions Box, for instance, provides food and water for 15 people, everyday, forever. MIC p. 160.

[Brookshw]

infinite tarts from a wizards spell component pouch

[ryu]

infinite tarts from a wizards spell component pouch

Tarts? What spell has tarts as components? That's actually totally viable if there's even one such spell I don't remember off-hand.

[qwertyu63]

Wall of stone, stone to flesh, slice, cook, flavor with prestidigitation.

wat.


There are a few magic items that produce infinite food/water.

The Field Provisions Box, for instance, provides food and water for 15 people, everyday, forever. MIC p. 160.

That item would work, but the group size is an issue. I would need to be carrying around 14+ Field Provision Boxes. I can do that, but I'm hoping for something more compact.


infinite tarts from a wizards spell component pouch

What spell uses those?

[Slipperychicken]

Just cast Magnificent Mansion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magesMagnificentMansion.htm). It gives you food for 12*CL nine-course banquets, sleeping quarters, unseen servants, and dining quarters too. At minimum caster level (13), that's 156 nine-course banquets per day. If that's not enough, cast it like 2-3x per day.


EDIT: Or, you could use normal agriculture with Plant Growth (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/plantGrowth.htm) to make it ludicrously productive.

[Kraken]

The Spell Compendium has energy transformation field in it, which conveniently has a permanent duration. Key an energy transformation field to create food and water, then key several more energy transformation fields to prestidigitation. Each variant prestidigitation energy transformation field allows the people to flavor their nourishment in different ways of their choosing. You need to supply each energy transformation field with some sort of magic item that can be used an unlimited number of times in a day, and immoveable rods are sufficient for this purpose. Functionally, you're creating a vending machines.

[ryu]

You wanted an arbitrarily large amount of food creation right? Use wall of stone, stone to flesh to convert that wall to some ''meat'' from an unknown species/mix of species/who on earth knows what, slice out portions, cook, and use the flavoring function of prestidigitation. All the food you could EVER need.

[ngilop]

Tables with places that can create food/water for X people once a day are pretty cheap you can feed 3 people a day for 400 gold. SO you wanna feed 60 people thats 8K not to shabby so for lets just say 240 people every day that 32K gold.

thats not too shabby it just a 1 a day casting of create food and water on a table no resetting traps and such like that

[qwertyu63]

Just cast Magnificent Mansion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magesMagnificentMansion.htm). It gives you food for 12*CL nine-course banquets, sleeping quarters, unseen servants, and dining quarters too. At minimum caster level (13), that's 156 nine-course banquets per day. If that's not enough, cast it like 2-3x per day.

Sadly, the NPC that will be using this is a Psion with an ML of 13. (Actually a Thrallherd, and I'm trying to feed their believers).


The Spell Compendium has energy transformation field in it, which conveniently has a permanent duration. Key an energy transformation field to create food and water, then key several more energy transformation fields to prestidigitation. Each variant prestidigitation energy transformation field allows the people to flavor their nourishment in different ways of their choosing. You need to supply each energy transformation field with some sort of magic item that can be used an unlimited number of times in a day, and immoveable rods are sufficient for this purpose. Functionally, you're creating a vending machines.

Sadly, that is stationary and I need to move. (Also have issues of casting it)


You wanted an arbitrarily large amount of food creation right? Use wall of stone, stone to flesh to convert that wall to some ''meat'' from an unknown species/mix of species/who on earth knows what, slice out portions, cook, and use the flavoring function of prestidigitation. All the food you could EVER need.

I know it could work, that was just so off the wall it made me go "wat."


Tables with places that can create food/water for X people once a day are pretty cheap you can feed 3 people a day for 400 gold. SO you wanna feed 60 people thats 8K not to shabby so for lets just say 240 people every day that 32K gold.

thats not too shabby it just a 1 a day casting of create food and water on a table no resetting traps and such like that

Custom magic items go into the realms of fiat, which I am trying to avoid.

[Red Rubber Band]

Tarts? What spell has tarts as components? That's actually totally viable if there's even one such spell I don't remember off-hand.

Hideous Laughter, I think.

Could each person could hold their own Everlasting Rations?

[qwertyu63]

Hideous Laughter, I think.

Could each person could hold their own Everlasting Rations?

Looking it up, I am bursting out with hideous laughter at that thought (I'm not sorry for the pun).

They could, in fact, each carry everlasting rations, but the field provision boxes (which are the current plan) weigh less (14+ lbs vs 400+ lbs), cost less (28k+ vs 70k+) and also provides water.

[gorfnab]

Flaw: Chicken Infested (Dragon #330)

[Anxe]

Why not a portable hole filled with rations? Does it have to be a replenishable source?

[Silva Stormrage]

Stronghold Builder's guide has a magic item for this suitably named the Endless Larder. Use Presdigation to flavor accordingly. 15k pg 76

[qwertyu63]

Why not a portable hole filled with rations? Does it have to be a replenishable source?

In fact, it does need to be replenishable.


Stronghold Builder's guide has a magic item for this suitably named the Endless Larder. Use Presdigation to flavor accordingly. 15k pg 76

Can I move that?

[Slipperychicken]

Can I move that?

A larder is basically a refrigerator-sized piece of furniture which is full of cabinets. I could see one fitting inside a Portable Hole. Or you could permanency Shrink Item on it, and just shrink it down whenever you want.

It's kind of like this.
http://www.theoldmill.co.uk/files/images/8/5.png

[Brookshw]

Hideous Laughter, I think.

Could each person could hold their own Everlasting Rations?

Correct :smallbiggrin:

[Silva Stormrage]

In fact, it does need to be replenishable.



Can I move that?

Don't believe you can. But the cost calculations are just half for if you can't move it. So double the price and you can make a large everfull cabinet or portable bulky everfull table.

Otherwise you might be able to build it on a 10ft wide stone platform and then move that around with horses or mules on a caravan or some similar system.

[shaikujin]

Build small 1 space stronghold in a portable hole (or enveloping pit).
Put everfull larder in stronghold.
Give the stronghold space the gentle repose property (in Stronghold builder) to make the entire room a huge magical fridge/food storage room.

Mount it in the ceiling (or just tilt it).

Have a constuct minion (or add an unseen servant to the stronghold) whose job is to open and close the door of the larder every round.

Each time this is done, the food (preferably non-squishy foodstuff, like jerky or dried fruits) drops out of the larder into the food storage room. Enough food will be generated to feed thousands of people.

Carry potable hole around. At meal times, open the hole and just have the unseen servant carry the food to the people. Or just mount the portable hole to the ceiling and have all the stored food rain down.

Buy a decanter of endless water for water needs.

[shaikujin]

Having probs with edits on my phone, using a new post for clarification:

"Mount it in the ceiling (or just tilt it)."

I mean mount the everfull larder in the ceiling with the door facing down. Or tilt the larder until the door faces down.

The everfull larder is the most efficient item that I have found for feeding a large number of people.

[cakellene]

What about just having each minion make a Survival check to find food?

[Fax Celestis]

Endless Rations, MIC and I think HoB, are three meals a day forever, for 250 gp.

[Baroknik]

Sadly, the NPC that will be using this is a Psion with an ML of 13. (Actually a Thrallherd, and I'm trying to feed their believers).


Doesn't that spell out your solution right there? Let me be more precise...


lost thralls and believers are replaced within 24 hours.

Seems like a very replenishable source of food to me...

[ryu]

Doesn't that spell out your solution right there? Let me be more precise...



Seems like a very replenishable source of food to me...

Because there aint no party like a Donner party 'cuz a Donner party don't stop!

My sincere apologies if anyone found that to be in too poor of taste. If so I will edit it out immediately.

[TuggyNE]

Carry potable hole around.

This is best typo. :smallbiggrin:

[ryu]

This is best typo. :smallbiggrin:

Indeed. Didn't even notice it while reading. Excellent happy accident.

[Baroknik]

Because there aint no party like a Donner party 'cuz a Donner party don't stop!

My sincere apologies if anyone found that to be in too poor of taste. If so I will edit it out immediately.

I hope you meant to pun there. I like this pun.

[ryu]

I hope you meant to pun there. I like this pun.

Half and half. It was part joke and part legitimate safety measure.

[JeminiZero]

Psionic Minor Creation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/minorCreationPsionic.htm) is available to Shapers, but can also be taken as a feat, and can be used to produce any plant material.

Like Grain.

How the duration works when eaten is pretty much fiat. But I imagine if the food disappears hours after consumed, the followers will need to use the bathroom far less often. :smallbiggrin:

[Thanatosia]

How about capturing a Leanean Hydra (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0326.html)?

[Anxe]

Psionic Minor Creation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/minorCreationPsionic.htm) is available to Shapers, but can also be taken as a feat, and can be used to produce any plant material.

Like Grain.

How the duration works when eaten is pretty much fiat. But I imagine if the food disappears hours after consumed, the followers will need to use the bathroom far less often. :smallbiggrin:

That's a good idea though. Isn't there a type of genie that makes permanent vegetable matter with that spell? That'd be perfect. I was already imagining the group wandering around in the desert without food. Having a captive genie give them food fits that theme perfectly. Anyone remember what book that genie was in?

[JeminiZero]

Anyone remember what book that genie was in?

Maybe Djinni (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/genie.htm)? Their Major Creation is permanent for vegetation.

[(Un)Inspired]

How about capturing a Leanean Hydra (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0326.html)?

Capturing a hydra means you have to muck about in a swamp. No self respecting caster should have to do that.

Instead just cut off and eat a bunch of your thralls limbs and then cast Regenerate to grow them back. If your herd starts to complain remind them that:
A. They are part of a group that shares its name with groups of cattle
B. They're your psychic slaves why are they talking back?

[shaikujin]

This is best typo. :smallbiggrin:


Indeed. Didn't even notice it while reading. Excellent happy accident.


Whoops, lol.

Yeah, I tend to make typos and grammatical errors a lot. And to think I actually re-read that post and clarified 1 part of it!

[Anxe]

Maybe Djinni (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/genie.htm)? Their Major Creation is permanent for vegetation.

That's the one! You can also use it to create Darkwood for lots of wealth.

[Sam K]

Because there aint no party like a Donner party 'cuz a Donner party don't stop!

My sincere apologies if anyone found that to be in too poor of taste. If so I will edit it out immediately.

I will take offense if you edit that out!

Honestly though, the wall of stone-stone to flesh idea is just so disturbing it deserves to get used. Also, I'm surprised noone has mentioned "cloudy with a chance of meatballs"; there has to be a something you can do with a control weather spell and some metamagic...

[shaikujin]

Also, I'm surprised noone has mentioned "cloudy with a chance of meatballs"; there has to be a something you can do with a control weather spell and some metamagic...

I was actually going there with the line below :D

[QUOTE=shaikujin;16649293]
...mount the portable hole to the ceiling and have all the stored food rain down.

QUOTE]

[Warlawk]

Don't believe you can. But the cost calculations are just half for if you can't move it. So double the price and you can make a large everfull cabinet or portable bulky everfull table.

Otherwise you might be able to build it on a 10ft wide stone platform and then move that around with horses or mules on a caravan or some similar system.

Yeah, I was going to suggest to build the larder into a Chow Wagon. A couple mules to pull around the wagon and you're set. A chow wagon would be pretty common at that tech level when you're moving large numbers of soldiers or something so it wouldn't exactly be out of place.

[ben-zayb]

What is this lack of food I am hearing?

{table="head"]Survival DC|Task
10|Get along in the wild. Move up to one-half your overland speed while hunting and foraging (no food or water supplies needed). You can provide food and water for one other person for every 2 points by which your check result exceeds 10.[/table]
...
Try Again
Varies. For getting along in the wild or for gaining the Fortitude save bonus noted in the table above, you make a Survival check once every 24 hours
...If taking 10 isn't allowed (it should be anyway, by RAW), get a custom Item of Survival (+10 competence) for 10k as per MIC rules and pass it around. Add a Masterwork Tool on Survival (Survival Handbook?) to pass around for the +2 Circumstance bonus, to help those with penalty modifiers or to help exceed the DC10 for greater effects.

[Drachasor]

Hmm, a stone/crystal with a permanent Blade Barrier and Wall of Fire. Perhaps Permanent Animated Objects on it. On command it can cast Wall of Stone and then Stone to Flesh immediately after. Hmm, internal walls with a Permanent Grease. Oh, and I guess a Prestidigitation at will for flavoring and minor moving of stuff (that's super cheap to tack on).

So something like
WWW
WSW
WXW
WPW

W=Wall
S=Wall of Stone formed and turned into Flesh
X=Blade Barrier+Wall of Fire
P=Prestidigitation zone (settable for flavor) with also automatically moves the meat out.

Animated Objects let's it move on its own. Though any sort of cheap construct would work just as well. Minor Servitor might get the job done, but don't get the cook mad.

You'd still need some fiber and greens though. Summoner Monster VII gets a Djinni which can make 20ft of cubic vegetable matter once per day. That gets pricey though.

Eh, custom Wall of Vegetable Matter as a 4th level Spell should be fine. Let's you choose the Vegetable it is made of. Hmm, should allow for Noodles.

A Decanter of Endless Water and hand-waving that Prestidigitation can slightly alter the consistency of a liquid (seems within its power level). And you have a Wagon of Endless Stirfry.

Mmm, them be good eats!

Edit: Yes, I know Grease and Blade Barrier can't normally be made permanent. But it's a cool idea so hopefully the DM (or OP if the OP is the DM) would go for it. Basically it's just an enchanted magic item that makes food and cooks it.

Edit2: Actually, Prestidigitation can cook meat in the Sous-vide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous-vide) method. It goes up to 140 degrees and that's all you need. Water bath not needed, just Prestidigitation for 72 hours or so.

[Andezzar]

Endless Rations, MIC and I think HoB, are three meals a day forever, for 250 gp.While the survival pouch is a lot more expensive, it offers some other nifty things besides food and water for a day.

[GrayDeath]

Excellent thread.

Agreed.



As someone in whose Campaign our Thrallherd had to not only feed but cloth and equip his minions without revealing them to the Anti PÜsion Government, let me mention some solutions (setting dependant in part).


First he slaughtered the elas useful one, then used his Wand (iirc) of Minor creation to create more "Long Porek" and flavoured it himself (he has Profession Chef 12 ranks and an insanely high Int/Wis Mod).

Sadly, some of our non Thrall Followers objected.

After my Character killed them, our Mysthic Theourge revived them as udnead guards, but thats not the point.

There is a Book called Chaositek. It contains, among other things, a totally new way to craft stuff that, if you dont mind some (or many) mutations, allows to increase just about anything you ahve on hand.

Lastly we xused said theurge to cast Planar ally a few times, to summon in beings with Cleric Casting to simply cast the relevant Food spells.


I hope some of that helps.^^

[mabriss lethe]

you could always keep a few trolls around as regenerating food sources.

[Peelee]

The Mod on the Silver Mountain: Dead threads need no food.