Spells to aid in Cooking

[Seerow]

I am making a backup character who is basically a magical chef. The character's main focus? Cooking literally everything we run across that is not humanoid (though outsiders, giants, etc, that look human shaped but are not actually humanoid type are fair game). The character will be using Mystic Ranger as the base and taking sword of the arcane order, so I have up to 5th level Wizard and Ranger spells to work with.

So what spells would be useful here? I know Prestidigitation can produce flavors, and I intend for him to have an at will item of it to use for spices and such. Looking for anything that might boost Craft/Profession checks (I know most of the good ones here are on the Cleric List so may not have much luck), create new flavors, offer alternate ways of preparing foods, or provide ways to make the inedible edible.

What sorts of obscure spells out there cover these sorts of things? The more creative the usage of the spell, the better.

[Yahzi]

Prestidigitation pretty much covers it. That's the dumping ground for all magic not related to Blowing Things Up.

[Seerow]

Prestidigitation pretty much covers it. That's the dumping ground for all magic not related to Blowing Things Up.

That's a boring answer, and Magic encompasses so much more than blowing things up, and even blowing things up spells can be used more creatively than that. Transmutations to alter the base components of food you are making. Illusions to enhance the plating and even emphasize certain tastes/textures. Coveyor belts through a wall of fire for a consistent cook. Cold spells to instantly chill or freeze a dish. Stone to Flesh to make earth elementals and other similar creatures edible.

These are the sorts of things I've been considering, and was hoping the playground might have some ideas to help flesh out further.

[Uncle Pine]

I'm personally a fan of using Animate Dead to aid cooking, although it'd be probably more useful for a Warlock than it is to a Mystic Ranger.

Skeletons
A skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse must have bones. If a skeleton is made from a corpse, the flesh falls off the bones.
No need to waste time boning exotic creature with weird anatomy! But unless you find a way to mitigate the cost of the material component, you should probably avoid spamming Animate Dead.

EDIT: Darsson's Chilling Chamber and Darsson's Fiery Furnace (both from Shining South) can be respectively used to preserve or cook food.

[Seerow]

I'm personally a fan of using Animate Dead to aid cooking, although it'd be probably more useful for a Warlock than it is to a Mystic Ranger.

No need to waste time boning exotic creature with weird anatomy! But unless you find a way to mitigate the cost of the material component, you should probably avoid spamming Animate Dead.

EDIT: Darsson's Chilling Chamber and Darsson's Fiery Furnace (both from Shining South) can be respectively used to preserve or cook food.

Those are all fantastic. Exactly the sorts of things I'm looking for. Thanks!

[With a box]

there are some enchentment spell that make people love your food
sympathy/mindrape/ ....

[Jormengand]

Spark? :smalltongue:

It's not a spell, but if you can spare the feat and the cross-class truespeak ranks then Universal Aptitude gives you a +5 to all skill checks. If you can spare another feat, Hidden Truth allows you to send your knowledge (cooking) through the roof, or your knowledge (something which is actually a knowledge skill) if you prefer. Minor/major creation can make vegetables to go with your meat. Detect/neutralise poison may help if you eat even poisonous creatures.

Slipping a potion of, say, Bull's Strength into your food to make it do something useful is usually considered cheating, however.

[Seerow]

Spark? :smalltongue:

It's not a spell, but if you can spare the feat and the cross-class truespeak ranks then Universal Aptitude gives you a +5 to all skill checks. If you can spare another feat, Hidden Truth allows you to send your knowledge (cooking) through the roof, or your knowledge (something which is actually a knowledge skill) if you prefer. Minor/major creation can make vegetables to go with your meat. Detect/neutralise poison may help if you eat even poisonous creatures.

Slipping a potion of, say, Bull's Strength into your food to make it do something useful is usually considered cheating, however.

Hrm... I did have a free feat at level 9 I was going to dump into Landlord (to make an awesome personal restaurant, complete with an underground dungeon to hold hydras/trolls/other regenerating creatures to always have fresh exotic meats on demand, in addition to whatever my travels bring) that could instead go towards Truespeech. The flavor certainly fits (it's just one more obscure way to make him that much better at cooking). Hidden Truth would be harder to work in, but could be potentially very useful (the character's non-cooking related skill points are going into the monster identifying knowledge skills, for the dual purpose of Knowledge Devotion and knowing more about what he encounters to best create edible food out of it).

Edit: Just checked, apparently Utterances all require a DC15+2*CR to activate. So at 10th level the character would need to be able to consistently make a DC35 truespeech check in order to make use of Universal Aptitude. I really don't see that as feasible when working cross class skill. So while it's flavorful, it's just not going to work out here.

Edit2: That said, Neutralize Poison is definitely a good one. And minor creation is always solid.

[Mehangel]

A druid character of mine would occasionally throw a couple goodberries into a pie. At later levels whenever he made his infernal chilli, he would place a fire-seed or two inside.

[Troacctid]

Has Unseen Servant been mentioned? It's like having as many cooks in the kitchen as you need, except they don't bump into each other and get in the way.

[Seerow]

Has Unseen Servant been mentioned? It's like having as many cooks in the kitchen as you need, except they don't bump into each other and get in the way.

I considered this, but was not sure if they had enough skill to actually help out. Though I guess they can make skill checks that require a 10, which includes aid another. So Unseen Servant Horde translates into having a lot of aids on the check.

[Rubik]

A level in shaper or the Hidden Talent feat could net you Psionic Minor Creation. Sure, it only lasts an hour, but it's great for vegan desserts and pastries that don't stick around long enough to make you gain weight.

A few other 1st level powers could do fun stuff, too, such as Matter Agitation. Cook your food for one power point.

[Troacctid]

I considered this, but was not sure if they had enough skill to actually help out. Though I guess they can make skill checks that require a 10, which includes aid another. So Unseen Servant Horde translates into having a lot of aids on the check.

There's also Unseen Crafter from Races of Eberron, which uses your Craft (Cooking) ranks.

[Tohsaka Rin]

Synesthete power. Use your sense of touch to taste your food, while you're making it.

Rubik used my usual answer of Matter Agitation to cook.

So, to be different, I'm going to say a two-level dip into Exemplar. Why?

Big boost to skills you're already good at. The ability to take 10 with skills you're already good at. The best though, is Lend Talent.

The trick being, to take just enough of a penalty, so that your assistants can reliably hit the aid another target. Because several people can give you that +2 bonus, up to... Was it 6 people, if I recall correctly?

If I'm also remembering right, one splat book lets you provide a higher bonus from aid another with higher checks. The infinite reaches of cooking, to surpass the heavens themselves! All within your grasp! MWAHAHAHAHA!

...Ahem, sorry...

[Rubik]

If you wanted to go for a cerebremancer/mind mage build, you've got lots of stuff to play with as you level. (Psionic) Fabricate will help you to build fairy castles out of custard, and Time Hop will help keep food fresh, since it literally doesn't exist while the power lasts.

Use your imagination!

[Flickerdart]

boning exotic creature with weird anatomy
I'm just going to leave this here.

[Gnome Alone]

RANGER CHEF: And here's your margarita.
BIG FAT FIGHTER: Uh, shouldn't it be, like, cold?
RANGER CHEF: Ah, of course. Beg pardon. <Ray of Frost>!

---

FOODIE ELF CHICK: This owlbear lasagna, is, at best, tepid.
RANGER CHEF: On it. <Fireball>!
FOODIE ELF CHICK: ...was that satire?

---

BIG FAT FIGHTER: Wow, I never et a pseudodragon before.
FOODIE ELF CHICK: And still you shan't.
BIG FAT FIGHTRR: Snuh?
FOODIE ELF CHICK: For there is only so much flesh to parcel 'round, and if cannot be shared equally, then all should have naught.
RANGER CHEF: Oh-ho-ho, have you not heard of the ancient eldritch innovation, the All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet?
FOODIE ELF CHICK: (eyebrow raised)
BIG FAT FIGHTER: Nope. (snort) What is it?
RANGER CHEF: <Mass Reduce Person>!

[Malak'ai]

I'm just going to leave this here.

Should have left it back in the freezer :smalltongue:.

I've had a character use a Mithral buckler and the heat metal spell to cook soups and stews.

[Afgncaap5]

Magecraft is a wizard spell, right? Not just a Magewright spell? I think the Magecraft spell from the Eberron Campaign Setting is good for bumping up all the Craft (Cooking) checks you make. (In fact, that's part of Eberron's lore, really. Magically enhanced craftwork everywhere, even among the more or less magically untrained.)

And it's not a Wizard spell, but Artificers get the Skill Enhancing Item infusion (or whatever it's called.) I can't think of an easy way for a game without artificers to get their hands on that one, though.

[TypoNinja]

Guidance of the Avatar. +20 to your next skill check. Always amazing food, no matter the circumstances.

Stuck in a dungeon? This is the best dammed rat you've ever had.

[Telonius]

Killer Gnome build, using his spells to create the illusion of food. On a failed save, it's the most delicious thing you've ever tasted. Make the save, and it's even more delicious than you would have dreamed.

[Red Fel]

I've seen some references to Minor/Major Creation to create food or side dishes or garnishes. And that's cute, but come on, you can do better.

Two words: Instant Kitchen. Seriously, take your caster and turn him into a traveling chef.

Set up shop. Major Creation, Fabricate. You now have table, chairs, cutlery; oven, stove. Slap some ingredients together. Slice your foodstuffs with Flame Blade. Roast meat in the palm of your hand with Produce Flame. Create ambiance with Sculp Sound, Faerie Fire, even Major Image. It's practically dinner theater!

Best of all, since everything other than your real ingredients is created magically, it vanishes when the meal is over. No clearing tables or washing dishes; no putting away instruments or candles; everything wraps up real nice. All you need are the ingredients; everything else, much like the perfect dining experience, is an illusion.

[goto124]

All you need are the ingredients; everything else, much like the perfect dining experience, is an illusion.

Wait, if they're illusions, can you even sit on the chairs or put plates on the tables? Or will you and the plates go straight through the not-quite-existant furniture?

Still, simulating an outdoor picnic in an underground dungeon is really nice.

[atemu1234]

Prestidigitation: flavouring.
Burning Hands: Quick cooking / fire starter.

[Red Fel]

Wait, if they're illusions, can you even sit on the chairs or put plates on the tables? Or will you and the plates go straight through the not-quite-existant furniture?

Still, simulating an outdoor picnic in an underground dungeon is really nice.

Creation + Fabrication provides you with all the chairs, tables, and serving pieces you'll need. The illusions are to make the dank cavern walls look like a charming bistro, and the echolocation of bats sound like a trio of violins playing in the corner.

Like I said. You're paying for the experience.

Side note: Do not dine and dash. When your server/chef knows the arts of the arcane, failure to pay would be... unwise.