Goodberries: How much sustenance do they really give?

[CrackedChair]

So... the Goodberry spell. This spell gives up to ten magical berries. You eat one, you gain 1 hit point and one berry itself can give you nourishment for one day.

But here is what I want to know... does sustenance stack? Like, if you eat a lot of goodberry, would you start to pack on some weight?

[Findulidas]

if you eat a lot of goodberry, would you start to pack on some weight?

Im pretty sure specifics like this is what you make up/decide as a dm.

[toapat]

But here is what I want to know... does sustenance stack? Like, if you eat a lot of goodberry, would you start to pack on some weight?

I would expect amplified risk for suger-overdose based health problems from eating Goodberries

Although judging from the material component, the first thing i would expect to go wrong even before Diabetes would be Diarrhea from the mild poison in mistletoe

[ruy343]

My interpretation (as a biochemist) - the most calorically dense foods on earth are composed of pure fat, and consuming a berry-sized amount (by mass - 7-8 grams, in the case of cherry) of butter would still only give 65-70 calories. Theoretically, you could get higher amounts of calories with a more calorically-rich food, but still, you probably wouldn't surpass 2000 calories.

No, I think that it's about giving sufficient vitamins/minerals for survival, though it doesn't provide the calories you might be accustomed to. Judging by how my druid/ranger characters are always so eager to find good food, my bet is that Goodberry can help them stay alive and functional, but it doesn't provide the nutrition and comfort that a warm meal of venison and potatoes might provide. I bet that after a few months of living off of goodberries, you'd lose a lot of weight, you'd be hungry, but you wouldn't have any vitamin/mineral deficiencies; you'd just be short on calories.

If the party was stuck in the underdark, they'd be happy to chomp on goodberries for a while, since it's the best they have, and it keeps them alive. However, the minute they found a better way to feed themselves (such as fishing, a nearby settlement, etc.), they'd probably go for it.

[Sigreid]

I assume that they magically just fill in what you need.

[Findulidas]

I assume that they magically just fill in what you need.

Thats what I assumed as well, since its a magical spell. Infact as a dm I would say that beyond giving the health and sustenance it wont give anything more. This means they are normal berries if you dont need anything.

[Sigreid]

A fun and available interpretation would be to run with the fact that it says it fills in your nutritional needs, but says nothing about hunger. So you could legitimately interpret it as you won't starve to death but you are still hungry as if you hadn't eaten until you get real food in you.

[Waterdeep Merch]

My interpretation (as a biochemist) - the most calorically dense foods on earth are composed of pure fat, and consuming a berry-sized amount (by mass - 7-8 grams, in the case of cherry) of butter would still only give 65-70 calories. Theoretically, you could get higher amounts of calories with a more calorically-rich food, but still, you probably wouldn't surpass 2000 calories.

No, I think that it's about giving sufficient vitamins/minerals for survival, though it doesn't provide the calories you might be accustomed to. Judging by how my druid/ranger characters are always so eager to find good food, my bet is that Goodberry can help them stay alive and functional, but it doesn't provide the nutrition and comfort that a warm meal of venison and potatoes might provide. I bet that after a few months of living off of goodberries, you'd lose a lot of weight, you'd be hungry, but you wouldn't have any vitamin/mineral deficiencies; you'd just be short on calories.

If the party was stuck in the underdark, they'd be happy to chomp on goodberries for a while, since it's the best they have, and it keeps them alive. However, the minute they found a better way to feed themselves (such as fishing, a nearby settlement, etc.), they'd probably go for it.

I'm no scientist, but wouldn't they still require some degree of fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and protein to prevent starvation? Vitamins and minerals alone would only allow for the upkeep of specific bodily functions, ones that would suffer immensely under the strain of a lack of calories. If goodberries only gave that then they'd actually be almost worthless as an emergency foodstuff, and far more useful in the context of filling but non-diverse food, as a fundamentally perfect supplement.

Butter might be the most calorically dense food known to man, but it's only magical when deep fried with bread. It seems more reasonable to assume goodberries provide the nourishment necessary to prevent the effects of starvation, as the spell claims to provide '...enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day'. That would require at bare minimum 1,500 calories for ordinary humanoids, and possibly a whole lot more for larger or stronger people.

The funnier thing is (as best I understand, I need to keep pointing out that I'm a nerd, not a scientist), even if it's capable of creating that many calories, you'd pretty much be incapable of gaining weight by eating them just due to sheer size. Unless the berries inflate by a monstrous factor when eaten, your body won't have that much excess material to work with, even if you ate multiple berries and overindulged your caloric intake. This means you wouldn't be pooping.

This would be the most debilitating part of prolonged goodberry use, nearest I can tell. A perfect foodstuff that sates you like that without expanding much in the gut (if at all) would basically cause things like skin problems, headaches, terrible intestinal pain, loss of appetite, and all manner of other horrible side effects. A druid or ranger used to noshing on these little hell berries would be desperate to put anything else into their system.

[ThurlRavenscrof]

Thats what I assumed as well, since its a magical spell. Infact as a dm I would say that beyond giving the health and sustenance it wont give anything more. This means they are normal berries if you dont need anything.

Agree. If your daily required nourishment is x, y, and z, but you've already had x, your good berry only contains y and z. So if you eat a dozen oranges and then a good berry, the good berry will contain no vitamin c.

If it were a prepackaged amount, you could make a baby sick by giving it a good berry with 2000 calories which very much goes against the spirit of the spell...

[Tetrasodium]

Duration: Instantaneous
Up to ten berries appear in your hand and are infused with magic for the duration. A creature can use its action to eat one berry. Eating a berry restores 1 hit point, and the berry provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day.The berries lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell.

It magically sustains the person eating it with the magic those berries are infused with.

[Phelan Boots]

It magically sustains the person eating it with the magic those berries are infused with.

Follow up question, what is the recommended daily allowance of magic for an adult human to consume?

[ThurlRavenscrof]

Follow up question, what is the recommended daily allowance of magic for an adult human to consume?

One bowl of Lucky Charms

[JackPhoenix]

It magically sustains the person eating it with the magic those berries are infused with.

Even better, not person, a creature. Anything from a mouse to the Tarrasque, no matter what dietary requirements it has, can be nourished by 1 Goodberry. Forget Fireballs, THIS is magic.

Well, anything except rakshasas, Tiamat and any other creature with (limited?) spell immunity.

[Tetrasodium]

It magically sustains the person eating it with the magic those berries are infused with.

There is no downside/risk/problem listed for eating multiple goodberries, presumably the spell only supplies as much or as little as the creature eating it needs. That presumption is backed up by the fact that it does not mention anything about the size of the person eating it.

[Waterdeep Merch]

There is no downside/risk/problem listed for eating multiple goodberries, presumably the spell only supplies as much or as little as the creature eating it needs. That presumption is backed up by the fact that it does not mention anything about the size of the person eating it.

This exacerbates my 'no pooping' theory. Though to be fair, a lack of pooping for upwards of a week isn't lethal, just painful. Past that, eventually it DOES become lethal. Your intestines start to inflame, the flora in your gut dies off, and the only thing traveling down most of your digestive track is digestive fluids and enzymes, which can do nasty things if undiluted for long periods of time.

Though it should be mentioned that goodberry also magically heals the imbiber. Perhaps part of that restorative magic also cures these otherwise debilitating and dangerous side effects?

[Tetrasodium]

This exacerbates my 'no pooping' theory. Though to be fair, a lack of pooping for upwards of a week isn't lethal, just painful. Past that, eventually it DOES become lethal. Your intestines start to inflame, the flora in your gut dies off, and the only thing traveling down most of your digestive track is digestive fluids and enzymes, which can do nasty things if undiluted for long periods of time.

Though it should be mentioned that goodberry also magically heals the imbiber. Perhaps part of that restorative magic also cures these otherwise debilitating and dangerous side effects?

Or it sustains that flora too & you poop like so (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYWhdLO43Q)

[Madbox]

Maybe it is very calorically dense, but the excess passes through? There is a limit to what the human body can absorb at once, speaking from experience.

[Lombra]

I'd rule that the hit point that it gives stacks but the wholeness of body that you feel and have is overwritten on the previous one like all magical effects of spells do.

[Beelzebubba]

My interpretation (as a biochemist)

My interpretation (as a magical elf) is that it gives you full nutrition...with magic.

[Arkhios]

I tend to think of them as strong "protein bars". Small snacks that give you enough energy to last for a full day. And a feeling of being full; no more hunger until a period of time.

[Findulidas]

My interpretation (as a magical elf) is that it gives you full nutrition...with magic.

Where is the magical elf school? Not dying of age, not having to sleep as much and seeing in the dark seems like really useful abilities. Prestidigitation could be really helpful as well. Although shape water seems more helpful for my job.

[toapat]

Follow up question, what is the recommended daily allowance of magic for an adult human to consume?

youll know when youre skin starts turning purple and illuminated glyphs begin tatooing you

[Beelzebubba]

Where is the magical elf school? Not dying of age, not having to sleep as much and seeing in the dark seems like really useful abilities.

You'd think, but it just means everyone has a ton of homework and major vitamin D deficiencies. Stay at Human school, you have better parties.