Mechanically beneficial cooking mechanic

[Roi C.]

I've recently started running Tomb of Annihilation for my group, after being a player for a year and a half. This is the first time I'm running a campaign, and I'm having a great time so far. One of my players used to be walking engine of arcane chaotic neutral destruction in the past campaign, over several characters. However, now he's playing a Loxodon barbarian, who's also a chef, and he started playing like a team player, acting sensibly and thoughtfully, and is a delight to play with.

My player really enjoys the cooking aspect of his character, and I want to reward him for his changed behavior, while also encouraging it by providing him with a way he could support the party in a positive, constructive way instead of just breaking things down. I'm looking for a cooking mechanic that isn't too complicated (no need for a different class or the likes) that could be fun and provides interesting and useful bonuses to the party - preferably one that could also work in the jungles of Chult. Any suggestions and ideas would be appreciated 😊

[False God]

Well, to continue his cooperative attitude, perhaps let him cook one-time spell effect foodstuffs. In the same way that if you eat certain foods in World of Warcraft you can gain a temporary "well fed" buff providing some minor benefits until it wears off. He would have to work with one of the other spellcasters, who would have to provide the spell components and some "magic" (an Arcana check), and know the spell of course.

Could cover anything from a healing stew to buffing cookies.

And of course, Fireball Cupcakes (requires actual Fireball Whiskey).

[Chronos]

The simplest use is to get on NPCs' good side by giving them food.

[Teaguethebean]

The gourmand geat is nice and if you want something simple you can rule having a good meal gives you 1d6 temp hp it isn't broken by any means and it makes a player feel useful.

[Zhorn]

In the same way that if you eat certain foods in World of Warcraft you can gain a temporary "well fed" buff providing some minor benefits until it wears off.
The simplest use is to get on NPCs' good side by giving them food.
The gourmand geat is nice and if you want something simple you can rule having a good meal gives you 1d6 temp hp it isn't broken by any means and it makes a player feel useful.
I'd say a mix of all ideas.
First up, instead of 1d6, swap out the bonus to using proficiency dice (DMG p263) to give it a bit of scaling with level.
Survival skill allows the cook to turn questionable animal/plant matter into viable rations.
As part of a short or long rest (I'd just say 'as a light activity' so it can be done in and out of rests), they can prepare a meal expending day's 1 ration per character to provide one of the following effects (a creature can only be under the effect on one meal at a time):
Sobering meal: For [proficiency dice] hours, the character has advantage against checks against intoxication.
Bolstering meal: Grants the creature [proficiency dice] Temporary hit points
Heartening meal: While eating this, a creature is overcome with a sense of contentment. Social rolls (persuasion, deception, etc) done in a friendly manner on this creature gain a [proficiency dice] +modifier
Recovering meal: A creature eating this as part of a short rest recovers an additional [proficiency dice] hit points.
Spicy meal: For [proficiency dice] hours, the character has advantage on initiative rolls.
etc, etc.

[Galithar]

I'd say a mix of all ideas.
First up, instead of 1d6, swap out the bonus to using proficiency dice (DMG p263) to give it a bit of scaling with level.
Survival skill allows the cook to turn questionable animal/plant matter into viable rations.
As part of a short or long rest (I'd just say 'as a light activity' so it can be done in and out of rests), they can prepare a meal expending day's 1 ration per character to provide one of the following effects (a creature can only be under the effect on one meal at a time):
Sobering meal: For [proficiency dice] hours, the character has advantage against checks against intoxication.
Bolstering meal: Grants the creature [proficiency dice] Temporary hit points
Heartening meal: While eating this, a creature is overcome with a sense of contentment. Social rolls (persuasion, deception, etc) done in a friendly manner on this creature gain a [proficiency dice] +modifier
Recovering meal: A creature eating this as part of a short rest recovers an additional [proficiency dice] hit points.
Spicy meal: For [proficiency dice] hours, the character has advantage on initiative rolls.
etc, etc.


I think this is a fantastic way to do this. Give them a number of things that they can choose from. It makes the ability more engaging, but since you control the options you can keep them relatively low in number so that he doesn't have to have a three page document to figure out what he can cook.

Using proficiency dice for scaling is something I with was used more often. Some abilities are great when you get them, but by the time you get yours the end of your campaign they don't get used anymore. A little bit of scaling can go a long way though.

[GorogIrongut]

I've recently started running Tomb of Annihilation for my group, after being a player for a year and a half. This is the first time I'm running a campaign, and I'm having a great time so far. One of my players used to be walking engine of arcane chaotic neutral destruction in the past campaign, over several characters. However, now he's playing a Loxodon barbarian, who's also a chef, and he started playing like a team player, acting sensibly and thoughtfully, and is a delight to play with.

My player really enjoys the cooking aspect of his character, and I want to reward him for his changed behavior, while also encouraging it by providing him with a way he could support the party in a positive, constructive way instead of just breaking things down. I'm looking for a cooking mechanic that isn't too complicated (no need for a different class or the likes) that could be fun and provides interesting and useful bonuses to the party - preferably one that could also work in the jungles of Chult. Any suggestions and ideas would be appreciated 😊

I had a character very similar to this... Gnom the Butcher. He was a dwarven Barbarian Ranger based on the premise that he came from a culture that believed, to truly gain the power of what you defeated, you had to consume it.

He was a very unpopular guy, walking around with a mountain of carcasses on his back as he tried to tweak countless recipes, always trying to find the secret to unlocking their 'essence'. Yes he had Gourmand. We never worked out a specific bonus from eating different meals. The end goal was going to be that he would harness the abilities of the creatures/monsters/etc. that he ate. The DM and I agreed this would most easily be conveyed by him getting access to Multi Class into druid (i.e. wild shape, nature based magic, etc.) So the more times I hunted and cooked foods in a way that would unleash their 'essence', the sooner I got to MC into Druid.

The character was a blast and would never eat something that he hadn't killed himself. He was very much a 'right through might' kind of character who focused on making himself stronger... but was always open to helping others to get stronger too.

This is a rough beginning of the artwork for Gnom. I don't have the finished work I commissioned online for an easy link to here.
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https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/a9ea4cc6-ca81-4831-b05d-0c8aac9b3f7b/d1v0hf3-5472e936-2d59-4298-bfa1-27e4bd3cd226.jpg/v1/fill/w_600,h_767,q_75,strp/butcher_dwarf_2_by_gorogirongut_d1v0hf3-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI 1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNh NWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMT g4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7 ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NzY3IiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvYTllYTRjYz YtY2E4MS00ODMxLWIwNWQtMGM4YWFjOWIzZjdiXC9kMXYwaGYz LTU0NzJlOTM2LTJkNTktNDI5OC1iZmExLTI3ZTRiZDNjZDIyNi 5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9NjAwIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpz ZXJ2aWNlOmltYWdlLm9wZXJhdGlvbnMiXX0.ZVRLFHBycd_v_P USQ-WPV15knO_WzId754beps1W5ho

[ad_hoc]

Inspiring Leader is a great feat to represent the character making meals for their party members.

[Griswold]

There is already an optional rule for cook's tools in Xanathar's Guide to Everything:


Prepare Meals. As part of a short rest, you can prepare a tasty meal that helps your companions regain their strength. You and up to five creatures of your choice regain 1 extra hit point per Hit Die spent during a short rest, provided you have access to your cook's utensils and sufficient food.

It's quite useful if your group uses short rests regularly.

[Damon_Tor]

At one point I gave my characters a "misery" stat. Misery went up when they went without comforts, and down when they experienced a bit of joy. Cooking to avoid eating trail rations was an important part of this.

It's worth noting there weren't any disadvantages to having high levels of misery. It had no effect on their adventuring abilities.

[Sigreid]

You could allow his cooking skill to extend rations by making soups and stews and such.

[DarkKnightJin]

There is already an optional rule for cook's tools in Xanathar's Guide to Everything:



It's quite useful if your group uses short rests regularly.

I've used this aspect of Cook's Utensils before. It's not a lot, but it could mean the difference between someone using another hit die or not, which could save them later on the day.

[Vogie]

What I'd do is a variation on a Bard's Song of Rest/bardic inspiration - something like:

Field Cooking (Requires Cook's Utensils and proficiency)
You can prepare fresh foodstuffs to help revitalize your allies during a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who eats this food regain hit points at the end of a rest:

each of those creatures regain 1 extra hit point per Hit Die spent during a short rest; or
gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus at the end of a long rest
and doesn't need to consume rations. Each creature who expanded one or more hit die to heal retains one of their hit dice as a Well Fed die until they start another rest.

A creature can roll the Well Fed die and add the number rolled to one Constitution, Wisdom or Intelligence check, or Initiative roll it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Well Fed die, but must decide before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Well Fed die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Well Fed die at a time.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

I've recently started running Tomb of Annihilation for my group, after being a player for a year and a half. This is the first time I'm running a campaign, and I'm having a great time so far. One of my players used to be walking engine of arcane chaotic neutral destruction in the past campaign, over several characters. However, now he's playing a Loxodon barbarian, who's also a chef, and he started playing like a team player, acting sensibly and thoughtfully, and is a delight to play with. My player really enjoys the cooking aspect of his character, and I want to reward him for his changed behavior, while also encouraging it by providing him with a way he could support the party in a positive, constructive way instead of just breaking things down. I'm looking for a cooking mechanic that isn't too complicated (no need for a different class or the likes) that could be fun and provides interesting and useful bonuses to the party - preferably one that could also work in the jungles of Chult. Any suggestions and ideas would be appreciated 😊

Xanathar's guide has a good option here, with skilled cooks being able to grant the party a few temporary hitpoints with well-prepared meals. The nice thing is it requires virtually no investment: No class or race or feats, just Cooking Utensil proficiency.