Harvesting

The act of removing useful body parts from a creature is referred to as harvesting. Anything that can be harvested from a creature is referred to as a harvesting material or simply material. In general, only creatures that have died may be harvested, but there may be some exceptions based on context. This section details the steps associated with actually performing a harvest, and any factors that may influence it.

Appraising

Before a player begins hacking and butchering their hunt, they may instead choose to take a moment first and appraise the creature to be harvested. To do this, they must spend 1 minute examining the creature to be harvested and then rolling the appropriate skill check (see below). The DC of the check is equal to 8 + the Harvested Creature’s CR (treating any CR less than 1 as 0). Success on this check grants the player full knowledge of any useful harvesting materials on the creature, the DC requirement to harvest those materials, any special requirements to harvest them, and any potential risks in doing so. In addition, any harvesting check made on that creature by that player is rolled at advantage. A character may only attempt one appraisal check per creature.

Harvesting

In order to harvest a creature, a character must make a Dexterity ability check using the same skill proficiency as listed in the above appraising table. For example, a character attempting a harvest check on a humanoid would receive a bonus equal to their Dexterity modifier and their proficiency in Medicine (if they have any). This check reflects a character’s ability to not only properly remove the intended item without damaging it, it also involves any ancillary requirements of the harvest such as proper preservation and storage techniques.

Each individual item in a creature’s harvesting table is listed with a DC next to it. Any roll that a player makes that equals or exceeds this DC grants that player that item. Rewards are cumulative, and a player receives every item with a DC equal to or below their ability check result. If they so wish, players may opt to not harvest a material even if they have met the DC threshold to harvest it. Only one harvesting attempt may be made on a creature. Failure to meet a certain item’s DC threshold assumes that the item was made unsalvageable due to the harvester’s incompetence. For most creatures, the time it takes to harvest a material is counted in minutes and is equal to the DC of that material divided by 5. For huge creatures however, it is equal in DC of that material, while for gargantuan creatures, it is equal to the DC of that material multiplied by 2.

Harvesting a creature for meat to use as rations is based on the size of the creature. See the table below for amounts harvested. Harvest DC 10 yields the listed amount, listed as days worth of rations for one individual. Exceeding the DC by 5 increases the amount obtained by 1 day. Note that unless measures are taken to preserve this meat, it will begin to rot and loose all value as food after 7 days. After 3 days, consuming the food is a risk, requiring an additional Fortitude save at the day’s end.

Using Tools

If a player is harvesting a certain creature, or harvesting a creature of a certain type of material, the DM may allow them to use a relevant tool proficiency rather than a skill proficiency. For example, the DM may allow a player to add their proficiency with Tinker’s Tools to their attempt to harvest a mechanical creature or use their proficiency with leatherworking tools when attempting to harvest a creature for its hide. Alternatively, both creature type proficiencies may be replaced by proficiency with the harvesting kit.

In the collection of some parts of a creature, tools will be required. The collecting of a blood sample requires a medical kit which contains the syringe to collect it and the vial to store it in. An Engineering Kit, widget bag or Tinker's Tools would be required to harvest a mechanical creature. This is always left to the discretion of the GM and is based upon the idea that you must have the appropriate tool for the job as well as the appropriate container for the material harvested. The Harvesting Kit can often be used to replace other tools.

Harvesting with a specific set of tools (not the Harvesting Kit) allows you to also collect scrap for your tool that can later be used towards crafting. The amount of scrap collected is reflected in a credits value. The amount obtained is determined by the challenge rating of the creature being harvested and the roll of the player doing the harvesting. Successful scrap collection requires DC 10. Exceeding the DC by 5 increases the amount obtained by 10 and this is cumulative.

Splitting Responsibilities

Some party members may prefer to let one character handle the appraisal of materials, while another more dexterous character handles the actual harvesting. In this scenario, all benefits of appraising a creature are conferred to the player doing the harvesting, so long as the player that performed the appraising assists the harvesting player through the whole duration of the harvest.

Particularly Violent Deaths

This guide assumes that most creatures you attempt to harvest died in direct combat and thus already accounts for the idea that you are harvesting creatures that are not in pristine condition. However, some deaths are more violent than others and can make harvesting useful materials either extremely difficult or downright impossible. Such examples include burning by fire, dissolving from acid, or being completely crushed under a pillar of stone. In these cases, raise the DC for harvesting any of that creature’s materials by 5. Alternatively, the DM may decide that well orchestrated hunts result in a carcass that is prime for harvesting, such as creatures killed mostly through psychic damage, or those killed in one clean attack. In these cases, the DM should lower the DC for harvesting any of that creature’s materials by 5. Furthermore, the DM may adjudicate whether or not some of a creature’s individual materials have been made useless due to effects imposed by them in the course of their death. Examples may include blood being tainted from poisoning, or their pelt being worthless due to excessive slashing/piercing damage.

Carcass Degradation

This guide mostly assumes that harvesting takes place on a freshly killed corpse and that little to no decomposition has yet occurred. However, in some cases, a player may desire to harvest a creature that has been dead for quite a while. In these cases, the DM may declare that certain body parts have already withered away and become unharvestable or may decide to increase the DC’s of all harvestable materials as if the creature had died a particularly violent death. If corpse decomposition is too advanced, it is entirely within the DM’s right to deny harvesting the creature altogether.

As a quick guide, the following timeline may be observed to decide on decomposition levels:

• 1 hour after death: The carcass’ hide has ruptured from bloating and has become useless.
• 1 day after death: The carcass’ blood has become too tainted to be useful, and soft tissues like the eyes have putrefied.
• 3 days after death: The carcass’ internal organs have decomposed
• 7 days after death: The carcass has undergone extensive putrefaction and none of its soft tissue remains harvestable.
• Note: Harder materials like bones, teeth, claws, and hair do not generally undergo decomposition and will remain usable indefinitely.

Harvesting Dangerous Materials

Harvesting some creatures are more dangerous than others. While most creatures are harmless once killed, others possess Poisons, acids, and breath sacks that remain active even after the creature’s death. Even worse is that a simple misplaced knife stroke or errant twitch of the hand can lead to these materials accidentally harming the harvester.

Whenever a harvester rolls below the DC of a harvestable material that has a “Use” section that deals damage, the material is not just lost, it also expends its ability on the harvester. For example, a character that fails to properly harvest a poison would suffer the effect of that poison on themselves, or a character that fails to harvest a breath sack would release the effect of that breath sack in their direction. The exact adjudication of the failure result may change depending on the DM.

Harvesting from a creature that is infected with the Sonohoka Syndrome virus will present the risk of the harvester being exposed to the virus and becoming infected as well. Unless the harvester is wearing gear that would reasonably protect them from being exposed to the infected body fluids, they will need to roll for a virus exposure.

• Note: medical kits come with basic personal protective equipment. Using the medical kit for the personal protective equipment would count as a use for the kit.
• Materials harvested from Dark imbued creatures (Zombies , The Others, and The Awakened) is the source for the exotic material required for the crafting of Dark Gear.