Meals & Cooking

In this campaign, you can eat (or even prepare) special meals that give you temporary bonuses. The bonuses provided by the food last for 24 hours, or until replaced by another meal bonus. You can only benefit from one meal bonus at a time. These meals are usually consumed as part of a long rest, while staying at an inn or camping in the wilderness.

Cooking

When camping in the wilderness, you can prepare these food if you have proficiency with cook's utensils and have access to the utensils and a fireplace. Each type of food also requires different key ingredients that can be hunted down or foraged by anyone. Cooking food and gathering ingredients are considered part of a long rest, but any person can only participate in one activity per long rest. It is possible to cook a meal during a short rest, but only if the appropriate ingredients are already available.
A DC 12 Perception or Investigation check is required to find the ingredients in an appropriate environment, an attack roll is required to catch a living creature, and a DC 12 Survival or Nature check is required to discern if the ingredient is edible (or risk food poisoning). Successful gathering usually provides enough ingredients for one meal.
It is assumed that the cook's utensils contain basic igredients like flour, salt, sugar and spices. You can prepare enough food for a number of creatures equal to 4 + your proficiency bonus.
When attempting to create the meal, you can make an Intelligence or Wisdom check (your choice) with the proficiency bonus provided by the cook's utensils trying to meet the DC of the meal. If you have the Chef feat or the guild artisan: cook/baker background, you gain advantage to the check. Another party member with proficiency in cook's utensils can also help in the process, giving you advantage. You only have one chance to cook a special meal per rest.
If the skill check fails, the cooked food is nourishing (if odd tasting) but does not provide any bonuses beyond that. Cooked meals cannot be preserved and must be eaten during the long rest or be lost, but gathered ingredients not used in a meal may be stored for later use depending on how well they preserve.

List of Special Meals

Inns and restaurants around the world might serve these meals on their menu for a varying range of prices.

Chewy Meatballs (DC 12) Gives the eaters +1 Armor Class for up to 24 hours. Ingredients: eggs + meat

Healthy Stew (DC 12) Gives the eaters 1d10+1 temporary hit points for up to 24 hours. Ingredients: mushrooms + vegetables

Quick Salad (DC 12) Gives the eaters +5 feet of movement speed for up to 24 hours. Ingredients: nuts + vegetables

Fish Soup (DC 15) Gives the eaters +1 bonus to all Dexterity checks and saving throws for up to 24 hours. Ingredients: fish + vegetables

Meaty Feast (DC 15) Gives the eaters +1 bonus to all Strenght checks and saving throws for up to 24 hours. Ingredients: meat + fish

Hearty Broth (DC 15) Gives the eaters +1 bonus to all Constitution checks and saving throws for up to 24 hours. Ingredients: meat + vegetables

Nutty Granola (DC 15) Gives the eaters +1 bonus to all Intelligence checks and saving throws for up to 24 hours. Ingredients: nuts + berries

Mushroom Omelette (DC 15) Gives the eaters +1 bonus to all Wisdom checks and saving throws for up to 24 hours. Ingredients: mushrooms + eggs

Sweet Dessert (DC 15) Gives the eaters +1 bonus to all Charisma checks and saving throws for up to 24 hours. Ingredients: berries + eggs

Chef's Special (DC 20) Gives the eaters +1 bonus to all weapon and spell attacks and damage rolls for up to 24 hours. Ingredients: any four from the list

List of Special Meal Ingredients

Berries are found from areas with bushes or heavy undergrowth. Berries have a risk of being poisonous. Gathered berries last for a week.

Eggs are found from nests up in trees, cliffs or among reeds on a shore. Gathered eggs last for a week.

Fish is found by fishing or catching crustaceans by water. An attack roll is required to catch a living fish. Gathered fish lasts for a day.

Meat is found by hunting animals or birds. An attack roll is required to catch a living animal for meat. Gathered meat lasts for a day.

Mushrooms are found from moist and shady areas such as forests, caves and swamps. Mushrooms have a risk of being poisonous. Gathered mushrooms last for a month.

Nuts are found from certain trees and bushes. Gathered nuts last for a month.

Vegetables are commonly found from fields and forests. Gathered vegetables last for a week.

Item type

Consumable, Food / Drink