The wild may provide, but never freely.
Gathering food takes time, carries risk, and depends on season, terrain, weather, and knowledge of the land.
Food is not just a resource.
It is pressure.
Each character tracks rations with a Usage Die.
At least once per day, usually during a Full Rest, roll the character’s Ration Die.
Result | Effect |
|---|---|
1–2 | Step the Ration Die down |
3+ | No change |
If a d6 steps down, the rations are gone.
A character without food suffers hunger.
If a character has no rations and cannot eat within 24 hours, they gain 1 level of exhaustion.
While hungry, a character:
Cannot recover Stamina
May worsen through continued deprivation
The Referee may impose further consequences if hunger continues.
Starvation is slow, cruel, and dangerous.
Foraging, hunting, and fishing use the same basic procedure.
Gathering food:
Takes 1 full Phase
Requires suitable terrain
Requires a clear approach
May expose the party to danger
The player states what the character seeks and how they search.
Then roll:
WIS Check vs DC
A relevant Skill, Background, Ancestry, or Life Event may permit the attempt or grant a Boon.
Use this result for foraging, hunting, and fishing unless a specific rule says otherwise.
Result | Effect |
|---|---|
Success | Increase one Ration Die by 1 step |
Critical Success | Increase one Ration Die by 2 steps, or increase two Ration Dice by 1 step each |
Failure | No food is gained, and the Referee may introduce risk |
A Ration Die cannot increase beyond its original size.
Foraging covers plants, berries, roots, nuts, herbs, mushrooms, and edible signs of the land.
Environment | DC |
|---|---|
Abundant land | 8 |
Sparse land | 10 |
Harsh terrain | 12 |
Barren land | 16 |
Use the normal Gathering Results.
Hunting covers tracking, trapping, stalking, and killing game.
Prey | DC | Result |
|---|---|---|
Small game | 8 | Use normal Gathering Results |
Medium game | 12 | Use normal Gathering Results |
Large game | 16 | Increase each party member’s Ration Die by 1 step |
Large prey may be dangerous.
Blood, noise, and carcasses may attract attention.
A successful hunt may still create a Sign, Shift, or Encounter.
Fishing requires a river, lake, coast, marsh, or other water source.
Waters | DC |
|---|---|
Rich waters | 8 |
Normal waters | 10 |
Poor waters | 12 |
Barren waters | 16 |
Use the normal Gathering Results.
Fishing may also reveal signs of the water: tracks, crossings, hidden camps, strange currents, bones, or things beneath the surface.
A relevant Skill may change what is possible.
Skill or Background | Possible Benefit |
|---|---|
Hunter | Track game, set snares, read signs of prey |
Woodsman | Forage safely in forests and wild country |
Riverfolk | Fish, read water, find crossings and edible river life |
Farmer | Identify crops, edible plants, weather, and soil |
Wood Elf | Move quietly, read forest signs, find hidden food sources |
If the Skill only makes the attempt possible, roll normally.
If the Skill gives a clear advantage, grant a Boon.
If the Skill, tools, terrain, and preparation all strongly support the attempt, the result may feed multiple characters or restore an additional step.
Do not stack every small advantage.
Let the fiction decide.
The land does not give endlessly.
A hex may usually be gathered once per day.
Further attempts in the same hex increase the DC by +2 or more.
Barren, cursed, winterbound, overhunted, or heavily traveled areas may provide nothing without special knowledge or magic.
The Referee may rule that no roll is possible.
Gathering food exposes the party.
On a failed roll, the Referee may:
Reveal a Sign
Trigger an Encounter check
Waste a Phase
Damage or exhaust gear
Separate a character from the group
Draw predators, rivals, or local attention
Introduce a hazard, false trail, or complication
Noise, smoke, blood, movement, and delay all attract notice.
The wild feeds what feeds within it.
Let terrain and season matter.
Reward preparation, tools, local knowledge, and good questions.
Do not make food automatic.
Do not make scarcity constant unless the journey demands it.
Use hunger to create choices, not accounting.
A good gathering roll may reveal more than food: tracks, weather signs, hidden water, safe camps, animal trails, or nearby danger.
Food keeps characters alive.
The search for it makes the wild alive.