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1 of 1- Brock Savage
- Swordsman
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- From: Plateau of Leng
- Registered: 10/16/2016
- Posts: 357
Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
Goodberry renders most food management or survival challenges trivial (I don't find a 1st level "spell tax" very interesting or challenging) and renders a 3rd level spell, Create Food & Water, nearly obsolete. As far as I can recall, this has been true in every edition of D&D I have played so I concede there may be a good reason behind it. Thoughts?
- Blackadder23
- The Thousand and First Eye
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Re: Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
Apart from the fact that not every party has a druid (or other class capable of using this spell), fresh berries aren't found everywhere (especially not in very survival-challenging places like the desert and Arctic regions). Basically, to use goodberry, you have to be in a region that has some natural food available anyway.
Michael Sipe 1979-2018
Rest in peace, brother.
- Ghul
- Dread Necromancer
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- Registered: 3/01/2014
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Re: Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
Yes, and "fresh" is the operative word here. Typically speaking, I give freshness a five-day shelf life on most berries. After that, they are spoiling and no longer fresh.
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- Brock Savage
- Swordsman
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- From: Plateau of Leng
- Registered: 10/16/2016
- Posts: 357
Re: Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
Thank you for weighing in on this, gentlemen. Is it safe to assume a caster can't game the system with fresh inedible berries such as juniper or mistletoe?
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Thread Starter- Blackadder23
- The Thousand and First Eye
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Re: Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
Ghul wrote:
Yes, and "fresh" is the operative word here. Typically speaking, I give freshness a five-day shelf life on most berries. After that, they are spoiling and no longer fresh.
You're more charitable than me. I take "fresh" to mean "you picked them from the bush immediately before casting the spell". Either way, it puts the kibosh on a first level spell being able to circumvent all survival challenges.
Thank you for weighing in on this, gentlemen. Is it safe to assume a caster can't game the system with fresh inedible berries such as juniper or mistletoe?
I probably would not allow goodberry to be cast on inedible berries. Even if you did, the "fresh" requirement (which also exists in the AD&D version) keeps the spell from being used in the inhospitable terrain that provides the most severe challenges for survival. I mean, never mind goodberry; if the PCs are in the kind of terrain where berries are likely to grow, I would probably allow a druid to just locate edible plants for them. In my experience, goodberry is used (if at all) as a minor healing spell.
Michael Sipe 1979-2018
Rest in peace, brother.
- mabon5127
- Pure-blooded Pict
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- From: Ptarmigan Rock
- Registered: 3/02/2014
- Posts: 1,238
Re: Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
goodberry[/i]; if the PCs are in the kind of terrain where berries are likely to grow, I would probably allow a druid to just locate edible plants for them. In my experience, goodberry is used (if at all) as a minor healing spell.
Bingo!
“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?”
- Blackadder23
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Re: Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
One advantage goodberry does have over cure light wounds is that the healing can be split among more than one recipient. The drawback is (again) fresh berries must be on hand.
Michael Sipe 1979-2018
Rest in peace, brother.
- Iron Ranger
- Wicked Woodsman
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- From: The Scorched Sanctuary
- Registered: 4/04/2014
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Re: Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
One advantage goodberry does have over cure light wounds is that the healing can be split among more than one recipient. The drawback is (again) fresh berries must be on hand.
And I can't tell you how many times I've had to remind my players, "Fresh Goodberries don't grow on trees, ya know?"
- Jimm.Iblis
- Adventurer
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- Registered: 12/08/2017
- Posts: 289
Re: Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
And don't forget they are non-existant in extended delves underground. Dungeoneering 101. Don't eat the little brown berries.
Last edited by Jimm.Iblis (5/09/2018 8:45 pm)
"Role-playing isn't storytelling. If the dungeon master is directing it, it's not a game." ~ Gary Gygax
- Jimm.Iblis
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- Posts: 289
Re: Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
Yes, and "fresh" is the operative word here. Typically speaking, I give freshness a five-day shelf life on most berries. After that, they are spoiling and no longer fresh.
I've been a produce merchant. Berries are very quick to spoil, even with modern refrigeration, fungicides, and whatnot. They quickly absorb fungus from nearby fruits, and it spreads on them like wildfire. I've seen an entire cooler display of blackberries go from "fine" to "covered in white gunk" in the span of an 8 hour shift. I'd give a few berries kept in some sweaty hippy's mojo sack an hour or two at most.
In a fantasy world with giant insects, I wouldn't want to be the one carrying extemely fragrant little balls of candy, either.
Last edited by Jimm.Iblis (5/09/2018 8:57 pm)
"Role-playing isn't storytelling. If the dungeon master is directing it, it's not a game." ~ Gary Gygax
- Blackadder23
- The Thousand and First Eye
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Re: Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
Yes, and "fresh" is the operative word here. Typically speaking, I give freshness a five-day shelf life on most berries. After that, they are spoiling and no longer fresh.
I've been a produce merchant. Berries are very quick to spoil, even with modern refrigeration, fungicides, and whatnot. They quickly absorb fungus from nearby fruits, and it spreads on them like wildfire. I've seen an entire cooler display of blackberries go from "fine" to "covered in white gunk" in the span of an 8 hour shift. I'd give a few berries kept in some sweaty hippy's mojo sack an hour or two at most.
In a fantasy world with giant insects, I wouldn't want to be the one carrying extemely fragrant little balls of candy, either.
And if some idiot takes fresh berries into a dungeon, you can have yellow mold grow in his backpack. 
Michael Sipe 1979-2018
Rest in peace, brother.
- mabon5127
- Pure-blooded Pict
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- From: Ptarmigan Rock
- Registered: 3/02/2014
- Posts: 1,238
Re: Goodberry versus Create Food & Water
Yes, and "fresh" is the operative word here. Typically speaking, I give freshness a five-day shelf life on most berries. After that, they are spoiling and no longer fresh.
I've been a produce merchant. Berries are very quick to spoil, even with modern refrigeration, fungicides, and whatnot. They quickly absorb fungus from nearby fruits, and it spreads on them like wildfire. I've seen an entire cooler display of blackberries go from "fine" to "covered in white gunk" in the span of an 8 hour shift. I'd give a few berries kept in some sweaty hippy's mojo sack an hour or two at most.
In a fantasy world with giant insects, I wouldn't want to be the one carrying extemely fragrant little balls of candy, either.
And if some idiot takes fresh berries into a dungeon, you can have yellow mold grow in his backpack.
Iron Rations!
“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?”
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