When characters strike out the players often count on the DM to assume that the characters brought along enough food. If this is done however the DM is passing up a prime way to make players nervous. After all, hunger kills as surely as dragon flame.

Infinitely complex systems could be devised to handle the problem. I've seen many that go into detail as to how much of which food is required. However, most of us in the end eat three square meals a day. Building from that, the average character requires 3 food points a day. This is modified by the character's Strength / Muscle, for a high muscle mass requires a high calorie intake (ask any body builder). Add one to the character food requirement for every bonus he receives for his attack roll. Similarly, a penalty to the attack roll reduces required food intake, but never less than one.

One point's worth of food will vary in weight and bulk depending on what the food actually is, but assuming that the characters use compact foods that keep well - 5 food points will weigh a pound a possess a bulk point (see Skills and Powers).

This is all fine and well, but it also assumes that the character eats well. A character can eat less than his daily requirement (indeed, he may be forced to) of food, but not without consequence. The amount of food that a character can eat falls into four categories: well, fair, poor, and none.

• Well: There are no penalties associated with a character eating well.
• Fair: The character could suffer from slight malnutrition if an extended period passes before he can eat well. Eating Fairly is defined as consistently eating around half the required amount of food for the character. Secretly roll a save vs. death once every two week period that passes without the character eating well. If the save is failed the character's strength / muscle drops one point. Lost muscle is recovered at a rate of one a week that the character is well fed. Constitution / Health checks against disease are made at a -2 penalty if the character has not ate well for two weeks.
• Poor: Eating very poorly is detrimental to the character in the short run as well as the long. Eating poorly is defined as the character eating less than half his daily bread as it were. 1d6 days plus the character HP adjustment can pass without incident, but afterwards the character must save vs. death each additional day or lose one point of both strength and constitution. The two can drop as low as 5 due to eating poorly. Note that the character's nutritional requirement changes as strength drops, and always consider the current strength rating when determining a character's food requirements. Recovering from poor nutrition requires one week per point of strength and constitution point to be gained back, which return together, one each a week.
• None: Fasting may be a requirement of certain priesthoods, but over prolonged periods it is extremely dangerous. Fasting for our purposes also includes eating poorly one day and nothing the next few. It can continue for 1d4 days + the HP adjustment of the individual. After that period, all physical statistics (Strength, Dexterity and Constitution) begin to drop. Once every six hours the character saves vs. death, if he succeeds he forestalls starvation for that time period. However, the very next save against starvation is failed automatically and the attributes drop one point. If ANY of them reach 0 for any reason the character dies immediately as if he were reduced to -10 HP

Recovering from starvation is not simple. First the character must return to a well fed diet. The lost points return at a rate of one each a week. Exceptional strength however may be lost permanently by the ordeal. For every point of strength / muscle beyond 18 that needs to be recovered the character must roll a system shock roll penalized 1% for every day of starvation experience. Failure means a loss of one point of exceptional strength permanently.

Finally, food has a nasty habit of spoiling, and if no priest is present to cast Purify Food and Drink this might be a problem. Food must pass a check once a week or spoil. The check is normal made on a 10 or above plus the food's age in weeks. Note that certain foods spoil even faster (meat would check every day) or slower (certain breads keep for months). If a character eats spoiled food he must save vs. poison. If the check is failed the DM can determine the nature of the ailment on his own, but if the food was obviously spoiled (and the character knew anyway) the DM is justified in changing this to a save vs. death. Generally meats offer the worst food poisoning possibilities.

And last but not least is the subject of priest curative magics. The various cure wounds spells have no effect upon the effects of starvation, nor does the spell heal or healing potions. Neither is starvation a disease (and hence Cure Disease is useless). Create Food and Water can be redefined as creating 2 food points of nourishment per level (and thus ten at 5th level, the amount needed to feed three people as defined by the spell). A Heroes' Feast spell will dispel starvation effects if the subject saves vs. spell, though the system shock roll may still be required to regain lost exceptional strength. Create Food and Water is 9 Food points per level

Creatures and Food needs

A 3-food point a day is a measurement for the usual PC races. The amount required by other creature is linked to size as follows

Table 7: Size and Base Food Needs

            *The massiveness of Dwarves pretty much precludes them being considered any less than man sized for this purpose.

If the DM wishes to be exact on the food needs of a creature take the base for his size and adds his hit dice. For instance, Gnolls are large 2 HD critters, so 8 food points are needed by them a day.

The problems of thirst are often far more immediate to a character, for thirst kills in a matter of hours rather than days. Normally a human requires a gallon of water throughout the day, but physical exertion and climate can change this as follows

Table 8: Water Requirements per day (in gallons)

Temperature -------------------------------- Activity Level -----------------------------------

As with food, their are four ways a character can drink a day: Well, Fair, Poor and Not at all.

* Well: If the character drinks as much water as is needed according to the chart above she is all right. If she is skilled at desert survival she may halve the amount listed.

* Fair: If the character drinks over half the amount required but not the full amount for the day she must roll her fatigue resistance (determined by Strength / Stamina) or become fatigued until she drinks what she needs. The effects of fatigue are more fully detailed later in the chapter.

* Poorly: If the character drinks poorly (less than half his need) he is fatigued automatically and must save vs. death or loss 1d6 hit points. If the character falls below 0 he passes out.

* None: The effects of not drinking anything begin to take their toll one day after the character stopped drinking for whatever reason. The effect is that once an hour the character saves vs. death or loses one point from Strength, Dexterity and Constitution. The character can never succeed at two consecutive checks, for if one passes the next is failed automatically. If any statistic reaches 0 he dies instantly from dehydration.

Optionally the DM can link the rate of the checks with the temperature and activity. It's slightly more complicated, but adds to the tension that the situation is sure to possess. The chart also indicates the possibility of the character suffering from what is know as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. The DM may require a roll against heat stroke regardless of how well the character has drunk.

Table 9: Dehydration Checks

Temperature --------------------------------- Activity Level ---------------------------------

Range Inactive Active Very Active Strenuous

Below 30F 3 hrs. 2 hrs. 1 1/2 hrs. 1 hr.

30 - 50F 2 hrs. 1 1/2 hrs. 1 hr 45 min

50 - 70F 1 1/2 hrs. 1 hr. 45 min 30 min

70 - 90F 1 hr. 45 min 30 min 15 min

90 - 100F 45 min. 30 min 15 min 10 min*

100 -110F 30 min. 15 min 10 min* 5 min*

110F or more 15 min. 10 min* 5 min* 1

* The character must also save vs. death at the same time and if he fails he take 2d6 points damage and collapses of a heat stroke (unconscious for 2d4 turns). At the DM's option this check can be required of characters regardless of whether or not they have drunk adequately

1. The character must save vs. death every single round against heat stroke a cumulative -1 penalty a round. Once the character collapses to the heat stroke he is reduced to -1d4 hit points and will not survive without aid. If the character has drunk adequately he /she is not subject to this severe of a heat stroke.

• Create Water: This spell can be used to avert many effects listed here in the first place.
• Cure wounds: The cure wounds spells can recover the damage incurred by heat stroke, but the long term effects of dehydration (such as statistic loss) are unaffected.
• Endure Cold / Endure Heat: This spell has no direct effect on dehydration, but the rate of its occurrence is the same as if the temperature was between 50 - 70F with these spells.
• Resist Fire / Resist Cold: As Endure Cold / Endure Heat.
• Create Food & Water: 2 gallons of water can be produced in place of one food point.
• Cure Disease: No effect on dehydration
• Heal: Heal can remove the effects of dehydration, but such a casting restores no hit points.

Foraging and Hunting.

Sooner or later the characters are going to want to gather some food rather than purchase it or pack it. To do so requires knowledge of the survival proficiency appropriate to the terrain one is located in (Unless that happens to be farmland, although the farmers don't like people stealing from their fields). No proficiency check is required to gather the amount the character himself needs, but to gather more is tricky. Roll a check, and for every point of success add 3 food points. This assumes 6 hours are spent foraging, if less time is spend impose a -1 penalty for each hour less than 6. Hunting can be resolved the same way, and for the curious most normal animals are worth as many food points as they had hit points in life +2 per size category greater than tiny. (This is natural hit points. HP gained from any class abilities obviously do not count).

Notes: