Spoilage - Bad Meat is Bad News

The ability to locate water sources and food supplies is only one step to survival. This section provides information about food spoilage, water cleanliness and methods to neutralize any harmful threats to your immune system.

Just Because it Looks Clean...
In order to remain healthy characters should not assume that all food and water they locate in the wild is clean and safe for consumption. For example, it is incorrect to imply that your dinner was properly field dressed, prepped, cooked and consumed without any risk of contaminantion or disease. The same concept also applies to locating and consuming water sources.

Below is a chart to help you better determine the risks involved in eating or drinking different types of food or water.

Water & Food Purity DC Table
Note: The consumption of alcohol by a character will be handled on a situational basis until a more uniform system is implemented across the campaign setting. However, the consumption of alcohol may lead to the need to roll one or more Constitution saving throws. Drink responsibly!

When Good Food Goes Bad
It is the character's responsibility to maintain their food supply and ensure that their rations do not spoil.

The following chart will be utilized when characters are attempting to salvage raw food on the final day before rotting based on the time establshed in the corresponding Spoilage Tables in the opposite column.

Spoilage of Protein
The consumption of spoiled meat can potentially result in a variety of negative effects for the character.

How long did you say that ration has been sitting in your backpack? Sounds to me like you have some spoiled meat!

The chart on the opposite page will determine how long raw meat & fish will stay fresh before beginning to spoil.

Food Spoilage Table
Note: Subtract 1 day if the protein is fish or seafood.

Spoilage of Plants
The consumption of rotten fruit, vegetables and other plants can potentially result in a variety of negative effects for the character.

How long did you say that bushel of spinach has been sitting in your backpack? Sounds to me like you have some rotten veggies and a leaking green stained backpack!

The chart below will determine how long plant based food sources will stay fresh before beginning to spoil.

Preservation of Food & Water
Any attempts to preserve food or purify water while in the field will require the Survival check to be rolled at Disadvantage, unless 2 characters are proficient in which case it will be a flat roll.

Preserving Food
Consumption of raw or rotten meat may pose health problems for characters.

Food can be preserved using a variety of methods. For example, cooking, curing and smoking raw food can all help slow down the rate of spoiling. The same can be said for pickled plants. Water can be easily boiled. You may even want to filter your water. Each of these tasks takes a different amount of time to complete, requires different skills and equipment, as well as extend the shelf life of rations differently.

In order to craft long term (week to week) rations a character is required to have the Chef profession and have the proper equipment. Some of these processes will vary in length and extend the shelf life of food differently.

Characters can choose to cook one time meals in the field by making a successful Survival check (proficiency is not required). These rations cannot be stored long term.

Purifying Water
''Clean water is essential for the survival of most life forms. Failure to properly purify dirty water may expose characters and animals to unnecessary health risks.''

Note: Only dirty water needs to be purified. There is no reason to boil fresh water for purification purposes.

Preservation & Purification Notes
It may be necessary for characters to cook or preserve food and purify liquids.

Food & Water Poisoning
''Characters who knowingly drink dirty water or consume spoiled protein and plants will be exposing themselves to the effects of poisonous food (Ingested Poison, DMG pg. 257) and must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. Consumption of dairy is a DC25 and seawater is a DC 30.''

A failed save means the character is instantly poisoned, takes 2d6 damage and rolls off the Food & Water Poisoning Table below and suffers from the symptoms/side effects for the amount of time indicated by the die roll. If the character fails the saving throw by 5 or more, they are also diseased for the duration of the sickness.

Food & Water Poisoning Table
Note: Characters that are immune to poison & disease will NOT suffer from these effects. However, characters that are immune to only one of them may still be susceptible to the other condition.

Note: Poisonous meat and plants are NOT found on the hunting, fishing or foraging tables. It is assumed that the character is either unaware that they are eating spoiled or poisoned food, has little knowledge of the collected resource or consciously is willing to risk their health.