tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post979223826608855698..comments2024-03-27T10:03:08.323-07:00Comments on Methods & Madness: D&D 5e: Fixing food and waterEric Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09196219031821755216noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-48751818187588401932022-03-03T23:30:47.151-08:002022-03-03T23:30:47.151-08:00grass/fodder for herbavores has a horrid amount of...grass/fodder for herbavores has a horrid amount of calories per pound cant say how much but i know my horses used to graze all day plus then get 1 bisket of hay and 2kg of food pellets bulked out with a half cup of kobra (after water its about 2kg) so thats roughly 6kg of food on top of grazing and that goes up in winter. so thats a bit over 13 pounds a bit under 14.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11887850792877490617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-5751899718819945522021-12-14T21:02:56.072-08:002021-12-14T21:02:56.072-08:00A pound of pemmican (dried meat and fat) has about...A pound of pemmican (dried meat and fat) has about 2000 calories (protein and fat).<br />https://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/homemade-pemmican-beef-pemmican-294232751<br /><br />A pound of hardtack dried bread provides about 1887 calories. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardtack<br /><br />[So, a pound of pemmican and a pound of hardtack, 2 pounds of food total, would provide about 4000 calories/day.]<br /><br />So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men. About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women. These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages and food. About 20% of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks. <br /><br />[So, about a gallon per day.] <br /><br />You might need to modify your total fluid intake based on several factors:<br />• Exercise. If you do any activity that makes you sweat, you need to drink extra water to cover the fluid loss. It's important to drink water before, during and after a workout.<br />• Environment. Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional fluid. Dehydration also can occur at high altitudes.<br />• Overall health. Your body loses fluids when you have a fever, vomiting or diarrhea. Drink more water or follow a doctor's recommendation to drink oral rehydration solutions. Other conditions that might require increased fluid intake include bladder infections and urinary tract stones.<br />• Pregnancy and breast-feeding. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, you may need additional fluids to stay hydrated.<br /><br />When working in the heat, drink 1 cup (8 ounces) of water every 15–20 minutes. This translates to ¾–1 quart (24–32 ounces) per hour. <br />https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/UserFiles/works/pdfs/2017-126.pdf<br /><br />[So, about 2 gallons of water per 8-hour day in hot weather.]<br />Professor Bumblefingershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17377026855481056681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-17084174364008672302021-10-03T17:33:39.030-07:002021-10-03T17:33:39.030-07:00That's something I hadn't considered! Than...That's something I hadn't considered! Thanks!Eric Diazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09196219031821755216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-66004579681990269672021-10-01T10:44:58.945-07:002021-10-01T10:44:58.945-07:00The problem is the food we eat today is mostly wat...The problem is the food we eat today is mostly water, so weight is about twice to three times as much as what it would be for traveling. <br /><br />plus they would be carrying mostly dried food, even bread for traveling was often cooked twice once at high temperature and once at lower to drive off every bit of water possible. <br /><br />So that explains the low weight of food, but that missing water has to come from somewhere, so it's in additional water consumed, ie a whole gallon vs the half. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07207996156751081521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-55785577918967759282021-08-21T09:42:13.162-07:002021-08-21T09:42:13.162-07:00Yeah, that's how I've always played it. Bu...Yeah, that's how I've always played it. But I used to do lots of hiking and backpacking, so I knew from personal experience that water is usually the heaviest item in your pack. If you're carrying good filtration and know you have multiple streams ahead on your path, it doesn't make sense to carry the extra pounds. Having an extra empty bladder you can fill when you know the next source of fresh water is further away can be useful sometimes though, but it's a bit of a balancing act. Until you drink it down, the extra weight tends to slow you, which means you take longer to get to that next stream.Kitty Katswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07298989202847421057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-77731590297180793722021-04-06T23:14:43.821-07:002021-04-06T23:14:43.821-07:00Hey,
I know this post is old but maybe someone wi...Hey, <br />I know this post is old but maybe someone will read this. <br />I think a water skin only holds half the amount you need because you are expected to search for fresh sources of water anyways. <br />I would solve the issue by having the players roll for survival to forage for food and water while marching. Maxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10586575815559825161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-61105724542360049242020-06-10T17:01:26.214-07:002020-06-10T17:01:26.214-07:00It's a gallon of water a day because a travell...It's a gallon of water a day because a travelling day consists of 8 hours of rest, 8 hours of travel, and 8 hours of downtime. If I were walking for 8 hours a day, i'd certainly want a gallon of water. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17924429113798980791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-86590373546271766652020-02-28T23:45:47.703-08:002020-02-28T23:45:47.703-08:00From a military stand point, an MRE is a ration an...From a military stand point, an MRE is a ration and packed full of calories but is not heavy. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06521419008603978485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-45906529784560418332019-01-07T12:36:59.029-08:002019-01-07T12:36:59.029-08:00Let's consider the common foods of that time, ...Let's consider the common foods of that time, particularly the main stays of the rations, salted beef and salted nuts. A pound of corned beef (salt cured beef) comes in at around 1200 calories; a sufficient meal to survive, albeit a bit shy of a good calory count. Now on the other hand a pound of nuts has around 2800 calories. Of course yourey not just consuming one or the other, but a combination of both throughout the day. It's safe to say that these will be sufficient most days as a single pound.<br /><br />Now additionally, a tenth level player has the opportunity to increase his constitution TWICE meaning that a tenth level player CAN have a better opportunity to survive starvation than a first level.<br /><br />I will however agree that resetting the count to 0 after a normal day of eating is ridiculous. I personally rule that instead of resetting, each day of normal eating dials back the counter by one. <br /><br />So if you go four days without eating, and then eat for one day, I count that as 3 days without eating. However with the cheapness of rations I've never had to actually be concerned about my players not eating.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01244206100020630678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-21040917420068240652018-08-25T11:14:59.817-07:002018-08-25T11:14:59.817-07:00It's not much for detailed realism, but D&...It's not much for detailed realism, but D&D usually isn't that.<br /><br />You can't beat the simplicity of the number 1 as a base for multiplication. 1 kg would be slightly more realistic.<br /><br />Eric's solution of using "1 unit" is elegant, and would be more so if it were the same unit used for all encumbrance.chorthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06402741748076510065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-82390730952201711032018-05-03T23:22:43.407-07:002018-05-03T23:22:43.407-07:00A gallon of water a day sounded excessive to me, s...A gallon of water a day sounded excessive to me, so I Googled to see what the recommended intake is. Health experts suggest eight 8-oz glasses per day, which comes to half a gallon. Of course, that doesn't take into account an active, adventuring lifestyle. Still, it works better with half-gallon waterskins.Wyvernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13875391093860681312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-64788499097381403742017-11-03T08:58:29.697-07:002017-11-03T08:58:29.697-07:00I admit I don't usually take animals into acco...I admit I don't usually take animals into account (I assume they feed themselves with grass, hunting, etc), but it is an interesting topic.Eric Diazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09196219031821755216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-22629795331570759472017-10-29T18:20:37.208-07:002017-10-29T18:20:37.208-07:00Interesting topic. I've been struggling with s...Interesting topic. I've been struggling with similar questions, and had noticed the issue with a waterskin not containing enough water to satisfy one normal character thirst for a day.<br /><br />Another related issue is feed for animals. The PHB lists one day of feed as weighting 10 lbs, but the feeding rules are not supposed to be different for beasts of burden or animal companions. Since most of these (such as horses) are large, they should require 4 lbs of feed per day. What is that extra 6 lbs of feed for, then? Packaging material?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04120794095941460767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-4763558413221625932017-10-29T18:18:07.101-07:002017-10-29T18:18:07.101-07:00My understanding is that the exhaustion level from...My understanding is that the exhaustion level from lack of food or water ONLY goes away if you eat/drink first. Just taking a long rest is not enough, in and of itself, if you have not eaten or drunk.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04120794095941460767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-90349124693158173362017-09-26T18:01:51.961-07:002017-09-26T18:01:51.961-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Adelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06503809803822320765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-13835145451716622962017-07-18T21:18:29.573-07:002017-07-18T21:18:29.573-07:00Yeah - the rule, as written, doesn't work too ...Yeah - the rule, as written, doesn't work too well. Of course, they shouldn't recover from exhaustion without recovering the lost calories, etc. I made this explicit in my latest rules compilation.Eric Diazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09196219031821755216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-24453072777967153802017-07-12T17:48:07.989-07:002017-07-12T17:48:07.989-07:00The bigger problem is that characters only need to...The bigger problem is that characters only need to even have food along in case they get a level of exhaustion from something else. Assuming they have a good supply of water, after 3+CON days, they take a level of exhaustion, but if they take their long rest immediately after, the level of exhaustion goes away, leaving them fine 16 hours a day. Of course, if they get attacked at night, it could cause problems, but that doesn't change the underlying flawed mechanic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-58272974844649789852017-02-24T01:01:38.659-08:002017-02-24T01:01:38.659-08:00I have a very finicky system involving calories. T...I have a very finicky system involving calories. The end result is Half-Orcs and Dwarves eating twice as much as Elves, due to the differences in body weight. Technically accurate, but it gets a few complaints.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03040328083151040805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-55651769162003899992017-02-23T11:15:37.333-08:002017-02-23T11:15:37.333-08:00Bit off on the pemmican cals 1 days supply of pemm...Bit off on the pemmican cals 1 days supply of pemmican (~1.2 lb) supplies ~ – 0 calories from carbohydrates (0g) – 4050 calories from fat (450G) – 384 calories from protein (96g)<br />Total calories = 4434Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00728877083324061651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-11935562395979067102017-02-23T11:12:23.806-08:002017-02-23T11:12:23.806-08:00I think when you talk rations you need to think mo...I think when you talk rations you need to think more along the lines of Meal Ready-to-Eeat given a ration is not what I would think of as normal food. Each meal provide 1200 cals and one MRE weighs 510 to 740 grams (18 to 26 oz). However if we go with only dry foods 1 pound of Beef jerky has about 1440 cals. However if we go with Pemmican which has a whooping 4077 cals per pound we find a much better spot. Pemmican also has cases of people living off only of it for years because it is a complete food.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00728877083324061651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-35153454040178563142017-01-08T12:05:32.191-08:002017-01-08T12:05:32.191-08:00Yeah, you make some good points. I have recently b...Yeah, you make some good points. I have recently been using 3-pounds units of weight. So, 1 day worth of food means 1-unit in my current method. Not as detailed as your system, but at least seems to make more sense than the D&D idea of 1-pound per day.Eric Diazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09196219031821755216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-61098156010068320672017-01-06T21:58:45.549-08:002017-01-06T21:58:45.549-08:00The amount of food required on D&D is ludicrou...The amount of food required on D&D is ludicrous. Aside of their base being the iron rations of the XX century, the weight of food needed every day by an adventurer is messed up. The characters are like professional athletes, and the actual value of calories they is near 3200 kcal if they are adventuring (lots of fighting, climbing, hiking, and exploring). 3 pounds of fresh meat are required to achieve such values. I would also double the amount of food in cold weather, as heat preservation consumes a lot of energy.<br />I would change it for a more abstract value, the "ration", instead of a listed weight. The "ration" weight would vary by broad types of food (EG vegetables, fish, meat, cereals, bread, etc). I would also make a small table listing the weight, duration, prize and special features by food ration: eg: A ration of fresh meat weights 3 pounds, it's fresh for 2 days and costs 5 silver pieces.Estebonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18045320788916269301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-1763083417673864332016-05-01T18:30:54.551-07:002016-05-01T18:30:54.551-07:00Yes, but so is the real world. It takes several we...Yes, but so is the real world. It takes several weeks to actually starve to death. But without water you can die after a few days.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12761836906784926062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-50942651628619218152015-12-16T08:46:40.223-08:002015-12-16T08:46:40.223-08:00I read the post more carefully, it seems both your...I read the post more carefully, it seems both your houserules and 5E are more forgiving of starvation than dehydration.Gleblixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03546938383587063556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209855737812016509.post-40055319511228491092015-11-24T13:17:45.340-08:002015-11-24T13:17:45.340-08:00I didn't, in fact! Good catch! Sometimes I thi...I didn't, in fact! Good catch! Sometimes I think those specific rules were written without much thought, as if nobody was expecting that they would actually be used.Eric Diazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09196219031821755216noreply@blogger.com