Cooking Utensils

O
nce, a famous chef said that "anyone can Preparation
cook". This doesn't mean that anyone can be a
great chef, but that it means anyone can Different meals are made with different methods of cooking.
become proficient in Cook's Utensils. This Pork might be open-roasted on a bonfire or it might be made
guide is to give a DM advice on how to into stew in a pot. Whatever the case, different foods require
facilitate the use of Cooking Utensils in their different tools to prepare, and as such invoke different parts
games with greater detail, focusing on of the Cook's Utensils.
ingredients, bonuses, and suggested difficulty of crafting
certain types of meals. Preparation
Method Equipment Examples
Reminder: Parts of the Cooking Utensils Open Pan, Source of heat, Sauteeing,
set Cooking Grilling
As per Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Cooking Utensils use Closed Enclosed source of heat, Baking, Oven
the following tools to form a kit: Cooking Baking Sheet roasting
A metal pot, with an accompanying lid Roasting Source of heat Bonfire cooking,
Eating utensils and cutlery Spit roast
A stirring spoon and a ladle Mixing Pot, Something to mix with Salad tossing,
However, this module suggests to add some utensils to Trail Mix
enhance the usage of the Cooking Utensils, including: Frying A metal container filled with Deep frying
Cooking Oil, Source of Heat
A frying pan
A wooden chopping board There are other methods of cooking than just the ones
A skewer or spit listed. Again, these act as a springboard to inspire ideas of
A baking sheet or any flat metal sheet what materials may be needed to produce a certain meal. For
A small variety of basic spices and herbs example, a flambé might require the same ingredients as an
A spatula, some tongs, a carving fork, and a basting brush Open Cooked meal, but also require Cooking Oil to complete
Optional additions include a pressure cooker, miniature the recipe.
oven, tinder box for starting fires, or even material
components for spells that conjure heat and/or food.
Cooking: Why? Source of Heat
Cooking foods can provide a various amounts of potency to a Nearly anything requires a source of heat, whether
campaign. For starters, a survival-based campaign has much it is a simple campfire or a mechanical heating unit.
For most items requiring food, the heat must be
more depth when discerning edible and inedible foods, and applied the full duration of the time preparing. Use
applying those to a recipe-based system. Second, in a world your discretion to determine special cases, such as
of magic and extranatural flora and fauna, certain foods may if the pan was still hot for a short time after the
confer special benefits to the consumer. As a result, some heat source was removed.
people may pursue special meals to gain these benefits.
Finally, the storytelling element of introducing exotic foods
can add the extra narrative elements that help a player
genuinely feel like they are part of a living, breathing world.

To Make a Meal
Creating a meal takes time, ingredients (duh!), and
knowledge. The time and ingredients a meal takes widely
vary between different foods. Larger dishes may require
more time and preparation, while simple snack foods may
take little to no preparation to be considered edible.
Different meals require different types of ingredients,
which

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 Time Because passive cooking requires less focus, it does not
incur penalties when keeping watch. Additionally, time spent
Some meals take more time to prepare than others, but some passively cooking something can be used to cook an
take more time to cook. The time it takes to cook a certain additional recipe. Keep in mind that while a player can
food is entirely up to the Dungeon Master. To prepare or cook prepare something actively while any amount of things are
a meal, the cook must remain near his utensils for the passively prepared, only one things can occupy a certain
complete duration to complete the meal. container (for example, you may bake both a pizza and a cake
Preparation times can be standardized into 4 categories: in the same oven, but you cannot make two types of soup at
the same time in the same pot).
Short: Less than 1 hour, usually reserved for snacks and
other food that serves as a supplement more than a meal
by itself.
Medium: From 1 to 4 hours, usually making a full meal
that is sufficient enough to carry out tasks.
Long: From 4 to 8 hours, these meals usually are a full-
course meal complete with appetizers, a main course, and
side dishes.
Very Long: More than 8 hours, these meals usually take
much less physical effort than just simply cooking. For
example, a roast may not need much effort aside from the
occassional turning.

It's All About Timing

Without a proper way to track time, a player may
need to make an Intelligence (Cooking) Check to
determine whether a meal if finished cooking.
If the meal is not finished Cooking, and it
contains ingredients that may bestow illness if not
properly prepared, the DM may choose to force all
consumers to make a Constitution Saving Throw
against being ill.

Using Rests to Cook

Cooking, as with any other artisan activity, can be seen as an
exercise in creativity. As such, using Cook's Utensils during a
short or long rest to make a meal qualifies as restful activity.
However, the DM may choose to make cooking a non-restful
activity if they desire.
Using Downtime to Cook
If a player gets a long period of time off to cook, they may
make as much food as they can within that time period.
However, a DM may put a limit to how long food can last to
ensure that food cannot be created and consumed in large
quantities. Alternatively, they may spend one week learning
one new recipe that they have acquired, reading and studying
it to commit its contents to memory. Image Source: Lucas Firmino - The Cooking Dwarves on
ArtStation
Active vs Passive Time
Another factor a DM may consider when factoring time spent
into a dish is whether that time is spent actively working on
preparing a food or passively waiting for it to cook. Active
cooking requires devoting a person to preparing the dish,
while passive cooking is simply remaining nearby.

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 Sometimes the heat of a pot or the smoke from a particularly Con
Skill Checks spicy dish can cause a weaker-willed chef to be overwhelmed.
With all of the ingredients ready, a dish can be prepared. As Conversely, a chef who is physically conditioned can
mentioned earlier, a degree of knowledge is needed to withstand more strenuous adversities. Although Constitution
perpare a meal. As such, there are a series of possible rolls to usually does not include proficiency, a DM may choose to use
make when determining certain circumstances. They will be it here, reflecting experience in cooking-related hazards. N
divided into categories based on the main attribute used to Here are some Difficulty Class recommendations based on Av
perform the skill check. Remember that a person proficient what task is performed:
in Cooking Utensils will add their proficiency bonus to the Not
check along with their attribute modifier.
Gra
Creating multiple dishes can present a problem if they are
inconsistent with one another. As such, if a cook attempts to
prepare multiple dishes at once, they may need to make an Int
Intelligence-based skill check to make sure they are following
each recipe seperately. These may not be needed if preparing A che
multiple of the same dish, but remember that there's only so find a
much room in an oven! histor
Diffic
How to use this section perfo
This section gives ideas on different skill checks that a player Inte
may need to make during the process of making something.
Not every dish requires a Skill Check, but making items in bulk
or making a particularly complicated dish may call for one or
even several to successfully complete. Pre
Accu
As with any skill check, some problems may occur while
preparing a meal. For example, a chef may accidentally hurt A
himself on his cutlery, or perhaps add too much salt. Too
many penalties may even have adverse effects on the dish,
especially if something inedible was present! Acc

Dexterity
Some dishes call for a chef to dice, peel, or otherwise operate Wis
an object requiring manual dexterity. As such, a skill check A goo
may be called to perform the action. Here are some Difficulty great
Class recommendations based on what task is performed: beyon
Wisd
Dexterity Checks and e
DC Diffic
Action Check perfo
Peeling a potato 10-14
Wis
Descaling or gutting a fish 15-18
Cutting something into thin slices 18-22
Cutting or carving through a chitinous shell's 22-25 Tas
weakpoints to expose the flesh T
Skinning an overripened peach without bruising 25
the interior Accu

Constitution Accu

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Materials Required
To create a type of food, a chef must have learned the recipe
and have the ingredients to create it.
Ingredients
A great way to determine the quality of a meal is to establish
how easy (or difficult) it is to procure its ingredients. A meal
that has mundane or otherwise abundant ingredients should
tend to be less potent than meals that have incredibly rare
and exotic ingredients.
How to use this section
The goal of this section is not to make absolute requirements
to create food. Instead, it gives ideas for implementing
ingredients and recipes into the world.
Getting Ingredients
Getting ingredients can be as easy as a trip to the farmer's
market or as hard as a trip to a red dragon's farmer's market.
The scarcity of a resource typically relies on where it can be
found and what methods are taking to extract it. For example,
real world saffron is extremely valuable because a great deal
of labor is spent extracting the spice from a flower that grows
only during one season in the year.
When designing a recipe, especially for a region or culture,
keep in mind the resources available to them whether by
foraging, agriculture and horticulture, or foraging. Perhaps
some recipes have become outdated because the availability
of those ingredients has dwindled for one reason or another.
Likewise, perhaps a settlement relies on a staple food to
survive and has created many recipes for it, potentially
spelling doom if that food becomes unavailable.
Ingredients come in five rarities: Common, Uncommon,
Rare, and Very Rare, and Legendary.
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.
Recipes
A recipe is a formula known and used to make a particular
food. For some cultures, such as Halflings and Gnomes,
cuisine is a central part of a culture. On the other hand, some
cultures may not be too concerned with the artistry of
recipes, but use recipes as an indicator of whether something
can be eaten or not. As such, consider the utility that a recipe
brings to the culture that uses it. Halflings likely have hand-
written recipes, passed down from generations; Orcs,
meanwhile, have verbal instructions (supplemented by first-
hand experience) on what to eat and what not to.
Learning a new recipe takes time and practice. One week
of downtime is a surefire way for anyone to earn enough
practical experience to learn a new recipe, while spending
only a long rest is enough for a chef with high aptitude to
grasp it. For a chef to prepare a meal that they have spent at
least one long rest studying may make an Intelligence
(Cooking) Check to attempt to remember the recipe's
instructions. The Difficulty Class should be in proportion to
the complexity of the recipe.
A character with proficiency in Cook's Utensils starts with
knowledge of the basic cuisines and eating habits of known
races. As such, a well-stocked cook can whip something up
for nearly anyone they may be traveling with. To acquire more
recipes, they may need to do some shopping around, expend
downtime to conduct research, or even find lost recipes in the
nooks and craneys of the world. Be prepared to create lost,
hidden, secret, or otherwise unique recipes that can be used
as a reward to players. At the very least, it could fetch a
decent price if it's sold to a chef!
Image Source: parkyeonjun
Benefits
The time and dedication to make a meal is not in vain,
though. Eating is necessary for survival, after all. You may
refer to Page 185 of The Player Handbook to learn more
about Food and Water. What's more, eating a rare or
extravagant meal can sometimes bestow the consumer
special power for a short time. This power varies in length,
potency, and type based on what was eaten and how large the
overall meal is. Larger and more expensive meals give a
larger boost than small afternoon snacks.
These benefits are divided into 3 categories: Minor,
Medium, and Major. Creating a food also calls for a certain
cost to produce, so your food should give a benefit
proportional to the difficulty of producing the meal.
Minor
Benefit
Increases one type of skill checks (eg Survival, Perception,
Acrobatics) by + 1d4 for 1d6 hours
Grants 1 Hit Dice of temporary hitpoints
On the next Short Rest, restores 1 extra Hit Point per Hit
Die expended
The consumer cannot be put to sleep, magically or
nonmagically, for 1d6 hours
The consumer recovers from one stage of exhaustion
Gain + 1 to one type of Saving Throw (eg Dexterity,
Intelligence, Charisma) for 1d6 hours
+ 1 to Spell Attack rolls for 1d6 hours
Gain an additional 10 ft. of darkvision for 1d6 hours
When taking damage of a certain type (eg Force, Fire,
Slashing), reduce the total damage taken by 1 for 1d4
hours
Major
Benefits
Grants advantage on one attribute skill checks (eg all
Wisdom Skill Checks) for 1d6 hours
Increases Attack and Damage rolls by 1d4 for 1d6 hours
Increases AC by 1d4 for 1d6 hours
Immunity to 1 damage type for 1d6 hours
Advantage to Spell Attack rolls for 1d6 hours
Grants 2 Hit Dice of healing and 2 Hit Dice of temporary
hitpoints
Advantage to one Saving Throw type (eg Dexterity,
Intelligence, Charisma) for 1d6 hours
Doubled/twinned (applies to two types of something)
effect OR duration of a Medium Benefit.
Below is a reference guide to determining what level of
benefit should be given based on the rarity of the ingredients.
Although it is advised to not exceed 2 total benefits per food,
such may be done with the DM's discretion.
Sharing is Caring
Food is better together! Should a party designates
one player to be the chef, the DM may choose to
adjust the serving size of certain meals to ensure
everyone has a chance to gain a meal's benefits. On
the other hand, a DM may instead choose to only
allow a certain amount of people to enjoy the dish
so players are encouraged to take more care into
resource management, strategic buffing, and
considering taking up Cook's Utensils themselves.

Medium
Benefits
Increases one attribute skill checks (eg all Wisdom Skill
Checks) by + 1d4 for 1d6 hours
Increases Attack and Damage rolls by 1 for 1d4 hours
Increases AC by 1 for 1d6 hours
Resistance to 1 damage type for 1d6 hours
Immunity to paralysis, frightened, or stunned for 1d6
hours
Grants 1 Hit Dice of healing and 1 Hit Dice of temporary
hitpoints
+ 2 to Spell Attack Rolls for 1d6 hours
+ 1 to all Saving Throws for 1d6 hours
Doubled/twinned (applies to two types of something)
effect OR duration of a Minor Benefit.

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 Costs of Benefits
Suggested Skill Checks Level of
Benefits Potential Ingredient Rarities Required Play
1 Minor 2 Common; 1 Uncommon 1 Tier One
2 Minor 2 Uncommon; 1 Uncommon, 2 Common; 1 Rare, 1 Common 1 Tier One
1 Medium 2 Uncommon; 1 Uncommon, 2 Common; 1 Rare, 1 Common 1 Tier One
1 Medium, 1 2 Rare; 3 Uncommon; 1 Very Rare, 1 Uncommon; 1 Rare, 1 2 Tier Two
Minor Uncommon, 1 Common
3 Minor 2 Rare; 3 Uncommon; 1 Very Rare, 1 Uncommon; 1 Rare, 1 2 Tier Two
Uncommon, 1 Common
2 Medium 2 Very Rare; 1 Legendary, 1 Rare; 2 Rare, 1 Uncommon; 1 Very Rare, 2 Tier Two
2 Uncommon
1 Major 2 Very Rare; 1 Legendary, 1 Rare; 2 Rare, 1 Uncommon; 1 Very Rare, 2 Tier Three
2 Uncommon
1 Major, 1 2 Legendary; 2 Very Rare, 1 Uncommon; 1 Very Rare, 2 Rare; 2 Very 3 Tier Three
Minor Rare, 1 Uncommon
1 Major, 1 2 Legendary, 1 Uncommon; 1 Legendary, 1 Very Rare, 1 Rare; 3 3 Tier Three
Medium Very Rare
1 Major, 2 2 Legendary, 1 Uncommon; 1 Legendary, 1 Very Rare, 1 Rare; 3 3 Tier Four
Minor Very Rare
3 Medium 2 Legendary, 1 Uncommon; 1 Legendary, 1 Very Rare, 1 Rare; 3 3 Tier Four
Very Rare
2 Major 3 Legendary; 2 Legendary, 2 Rare; 1 Legendary, 3 Very Rare 4 Tier Four

Sample Recipes
Recipe Ingredients (Rarity) Benefits
Roasted Pork Pork (Common), Salt (Common) + 1d4 to Atheltics Checks for 1d6 hours
Banana Bread Banana (Uncommon), Flour (Common), Eggs (Common) On next short rest, gain 1 Hit Point per Hit
Dice spent; Consumer recovers one point
of exhaustion
Hydra Steaks with Hydra Meat (Rare), Worcestershire sauce (Uncommon), + 1d4 to Intelligence Saving Throws for
Glaze of Two Ground Mindroot (Rare) 1d6 hours; Grants 2 Hit Dice of temporary
Minds hitpoints
Hella Good Smitin' Storm Giant Tongue (Very Rare), Wurm Fat (Very Rare) Grants advantage on all Charisma Saving
Soup Beholder Eyes (Very Rare) Throws for 1d6 hours; Immune to
Frightened for 1d6 hours
Tiamat's Feast Ancient Dragon Gizzard (Legendary), Adult Black Dragon Immunity to fire damage for 1d6 hours;
Poison Gland (Very Rare), White Lotus (Very Rare), Purple Increases Attack and Damage rolls by 1d4
Worm Meat (Very Rare) for 1d6 hours

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