Bushcraft
Surviving in the wilderness is not always simple. Conditions vary by biome and terrain, making some environments easier to endure than others. Bushcraft covers hunting game, cleaning and cooking animals, constructing simple shelters, identifying edible plants, fishing, harvesting alchemical ingredients, and many other outdoor activities.
Harvesting Alchemical Ingredients
Bushcraft can be used to locate and harvest the elementally aligned herbs, fungi, bark, and animal organs used in alchemy.
A character harvesting a known source makes a Bushcraft check. The result determines the available combinations of ingredient quality and quantity.
The character chooses one quality shown in the applicable row and recovers the listed number of portions at that quality. The character does not receive portions from the other columns.
For example, a result of 25 allows the character to recover either:
- 4 Poor portions;
- 3 Average portions; or
- 2 Good portions.
A quality marked with an em dash cannot be recovered with that check result.
| Check Result | Poor Portions | Average Portions | Good Portions | Excellent Portions | Flawless Portions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 or lower | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10–13 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 15–18 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 19 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 20–23 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 24 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — |
| 25–27 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 28–29 | 4 | 3–4 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 30–33 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1–2 | — |
| 34–37 | 5 | 5 | 3–4 | 2 | — |
| 38–39 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 40–42 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 43–47 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| 48 or higher | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3+ |
When an entry shows a range, the DM determines the exact number according to the size and abundance of the source. Use the lower number for an isolated or depleted specimen and the higher number for a substantial or especially productive source.
A result of 9 or lower damages, contaminates, or otherwise fails to recover any alchemically useful material. The source is still depleted unless the DM determines that another attempt is reasonable.
The elemental affinity and component type are determined by the source. A Fire-aligned herb produces Fire portions, while a creature with a Void-aligned organ produces Void portions.
Harvesting Animal Components
Animal organs use the same quality and quantity table as herbs, fungi, and bark.
A character may attempt to harvest an alchemical organ only from a suitable animal or monster that has been felled and is physically present. Bushcraft does not allow a character to find an animal component through random gathering.
After gaining access to the creature's remains, the character makes a Bushcraft check and chooses one available quality from the harvesting table. The character recovers the listed number of portions at that quality.
The creature must possess an alchemically useful organ with the appropriate elemental affinity. The DM determines which organs can be harvested from a particular creature.
A creature can normally be harvested only once. The DM may reduce or eliminate the available yield if the relevant organs were destroyed, badly damaged, allowed to decay, or improperly preserved.
Random Gathering
A character may spend four hours searching suitable wilderness for alchemical herbs, fungi, or bark.
The character makes a Bushcraft check. Based on the result, the player or DM rolls the appropriate percentage chance to determine whether any suitable ingredients are found.
| Bushcraft Result | Chance to Find a Source |
|---|---|
| 9 or lower | 0% |
| 10–13 | 15% |
| 14–18 | 25% |
| 19–23 | 40% |
| 24–29 | 55% |
| 30–37 | 70% |
| 38–42 | 85% |
| 43 or higher | 95% |
The DM may modify this chance according to the availability of alchemical ingredients in the surrounding area.
| Availability | Discovery Modifier |
|---|---|
| Exceptionally rich | +20% |
| Favorable | +10% |
| Typical | +0% |
| Sparse | −20% |
| Scarce | −40% |
| Absent | Cannot be found |
The final chance cannot be lower than 5% or higher than 95% unless alchemical ingredients are entirely absent from the area.
On a successful discovery roll, use the original Bushcraft result on the harvesting table. The character chooses one available quality and recovers the listed number of portions.
Random gathering cannot discover animal organs.
Random Ingredient
When a random source is discovered, roll once for its component type and once for its elemental affinity.
Component Type
| 1d6 | Component |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Herb |
| 4–5 | Fungus |
| 6 | Bark |
Elemental Affinity
| 1d10 | Element |
|---|---|
| 1 | Air |
| 2 | Death |
| 3 | Earth |
| 4 | Fire |
| 5 | Force |
| 6 | Ice |
| 7 | Life |
| 8 | Void |
| 9 | Water |
| 10 | Roll again |
The resulting combination determines the ingredient found. For example, a result of Fungus and Ice discovers an Ice-aligned fungus.
The DM may replace an impossible result with another component of the same element. For example, a region without woody plants cannot produce bark, but it might produce an herb or fungus with the rolled elemental affinity.
Wilderness Living
Establishing Camp
Establishing camp normally takes 1 hour. One check establishes a camp for up to six Medium creatures.
| Conditions | Bushcraft DC |
|---|---|
| Suitable ground, mild weather, and basic equipment available | 10 |
| Rough ground, rain, ordinary heat or cold, or improvised equipment | 14 |
| Heavy rain or snow, strong winds, exposed terrain, or limited materials | 18 |
| Severe storm, extreme temperatures, flooded ground, or unstable terrain | 24 |
| Catastrophic or supernaturally hostile conditions | 30 |
Increase the DC by +2 when establishing a camp for more than six creatures. Increase this modifier by an additional +2 whenever the number of creatures beyond six doubles. For example, accommodating 7 creatures increases the DC by +2, accommodating 8 creatures increases it by +4, and accommodating 10 creatures increases it by +6.
On a success, the camp provides reasonable protection against the conditions used to determine its DC. It includes an ordinary cooking fire when fuel can be found.
If the check exceeds the DC by 5 or more, the character may either establish the camp in half the normal time or support twice as many occupants.
If the check fails by 4 or less, establishing the camp takes twice as long. If it fails by 5 or more, the character cannot establish a functional camp at that location without changing their approach, acquiring better equipment, or finding a better site.
This action includes building a fire, constructing a simple shelter, and making a cooking spit.
Finding Water
Searching for water takes 2 hours. The DC is based on the area being searched rather than the character's level.
| Water Availability | Bushcraft DC |
|---|---|
| Water-rich terrain, such as wetlands or an active river valley | 10 |
| Ordinary temperate wilderness | 14 |
| Dry woodland, grassland, rocky hills, or seasonal waterways | 18 |
| Desert, severe drought, or similarly arid terrain | 24 |
| Nearly barren or supernaturally desiccated terrain | 30 |
| No water physically exists in the area | Impossible |
On a success, the character finds enough water to supply four Medium creatures for one day. For every 5 points by which the check exceeds the DC, double the number of creatures supplied.
A successful check also identifies obvious contamination and determines whether ordinary treatment, such as filtering or boiling, can make the water safe. Bushcraft cannot make poison, heavy metals, salt water, or magical contamination safe when ordinary preparation would not work.
On a failure, the searched area provides no usable source. Another attempt requires moving to a different area or spending another 2 hours expanding the search.
Hunting and Foraging
A character may spend 4 hours hunting, fishing, trapping small game, or gathering ordinary edible plants. The player can describe the method, but all methods use the same check.
| Food Availability | Bushcraft DC |
|---|---|
| Abundant game or edible vegetation | 10 |
| Typical wilderness | 14 |
| Sparse game or poor growing conditions | 18 |
| Scarce resources or heavily depleted terrain | 24 |
| Nearly barren terrain | 30 |
| No edible resources physically exist | Impossible |
On a success, the character obtains enough food for one Medium creature for one day, plus enough for one additional creature for every 3 points by which the check exceeds the DC.
For example, succeeding against DC 14 with a result of 23 provides one day of food for four Medium creatures.
On a failure, the attempt produces no meaningful food.
This action covers ordinary animals and edible plants. It does not randomly produce alchemical animal organs. Those still require an appropriate animal or monster to be felled and physically available for harvesting.
This action also includes hunting game, catching fish, and setting ordinary game traps. Profession (Trapper) can create exceptions involving long-term traps, targeted animals, live capture, valuable pelts, and similar specialized work.
Preparing Food Safely
Bushcraft can make food safe and basically edible. It does not produce professionally prepared cuisine or confer benefits associated with a chef.
Preparing a meal normally takes 1 hour and covers up to eight Medium creatures.
| Ingredients and Conditions | Bushcraft DC |
|---|---|
| Familiar, fresh ingredients prepared under clean conditions | 10 |
| Freshly killed wild game, known wild plants, or poor field conditions | 14 |
| Unfamiliar ingredients, questionable water, or food beginning to spoil | 18 |
| Naturally hazardous food that requires exact preparation | 24 |
| Exotic or monstrous flesh with a severe but manageable hazard | 30 |
| Ingredient cannot be made safe through mundane preparation | Impossible |
Increase the DC by +2 when preparing food for more than eight creatures. Increase this modifier by an additional +2 whenever the number of creatures beyond eight doubles. For example, serving 9 creatures increases the DC by +2, serving 10 creatures increases it by +4, and serving 12 creatures increases it by +6.
On a success, the food is safe and edible.
If the check fails by 4 or less, the mistake is obvious and the affected ingredients are wasted. If it fails by 5 or more, the contamination or preparation error goes unnoticed. Creatures that eat the food are exposed to whatever poison, disease, or digestive hazard was present.
A first-level specialist is therefore unlikely to poison everyone accidentally while performing a routine DC 10 task. A minor failure merely ruins the meal, while dangerous hidden mistakes occur when attempting genuinely difficult ingredients.