TheDMs Guide to foraging

The DMs  Guide
toForaging

The DMs Guide to Foraging

The DMs  Guide
toForaging

Credits Table of Contents

Writers: Anja Svare & Zeke Gonzalez Introduction 3
Layout: Anja Svare
Cover Art: MAGICSPLASH by Ede Laszlo Tips for the DM 4
Interior Art provided by the DMs Guild Creator
Resources DMs Guide to Foraging 4

2 Cover Magical Flora sidebar 4
Even the most barren of landscapes can offer up Foraging Mechanics & Storytelling 5
a bounty of useful flora to the adept.
Appendix A: Flora Tables 6
Sign up for my mailing list
General Flora Table 6
Get a FREE Foraging Proficiency sidebar 7
Adventure Terrain-Specific Flora Tables 7
& Bestiary Arctic 7
Click Here! Cave/Underground 7
Pulse of the Land 7
Coast/Ocean 8
Desert 8
Dungeon/Ruins/Urban 9
Forest 10
Grassland 10
Hills/Mountains 10
Swamp 11

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by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.

The DMs Guide to Foraging

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The DMs Guide to Foraging is a rules supplement containing foraging mechanics and an abundance of unique flora 3
to use in your games. Among these flora are real flowers, mushrooms, herbs, mosses, and other plants reimagined for
D&D 5th Edition and new, completely original fantasy plants. This supplement uses rules, spells, and concepts from
Wizards of the Coast’s D&D 5th Edition and are intended to supplement your campaigns.

Tips for the DM

As with any supplement, The DMs Guide to Foraging
should be adapted to work for your group. If you don’t
like the way a mechanic works, please feel free to change
it. Adjust the descriptions, lore, details, and effects to suit
your games and your players. For example, if you want
to include foraging in your games but don’t like some of
the flora in the Appendix, replace them with other plants
appropriate to your world or setting! If you want to make
foraging a crunchier mechanical system, use these rules
as a foundation to create a new system of your own. Use
these rules however they can best be utilized at your
table and in your games. We hope you have as much fun
with these rules as we have!

The DMs Guide to Foraging

The DMs Guide to Foraging

In this supplement, you will find a set of simple and Magical Flora
easy-to-use mechanics for foraging as well as tables
describing some of the flora (both mundane and magical) WamdmstssboraytitioPuefuosalnhurtleitoacdmclpigofltetehikpiuonulihop-ierseeclcyenceyscwlrkcvheiorameebaoonelieetaenlasufwyiumlueharnspnr.p.sudd,rgtmsoSeeRmssslstihceiinrntmucogaaohamtaaaaitetgvycaamothmgpnessahselmhhfnilpweejeicffteasoyefeaootthimalodomtsrlihritrregtnawdmehofaoiiegnieitrtoyngotdnerpawmhstaecoeynig,srrackosngoaaaesbuloioytaatnttrdanuurcdfohrlsfperaegrngdoocrurpeewrefapefiemorgnrlratyolnchacobiyarmegntaelyrrhdrhgirmiptnlcrioeeaeaeulooanayeetelasgauoapgrkfgualsusrtlretroweealns!dwoaehpudeodecwefdfcerSprqiinfotfftfnerdafaeieeuehtuotwrlemgolfpviri,palordnroi.islepasstorTaoitranraahnttfgavhracihadgigu.eoolteinn,ssrns,e
that can be found and harvested. The rules described very little prep time!
herein allow players to enjoy the leisurely or purposeful
act of surviving on the land itself. Whether it's a
downtime activity between adventures or integrated into
an adventure, foraging has the potential to enrich any
setting and create wonderful roleplaying moments for
the entire table!

Equipment

All that players require when setting out to forage is a
good eye, sturdy footwear, and an herbalism kit if they
so desire.

Herbalism Kits

Herbalism kits contain a variety of instruments such as
clippers, mortar and pestle, leather gloves, as well as a
selection of pouches and vials for collecting samples and

4 creating a variety of cures such as poultices and salves,
and even food supplies.

Variant Rule: Some DMs may find it unrealistic that
so many different plants can be identified and collected
in a specific biome. In
such cases, DMs may
dictate that players
can only find, identify,
and collect the most
simple of flora
specific to that
biome, leaving
the magical
items for greater
storytelling
opportunities.

Once players
have organized
their herbalism
kit (which can
be purchased
or the specific
materials
gathered for a
total of 5 gp),
all they need to
do is venture
out and start
foraging!

The DMs Guide to Foraging

Foraging Mechanics  5
& Storytelling

First, describe the biome and terrain that the character
is exploring. After the character has started looking for
viable flora, ask them questions about their demeanor
and foraging style. Are they in a hurry? What time of day
is it? How much light is available for identifying plants?
How far are they venturing out in their search? Describe
the length of time which passes before the character
finds anything useful. At this point, have the player roll a
d100 on the General Foraging Table or the appropriate
Regional Foraging Table (Appendix A) to determine what
plants they find.

Once the plant is found, describe the visual appearance
of the plant and where it is, allowing the character to
glean some information as to its identity and usefulness.
Now the player rolls a skill check to determine their
knowledge of what they have found. The majority of
these skill checks start at a base DC of 12, with the
difficulty being adjusted as the DM sees fit, depending
on any number of factors that the DM may determine are
appropriate for the situation.

• An Intelligence (Arcana) check can be used to
determine their knowledge of the nature and uses of
various herbs that adds insight to their magical studies
that deal with plants and any attempts to identify
potions.

• An Intelligence (Investigation) check can be used when
the character inspects an area overgrown with plants,
allowing them to pick out details and clues that others
might miss.

• A Wisdom (Medicine) check may be used to improve the
character's ability to identify and use medicinal plants
to treat illnesses and wounds.

• An Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check
can be used to make it easier to identify plants and spot
potential sources of food that others might overlook.

Any skill check that is successful by 5 or more should
prompt the DM to impart more specific information to
the player, or allow the player to harvest twice as much
of the plant. Once the check is made, a character can
spend 30 minutes to gather one harvest of the flora they
have found. At the DMs discretion, this may exhaust the
resource provided by the particular plant or an additional
30 minutes may be spent to gather a second harvest.
In order to determine how much of the flora can be
successfully gathered in that time, see the “one harvest
yields…” column for that flora in the relevant Flora Table
(Appendix A).

The DMs Guide to Foraging

Appendix A: Flora Tables
General Flora Table

d100 Description One Harvest Yields... Name

1-20 Roll on Appropriate Terrain-Specific Table below!

21-35 These tangled, barbed bushes bear large, dark red berries. (The berries can be eaten.) Six Meals Blackberry
Bush

36-40 This green-and-grey fungus-algae symbiosis can be found on rocks and the bark of dead One Dose Lichen
trees. (Can be ingested as a bonus action to cure the poisoned condition.)

41-47 A tall grass with broad stems and inconspicuous flowers. Four Meals or a Sedge
(Can be ground into flour to cook meals or twisted and woven into rope.) 10 Foot Long Rope

48-52 Small clusters of white, yellow, or purple flowers that grow in direct sunlight. Four Doses Yarrow or
(The leaves can be chewed to reduce appetite, stretching one meal into two.) Rationflower

53-58 A dark tree with thin bark and spindly branches which bear small, hard nuts. Two Meals Beech Tree
(The nuts can be harvested and eaten.)

59-63 Thickly leaved, verdant ferns with prominent yellow venation. (These large leaves can be Hart’s Tongue
used as bandages to treat fatal wounds. As an action, you can stabilize a creature that Two Applications Fern
has 0 hit points without needing to make a Wisdom (Medicine) check.)

64-66 This scraggly-looking tree bears long, thin leaves and brown pods hang from its boughs. Mesquite Tree
(The pods can be cracked open to reveal large, round, chewy seeds that provide a tasty Two Meals or Bulgefruit
meal.)

These bushes of light green grasses bear horizontal groupings of seed clusters that One Meal Blue Grama
67-63 blow away in strong winds. Tamarind Tree
6 (This grass makes an excellent meal for any herbivorous pack animal.)
A tree with long branches covered in groupings of long, thin leaves and clusters of thick
74-79 brown seed pods. Two Meals
(The pulp within the seed pod “fruit” is slightly bitter and makes for a good meal.)

80-81 Tall, conically shaped trees with dense, knobby branches and an abundance of evergreen Four Firestarters Pine Needles
needles in place of leaves. (Needles can be used as a firestarter in the absence of tinder.)

82-84 These small, inconspicuous clusters of plants bear tiny red berries covered in seeds. One Meal Wild
(The fruit makes a sweet meal). Strawberry

85-87 A large plant with broad leaves and purple, thistle-like flowers. Four Meals Burdock
(This plant can be eaten raw or boiled, even the roots.)

88-89 A small plant with smooth plump leaves. (The plant has a sour taste until boiled, after Two Meals Purslane
which it is almost sweet and very refreshing.)

90-92 Appearing as a variety of stinging nettle, this plant has little grains along the underside Two Meals Good-King
of the leaves. (Once removed, the leaves make a fine salad.)

93-96 A thready, vibrant green and yellow moss that grows low on trees and beneath woody One Application Sphagnum
bushes. (Can be used to dress wounds as an action, restoring 1d4 + 1 hit points.) Moss

97-98 A short, fat mushroom with a pale stalk, brilliant yellow cap, and iridescent gills. (If the One Application Fraud’s
gills are ground into a paste and smeared onto a painter’s canvas, it moves itself to Thumb or
create a hypnotic and eerily beautiful portrait that can be sold for 1000 gp to the right Canvashead
seller.)

A short, scrubby brush that creeps around on two legs of knarled roots, planting
itself wherever it likes. (It is slow and can easily be captured. The roots can be dried
99 and steeped in hot water to create a refreshing tea. Anyone who drinks this tea must One Dose Preacher Root
succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be affected as if by the zone of truth or Liarsbane

spell.)

This tree is riddled with twisted knots like hollow eyes and its long branches sweep
the ground. Leaves in a miraculous array of color sweep and dance in the air around
100 it, unattached to its bare limbs. (These leaves can be chewed as an action, having the Six Leaves Flyleaf

effect of the astral projection spell [self only] on the chewer).

The DMs Guide to Foraging

Foraging Proficiency

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Terrain-Specific Foraging Tables

Arctic

d100 Description One Harvest Yields... Name

1-25 A slow-growing moss that covers rocks and is hard to distinguish from snow. Four Applications Snow Lichen
(If gathered and made into a paste when combined with water, can be applied to the
bottom of any footwear in 1 minute, allowing one to ignore difficult terrain imposed by
snow and ice for one day.)

26-50 A slightly fuzzy pale fruit that grows on low scrubby bushes in the lee of windswept Bearberry
rocks. (Eating the fruit provides enough sustenance for a person for 2 days, but causes Six Meals
mild lethargy: each creature who eats bearberries gains 2 levels of exhaustion.)

51-75 This plant has groupings of tightly clustered flower heads atop long, reddish stalks. Two Meals Curled Dock
(The entire plant is edible if care is taken to remove the tough outer layer during
boiling.)

76-100 A small tree with white bark and crimson leaves that pushes up from the earth in One Pair of Dwarf Arctic
snowy hills. (The bark can be stripped to make snowshoes (taking 1 hour) which allows Snowshoes Willow
the wearer to ignore difficult terrain imposed by snow and ice.)

Cave/Underground 7

d100 Description One Harvest Yields... Name
1-25 This squat black mushroom grows in sporadic clumps in the darkest caves. Two Doses Dark Fungus
(If the spores are separated from the rest of the plant, they can be brewed into tea that
26-50 confers darkvision for 24 hours.) One Application Rocksplitter
A creeping vine with small purple leaves that resemble ivy that grows in even the
51-75 smallest cracks in rocks and stone. (A small snipping of this plant can be adhered to Four Doses and Aurora Root
76-100 any surface with its natural sap using an action. Once attached, the vine will grow at One Meal OR Liverwort
astonishing speed, splitting open almost any natural material. Within 10 minutes, any One Potion
natural surface such as a door will be split open enough for a Small creature to crawl Four Doses
through, and the split will grow to create enough space for a Medium creature after
1 hour.)
A cluster of flowers in a dazzling array of colors, all emerging from a single, thick stem.
(The flowers can be eaten for a mild euphoric effect; the stems and roots can be pulled
up and eaten. If mixed with a potion of healing, it changes the potion into a beautiful,
colorful potion that can be drunk as an action to bestow the Pulse of the Land boon.)
A lumpy, low-lying green plant has broad, wavy leaves. (The leaves can be dried and
added to water in order to promote relaxation. When drunk during a short rest, a
creature may add its Consitution modifier twice to any hit dice rolled. When drunk
during a long rest, a creature regains all of its hit dice instead of half.)

Pulse of the Land The DMs Guide to ForagingYafAgwdoorlhvurtaaieanlmnrgettanisfanyaagogtude.risvvOaoeeagnnnlyicynota,eagunygrtdoIehunuaoerctcneitbnaliootgnlhonigtcnrhetaeoniessetcncuIetaenshsx(etNettdelatS2ilnhtp4iugeetrhehaLenkoio)scuwcomerairtsa(thN,neWanaPAfitestnlurdeairmorntemhat)wslro(hsseSripoecuerWhrtlivPlmiisitvl(edsiaasfopln,m)oaittpwscs(pShseprprueooecrwiplskvlreilmv,rioawaatsilhdset)e.ilcclowehhsvhetgei.clrlke)as,nwmthsaidceh

Coast/Ocean

d100 Description One Harvest Yields... Name
1-25
26-50 These tangled plants are spongy to the touch and contain bubbles of air. Four Meals Kelp
51-75 (Can be dried and eaten).

76-100 This tall, wide hollow reed with a feathery top can easily be pulled from the loose One Spyglass Tidal Reed
sandy soil along many temperate coasts. (Trimming and cutting a reed down to a foot
long length allows one to use the hollow reed as a spyglass, albeit one that magnifies
objects to 4 times their size. The hollow reed dries out and turns to dust after 8 hours.)

A bush of long, thin orange grasses that rustles in the breeze and grows from sand or Six Meals Alister’s Sea
loose soil. (Their roots and bulbs can be dug up and eaten raw or cooked.) Potato or
Sandchew

A seaweed-like plant with floating bulbs. (When the bulbs are cut open, they dispense Four Bulbs Triton’s Tea
a bitter liquid that can be consumed using an action. The eater then spits out a jet of
seawater in a 60-foot long line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make
a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 21 (6d6) bludgeoning
damage and, if it is Large or smaller, is pushed 20 feet away and knocked prone.
On a success, a target takes half the bludgeoning damage.)

8

Desert

d100 Description One Harvest Yields... Name
1-25 Growing from dehydrated earth, these round plants are covered with spines and grow
in bulb-like protrusions. The large arms of the plant bear beautiful red-and-yellow Two Days of Cactus
26-50 flowers and hard purple fruits. (The cactus pears can be eaten and water can be Drinking Water and
51-75 harvested from within the cactus itself.) Two Meals
This dark, scraggly, low-growing shrub contains a sap that burns for hours with a
76-100 magical fire. (A fire started with this plant will burn all night long without needing One Fire Blazemoan
replenishment. In addition, the burning material lets out a low moan if any creature Bush
who was not present when the fire was lit comes within 60 feet of the fire.) One Day of
Stiff, long-stemmed plants with bristle-like purple flowers. (If cut at the base, these Drinking Water Sage
flowers can be sucked on for drinking water).
A prickly cactus that grows in a bulbous formation with small bright yellow flowers, a One Dose Pilgrim’s
careful hand can cut open the plant and gather the sweet liquid from within. Prickles
(A successful DC 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check avoids the needles, otherwise
the forager suffers 1d6 piercing damage. If imbibed, the nectar from the plant allows
one to confirm their direction of travel with total accuracy for 24 hours, with no
chance of getting lost during that period.)

The DMs Guide to Foraging

Dungeon/Ruins/Urban

d100 Description One Harvest Yields... Name
1-25
26-50 A small plant that tends to grow in disturbed soil. (Both the leaves and the tiny fruit can Two Meals Mallow
51-75 be eaten raw, or more mature versions can be cooked and used like rice.)

76-100 Growing flat on the ground, this plant has red, round succulent stems and paddle- Three Meals Purslane
shaped leaves. (These leaves make a nice addition to any salad and most cooked
dishes.)

Groups of thick, bubbly-textured green scum that sit on the surface of shallow pools of One Lantern Bioluminescent
water. While in darkness, they emit a faint yellow glow. (The algae can be put inside a Algae
transparent container to create a lantern that provides dim light in a 10-foot radius for
4 hours).

Crooked, white-and-yellow mushrooms that resemble the fingers of a corpse pushing Four Facemasks Dead Man’s
up out of the ground. (These mushrooms can be cooked and ground into a paste that, Fingers
if applied as a face mask, results in a particularly restful sleep. While asleep this way, a
creature cannot be targeted by any harmful effect such as the dream spell and removes
two levels of exhaustion instead of one.)

9

The DMs Guide to Foraging

Forest

d100 Description One Harvest Yields... Name

1-25 This bright green moss grows on old trees. (Ingesting tea made from this plant gives One Dose Moss of the
you the ability to cast the tree stride spell. This spell can be cast up to 4 times within Dryad
24 hours without expending a spell slot. During this period, any creature who has
ingested this tea has disadvantage on any saving throws against being charmed.
Creatures that are naturally immune to the charmed condition lose this immunity, but
do not suffer disadvantage on their saving throws.)

26-50 These trees have broad, pointed leaves and bear small, hard nuts with round caps. Two Meals Oak Tree
(The nuts are acorns, which can be eaten.)

51-75 Pale trees with large, dark knots in the bark which faintly resemble staring eyes. (The One Meal and Two Aspen Tree
outer bark peels away easily to reveal a darker, interior bark which provides a nutritious Doses
meal. The leaves can be sucked as an action to remove one level of exhaustion.)

76-100 A rarity found mainly deep in the oldest forests, this all-black pine tree seems to glisten One Needle Aubron’s Pine
in even the slightest of light. (Careful selection and removal of the black needles yields
one that can be used to draw temporary magic tattoos on a creature's skin. If used by
a spellcaster in this manner, the power of any 2nd-level spell or lower can be magically
transcribed onto the flesh of another creature in 1 hour, allowing that creature to cast
that spell once as an action (using the tattoo artist’s spell attack bonus and saving
throw) within 8 hours before the ink fades away. Transcribing the spell in this manner
does not consume a spell slot.)

Grassland

d100 Description One Harvest Yields... Name
1-25 This long grass bears stripes in the color of a pink sunset.
(The grass can be woven into bracelets that increase their wearer’s speed by 20 feet. Four Bracelets Gazelle Grass
The bracelets dry up and lose their magical properties after 8 hours.)

10 26-50 These tall, rustling grass bear tufts of lavender seed pods at their tips. Four Meals Purple
(The seed pods can be fed to pack animals.) Four Meals Needlegrass or
Tussockgrass
51-75 These short, shrubby bushes blend into the rocky hills on which they grow. (The
tuberous root is edible either raw or boiled. It can also be dried and made into flour.) Prairie Turnip

76-100 This small bush with broad bright purple leaves tends to flourish in the shade of any Two Doses Meadow
rocky outcropping in open plains. (Hidden underneath the leaves is a small purple fruit Melon
with green stripes. Although edible, the tasteless flesh of the fruit provides little to no
nutrition. The seeds can be ground up into a powder, mixed with water, and made into
a healing poultice. Applied to any wound as an action, this poultice restores 2d4 + 2
hit points and cures the poisoned condition.)

Hills/Mountains

d100 Description One Harvest Yields... Name
1-25
26-50 These tall plants have thick stems and bear large yellow flowers with a conspicuous Two Meals Sunflower
black center. (The seeds of the flower can be gathered and eaten raw or dried.)
51-75
A small plant with bright red and purple flowers and covered in thorns. One Thistle Merrick’s
76-100 (Drawing blood from the tongue with one of the thorns confers advantage on Wisdom Thistle
(Perception) checks that rely on smell for 1 hour. During that time, the affected also
produces a musk-like scent that grants disadvantage on all Charisma checks) and gains
advantage on all Wisdom (Survival) checks related to tracking.)

This sprawling white-green fungus spreads over the ground in a large area, producing a Room for up to Four Traveler’s
low, pleasant humming sound. Medium Creatures Respite or
(This mat of mushrooms creates a safe and comforting place to rest. During a short to Rest Cushion
rest here, a creature regains twice the number of hit points rolled on hit dice. During a Shroom
long rest here, a creature removes two levels of exhaustion instead of one.)

Growing in alpine meadows, this plant produces a variety of different-colored flowers, One Garland Feyfoot
making it hard to distinguish from other flowering plants. Flower
(When enough flowers are gathered and fashioned into a garland, the wearer can use an
action to cast invisibility. The spell lasts for 1 hour instead of 10 minutes, but creatures
with the fey type can still see creatures made invisible this way.)

The DMs Guide to Foraging

11

Swamp

d100 Description One Harvest Yields... Name
1-25 This gray-green, ropy vine hangs from trees and dips down into the waters of the
26-50 swamp, where it gathers the nutrients to survive.(A length of this vine can be cut One Whip Vibrant Vine
51-75 off and used as a whip. This whip can also be used to assist in climbing by providing
advantage on all Strength (Athletics) checks related to climbing. The harvested section Three Meals Pickleweed or
76-100 of vine retains these abilities for 8 hours before turning to dust.) Two Meals Glasswort
This low-lying succulent is bright green with purple tips at the ends of its stems.
(Can be harvested and eaten raw, salted, or dried.) Bulrush or
A tall rushlike plant with emerging stalks on which grow a thick cluster of dense seeds. Cattail
(The seeds, pollen, shoots, roots, and inner stem can all be eaten.)
Proliferating as a bright green scum across areas of stagnant water, this algae exudes Four Doses Ziya’s Algae
a powerful stench.(Anyone who moves within 10 feet of this algae must make a DC
12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 hour. Those who brave this effect
can gather enough of the algae to dry and then boil into a disgusting tea. Anyone
drinking this concoction must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution check. On a success,
the imbiber gains the ability to walk on water as though by the water walk spell. On
a failure, the drinker is poisoned for 4 hours but ignores difficult terrain for the same
amount of time.)

The DMs Guide to Foraging