"Food Buffs"

[MacRauri]

One of my new players has been playing a twi'lek cook. I thought it was going to wind up being like Seagal in Undersiege, but he's been RPing it different. Over the sessions with his spare character points he's been steadily raising his : Culinary Arts and the group has enjoyed being well fed. It works as great cover for their con jobs too.

Evidently, over the last week he and another player were talking during their spare time and the new player was wondering if it's possible in this game to buy ingredients and cook up a meal that will provide some tangible short-term bonus for the group. I really have no idea, but we are playing d6! Normally I'm loathe to let players buy any kind of equipment that gives them a flat +whatever modifier to their skills, particularly combat skills, as I want the players to feel that their character is awesome not the gear they're wearing. However, this player has invested enough in : Culinary Arts to get it to 6D and I would like to reward that flavor of character development.

So what kinds of ideas do people have for a "food buff" in the swd6 system?

[Guardian_A]

I had two thoughts when I read your post.

1. For basic food prep, I would probably break things down by "Quality" instead of specific ingredients. After all, just think of how complicated cooking can be in one country or another, then multiply that by countless species & worlds.

2. This is a great opertunity. You could use the character's ability to prepare food as a plot hook.
-If his reputation percedes him, someone important might decide to kidnap him to be their personal cook.
-His character could use his talents in the kitchen to help infiltrate some group or organization.
-Give him access to an exotic recepie, then send the group on a scavanger hunt to find every thing he needs to make it.

There are probably a hundred other ways to make use of that character's skill, I just cant think of them all at the moment. Good luck! And I'm looking forward to seeing what other ideas people have.

[Fallon Kell]

Sure! The ingredients are called anabolic steroids and PCP, but they have some... uh... side effects.

On a more serious note, I could see a really good meal providing maybe a +1D bonus at absolute maximum to Stamina, at 1 pip penalty to Perception. (you know how everyone loves to sleep after a good thanksgiving dinner.) The penalty would be automatic, and the bonus would be dependent on a roll. 5-14: +1, 15-29: +2, 30 or more: +1D.
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[garhkal]

I might see a poss increase to stamina, or knowledge skills for a short while.

BUT you have to think. If this is something that could be done, who else has done it?
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[vanir]

I work in the industry and like everyone in it repeatedly bounce between long periods of eating extremely healthy with all fresh, high quality ingredients easily available to me, and the other extreme of not being bothered to do anything but tinned soup, frozen veg and junk food for weeks on end...which is actually how most people eat normally and is the standard that we're measuring against.

See the thing about averages is it's below easily accomplished standards by its very nature. The standard you measure average health by is subpar of say, those of an athlete who simply plans their diet and strictly enforces a healthy/balanced regimé. It's well below that standard.

And I notice directly with how I perform over double shifts. How I eat has a direct bearing on the workload achieved per perceptual effort.
You're working just as hard either way, and you don't notice from that angle, it's when you look back at how much workload you achieved for the same degree of exhaustion that you realise how much your diet is affecting your performance.

So yes, I'd go with circumstantial +1D strength and alertness based skills. You're much quicker thinking, stronger, etc, although your intrinsic muscle mass, IQ, etc. maybe the same. I suspect biochemically it has to do with how specific sugars, etc. are processed in the body.

But you know what, that might already be represented in the fact heroic characters are 18D and regular citizens are 12D, perhaps smarter diets is one of those reasons some people are more heroic than others in the SWU, after all it is IRL where people like athletes are concerned.
In that case the only possible benefits would then be RP/plot based as suggested, or for fun stuff like poisoning dudes with a last meal they adore as it kills them. Never make a chef really hate you then eat his food.

How about this for an idea if they really want a bonus feature. Firstly, historically chefs started off hand in hand with naturopathy, so if one has access to natural medicines, let them use Culinary Arts for basic First Aid substitution, ie. can provide a bonus natural healing roll as per Accelerate Healing Force Power, circumstantial.

Second, for 12D henchmen in the Party, let them with an adequately prepared diet, say for the first day of landfall after a nice comfy hyperspace journey on your ship with culinary facilities, let them have a +1D STR and PER for the first day gametime on the planet only, and only if they're a 12D base henchman.

?

[Bren]

[garhkal]

And on the flip side, if you Do come up with rules for bonuses from eating healthy/from a great meal, you then need to counter it with penalties from NOT being able to eat healthy/having a poor meal.. or not even getting enough nutrients..
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[Fallon Kell]

[Matthias777]

What about decreased training times when increasing the Strength attribute and Strength skills? Or, since to increase Strength, you roll the new attribute level against the species' maximum, eating well makes it easier to roll under that "species maximum" roll.
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[CRMcNeill]

You also have to consider environmental and economic factors that affect how a character makes food choices. My recent experience is a perfect example. I have been on unemployment for some time, and my limited finances dictated certain meal and ingredient choices (in addition to having family in close proximity, since mom is generally a big influence in eating healthy). However, I just started my new job as a long-haul truck driver (seven weeks on the road with little or no internet access). Food choices on the road are dictated by new pressures (such as eating what is accessible at truck stops, and eating it as quickly as possible so that you can get back on the road). I'm not in reading range of my WEG collection at the moment, but IIRC, RoE has some rules for food consumption affecting Stamina rolls (I could be wrong...)
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[garhkal]

[Fallon Kell]

[vanir]

no thoughts on any of this?