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Old Growth Forest Survival: Foraging Guide

A guide for foraging in an ancient forest. 20 different rations and their impacts for old growth forest areas.

Old Growth Forest Survival: Foraging Guide

This foraging table is for an upcoming homebrew campaign within the world of Tavern of Azoth, and a continuation of our foraging guides we will be releasing weekly! Here is our second guide. Foraging for rations is always an important part of the survival aspects of the game and really adds to the depth and lore of any campaign you're running.

Utilize this table by allowing each player a single foraging attempt once a day. The Game Master rolls a 1d20 to determine the food discovered (There are 20 ration types in the table), followed by the player's Survival or Nature roll to secure the ration. Be aware, some foods carry potential hazards. It is the Game Master's responsibility to decide if a roll against these effects is immediate or upon consumption.

A good rule of thumb I usually go by is I also gave the players a choice between foraging for food or for wood, rolling against a small table of types of woods the players could discover. If the players failed to properly identify the wood, it could lead to poisoning the foods or the entire party through smoke inhalation. Each player would require one ration a day, and I made rations unavailable or expensive to purchase at the start of the campaign.

If the characters failed to forage sufficient rations, I applied standard fatigue rules as a penalty.

Food Source	Description	Feeds	Roll Required	Negative Effects
Elderbloom Fiddleheads	Tightly curled fern shoots growing in the shadow of colossal trunks, faintly glowing with dew at dawn.	1–2	DC 11 Survival (to identify edible ferns)	NA
Heartwood Morels	Honeycombed mushrooms sprouting along fallen, mossy logs that smell of damp earth and walnut.	1–2	DC 12 Nature	On a failed check, the party accidentally picks a batch of toxic false-morels instead; DC 13 Con save or 1d4 poison damage and poisoned for 1 hour.
Giant Oak Acorns	Fist-sized acorns scattered beneath ancient oaks, their shells hard as small stones.	3–4	DC 11 Survival	NA
Moss-Honey Combs	Wild bee nests tucked into hollow trunks, with combs dripping dark, resinous honey.	2	DC 13 Survival or Animal Handling	On a failed check, the bees swarm—each forager must make a DC 12 Con save or take 1d6 piercing damage and suffer disadvantage on Concentration checks for 1 hour.
Lanterncap Mushrooms	Small, bell-shaped fungi that softly luminesce, lighting up the forest floor at night.	1	DC 14 Arcana or Nature	Their glow makes Stealth checks in darkness at disadvantage for 1 hour if carried openly; the light persists through bags, satchels, and other holding devices.
Rootnest Tubers	Knobby tubers hidden deep in tangles of roots and stones, pale and starchy when cut open.	2–3	DC 11 Survival	Digging too aggressively risks disturbing burrowing creatures or insects; on a failed check, a startled creature appears (GM’s choice).
Crownberry Clusters	Tight clusters of jewel-toned berries hanging from thin branches that arch like a crown.	1–2	DC 12 Survival	NA
Old-Man’s Beard Lichen	Long strands of pale lichen hanging from branches, chewy and bitter unless prepared properly.	1	DC 12 Survival	If eaten unboiled, DC 11 Con save or become fatigued and thirsty (disadvantage on Con checks until next short rest).
Lizard Tail	A crisp, herbaceous plant with a twisting stalk, often found near warm stones and sunlit logs.	1	DC 10 Nature	NA
Barkheart Grubs	Fat, white grubs that burrow through the softer inner bark of living trees, tasting nutty when roasted.	1–2	DC 11 Survival	NA
Whisper Fruit	Soft, pale fruit that hums faintly when held close to the ear, its juice cooling and sweet.	1–2	DC 13 Arcana or Nature	If eaten right before sleep, DC 13 Wis save or the eater suffers disquieting, voice-filled dreams and gains no benefit from that night’s long rest.
King’s-Coin Puffballs	Round puffball mushrooms, mottled with golden spots, that resemble old coins when sliced.	1	DC 11 Nature	NA
Elder Sap Resin	Thick, amber-colored sap that beads on the bark of ancient trees, hardening into chewable resin.	—	DC 10 Survival	Sap is extremely sticky; on a failed check, a pouch or key piece of equipment is gummed shut and unusable until cleaned (taking 10 minutes).
Silverfern Fronds	Delicate ferns with shimmering undersides that catch even the faintest light.	1	DC 10 Nature	NA
Burrowing Shrew	Tiny insect-eating mammals that tunnel through the forest floor; lean but edible if cooked.	1	DC 13 Survival	If a 1 is rolled, the player is over come by cuteness and loves the little furry guy. They instead end up keeping it as a pet.
Ghostdew Vines	Pale, creeping vines that gather glowing droplets along their length just before dawn.	1	DC 14 Arcana or Nature	If too much dew is consumed at once, DC 13 Wis save or the drinker hears faint whispers for 1 hour (advantage on Insight but disadvantage on Investigation for 1 hour).
Trunk Bird Eggs	Speckled eggs laid in narrow trunk hollows, rich and filling when cooked.	2–3	DC 13 Survival or Animal Handling	NA
Heartroot Truffles	Dense, fragrant truffles that grow near the roots of the oldest trees, prized by nobles and druids alike.	2–3	DC 16 Survival or Nature	The scent draws nearby animals; GM may introduce curious or territorial creatures within the next in-game hour.
Crown-of-Thorns Bramblefruit	A vicious tangle of thorns guarding small, richly flavored berries that stain fingers deep red.	1	DC 13 Survival	On a failed check, each forager takes 1d4 piercing damage and must make a DC 11 Con save or suffer a mild infection (max HP reduced by 2 until next long rest).
Elderheart Seedpods	Rare, golden-brown pods found only near the oldest standing trees, humming faintly when shaken.	1	DC 15 Nature or Religion	NA

For more information, you can view/download the CSV here.

Happy foraging!