D&D General Fantasy Farming

[Voadam]

In a high fantasy D&D type setting what are some background fantasy elements that could be used for farming and food supplies to support fantasy populations?

In my current homebrew mashup campaign (started in 3e, later Pathfinder, now 5e) I use elements of the Ptolus campaign setting, Golarion, and others. The Holy Lothian Empire from the Ptolus elements includes a strong imperial henotheistic church of an ascended paladin with a lot of saints and numerous organized clerics and paladins throughout the empire. One of the Lothian saints is Saint Colosum, Keeper of the Dominion who is associated with animals and farms.

This seems a thematic opportunity for some background flavor holy agriculture magic to support farms producing more than historical models so they can support ahistorical populations.

I don't see it being a matter of continual uses of create water or create food and water spells, but more blessing a field or whatever with non adventuring background magic. Any thoughts on appropriate thematic fantasy farming?

 

[Voadam]

I also generally have druid organizations as split into secret societies who don't generally work with others, or a tradition of nature priests who are integrated into certain specific societies. So some Golarion Kellid Celtic barbarian peoples outside of my Lothian Empire will have integrated societal roles of priest and advisor druids who might do seasonal plant growth spells for their communities, while others will have nothing to do with farms.

 

[Voadam]

When my then group went with their mountain dwarf PC cleric to his home kingdom under a mountain (Ostohar from the 1e Roleaids Dwarves sourcebook) for an adventure, I described the dwarven food as being farm-raised giant blind cave fish and lots of varieties of savory things from the underground fungal vats the dwarves cultivated and maintained.

Underdark populations are a big opportunity for coming up with some thematic fantastic elements for food chains.

 

[Oofta]

I assume that the world in general uses magic in small ways on a daily basis but rarely in large, obvious ways. So when people do that ritual to divine when the best time to plant is, it actually works reasonably well. Holy men granted powers do assist with the growth of crops, common magic items aid a farmer's work. It's not to the industrial level of farming that we have, it still takes a lot of work to plant and harvest crops even if they grow more quickly and are more bountiful than they would otherwise be.

Druids in particular have a vested interest in making sure that crop yields are high so that more wilderness is preserved. They also ensure that population growth is limited by providing birth control, occasionally without the knowledge of the target population.

For underground communities continual flame spells provide enough light for specialized crops. Dwarves that live underground rarely waste any scrap of organic material, including the bodies of the dead. It's quite comforting to people to know that their ancestors are still contributing members of the ongoing society.

 

[Voadam]

I assume that the world in general uses magic in small ways on a daily basis but rarely in large, obvious ways. So when people do that ritual to divine when the best time to plant is, it actually works reasonably well.

I generally think of standard D&D high magic differently. There are lots of types of magic and magical traditions and magical things in the world, but magic is still a specific thing and most people are not spellcasters. So commoners do not do magic, and prayers for good crops and such are not actual magical effect blessings, but there might be lots of non adventuring agromancy spellcasting traditions. Maybe elven orchard singers, dwarven brewmancers, or variants of Eberron's 3.5 magewright NPC class.

 

[Oofta]

I generally think of standard D&D high magic differently. There are lots of types of magic and magical traditions and magical things in the world, but magic is still a specific thing and most people are not spellcasters. So commoners do not do magic, and prayers for good crops and such are not actual magical effect blessings, but there might be lots of non adventuring agromancy spellcasting traditions. Maybe elven orchard singers, dwarven brewmancers, or variants of Eberron's 3.5 magewright NPC class.

I guess I've always tried to think of how magic actually working would affect the world. People have always been superstitious with various rituals and rites that don't have much external impact, how does the world change if it occasionally does work? If it does occasionally work, why would people not repeat it?

Someone may have stumbled onto that chant (or learned it from a more powerful caster) they do while milking the cows that keeps the milk fresher for a bit longer, but once people get word of what happened milkmaids everywhere would want to learn it.

It never made sense to me that the only spells in existence would be those useful for adventurers. Magic doesn't need to be flashy or cast with the snap of your fingers in order to be useful.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Let's see... we've got alchemical fertilizers, a nation that's partially put themselves in the hands of druids to turn their settlements into magical greenhouses three seasons out of the year, tamed fantastic creatures used as dray beats/aerators/pollinators, and of course magical genetic manipulation to make Mendel jealous.

Also bumping the baselines so normal people have rituals for this kind of thing, both religious and not.

 

[Omand]

Check out several posts on the first page of this thread: D&D General - D&D, magic, and the mundane medieval

 

[Voadam]

I guess I've always tried to think of how magic actually working would affect the world.

Sure.

People have always been superstitious with various rituals and rites that don't have much external impact, how does the world change if it occasionally does work?

Well there is the key IMO. D&D magic seems to require more than just performing a ritual or rite. They don't just occasionally work.

Saying "I wish" does not magically cause things to happen in D&D on its own, even occasionally. Saying "I wish" combined with casting a 9th level spell slot wish spell, or being granted a wish by a wish granting entity (djinn, efreet, certain demons), or wearing a wish granting item (ring of wishes, etc.) can cause magical things to happen.

If it does occasionally work, why would people not repeat it?

Someone may have stumbled onto that chant (or learned it from a more powerful caster) they do while milking the cows that keeps the milk fresher for a bit longer, but once people get word of what happened milkmaids everywhere would want to learn it.

If spellcasting is just sayng the right short magical phrase it would probably be pervasive in a lot of instances.

It never made sense to me that the only spells in existence would be those useful for adventurers. Magic doesn't need to be flashy or cast with the snap of your fingers in order to be useful.

I agree. I think a high fantasy D&D world would have lots of non-adventuring magic. I generally presume the PH has the most common magic for adventurers but that NPCs can have different magics and magic traditions as well.

 

[Yora]

Morrowind has kwama, very large insect creatures that lay eggs which are a common food. There are numerous large caves all over the island that are used as egg mines, where the egg miners tend to the flocks of kwama.
Though where all the kwama get their food from to make all the eggs isn't mentioned.

I took the idea to create giant bee honey caves. The giant bees naturally build their hives in caves, and there's a number of tricks that allow skilled workers to get inside these caves and collect honey without getting attacked. The cat sized bees fly out during the day over summer to much on fruits from which their honey is made.