Innovative In-game Cuisine

[Shemeska]

Bebilith egg, marinated in a mixture of styx water and diced lemure pineal gland.

Elf Tikka Masala. (It was a Rakshasa, don't ask).

Live Elf (It was a Thri-Kreen, don't ask).

 

[Shemeska]

Some time ago, the party found a bottle of an unidentified tanar'ri beverage. After careful testing and an identify spell, they determined that the drink was 187% alcohol. Yes, that's right; the bubbles are actually microscopic pocket dimensions that contain many times their own volume in alcohol, resulting in a drink which is much stronger than 100% proof.

Very cool idea.

Speaking of fiend wine, I once had a gnome spontaneously combust from drinking too much Baatorian Firewine. He'd seen a PC* guzzling the stuff and so he went up and downed twice as much. He blew up shortly thereafter and I had fun describing his weeping widow constantly harranging the vender on subsequent days for selling an unsafe product.

*(The PC was one who was immune to alcohol and messing with the head of a sadistic and rather overzealous osyluth brewmaster in Sigil)

 

[francisca]

Nothing beats "Rat on a Stick", originally found in a T&T module of the same name, published by Judge's Guild back in the day. Some demi-humans had basically setup a fast food stand in a dungeon, 'cause, the denizens had to eat something.

Here is the real-life recipe.

Source: http://www.judgesguild.net/treasure/ratonastick.shtml

The Recipe:

Ingredients

* 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
* 1/2 cup finely crushed cheddar cheese crackers
* 1 egg
* 1/4 tsp. black pepper
* 1/2 lb. cheese (Colby, Colby Cheddar, or Jack Colby)
* 1 Tbsp. honey
* 1 cup barbecue sauce
* 8 wooden meat skewers or equivalent
- For optional tails -
* 4 pieces spaghetti
* red food coloring

Instructions

* Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
* Cut cheese into half-inch cubes. Impale cheese cubes on skewers, dividing cheese cubes evenly among skewers.
* In large bowl, mix beef, egg, cracker crumbs, and pepper. If mixture doesn't stick together well, add 2 tablespoons milk.
* Divide mixture into 8 sections.
* Press each section flat until 1/2 inch thick.
* Wrap each stick of cheese in a section of meat. Make sure there are no holes or cracks in the meat that would let the cheese leak out while baking.
* Shape top end of meat "rat"into a point.
* Optional tails:
o Fill a small saucepan with water and add four drops of red food coloring. Bring to a boil.
o Break 4 sticks of spaghetti in half. Place spaghetti in water, leaving one end out of water.
o When spaghetti has softened and turned pink, remove from water.
o Using unsoftened end, insert 1 piece of spaghetti into round end of "rat".
o Drape soft end of spaghetti around handle of stick.
* Place "rats" on baking sheet. (one with sides)
* Dribble honey over "rats".
* Pour barbecue sauce over "rats"
* Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees F, basting and turning occasionally.
* Serve to hungry gamers.

 

[The_Universe]

Dragon Jerky has been a long running joke delicacy in my campaign. It's definitely the food of Heroes.

 

[mmadsen]

The Dying Earth RPG has a section on curious culinary delights -- and one on odd, foppish apparel, including funny hats.

 

[DarkSoldier]

Troll in a Can.

What is Troll in a Can, you ask? Why, it's a chunk of troll, sealed inside a resealable can! Feeling hungry, and your group doesn't have Survival ranks or trail rations? Heat up a skillet, crack open your Troll in a Can, and let it regenerate to the thickness you want. Slice it off and drop it into the skillet; frying it will prevent it from growing any farther than you want. Remember to reseal the can!

Troll in a Can, from the makers of Creme Bullette!

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

I'm starting to think that you make these threads specifically for Ronin Arts. Either that or we just have a wide variety of PDFs for DMs to use.

Wow, Phil. The Athenaeum Arcane series, in particular, is awesome! PDF is a pain, though. When and where can I find these titles in print?

I swear I'm not trying to give RA free advertising. In truth, it's more like I'm trying to undercut your business by compiling the same kind of stuff here. I am interested, though. This stuff looks cool, and some of the smaller (cheaper) PDFs might be worth trying. I'll think about it if you consider publishing some compilations of thematically similar titles in print.

 

[Andor]

Some time ago, the party found a bottle of an unidentified tanar'ri beverage. After careful testing and an identify spell, they determined that the drink was 187% alcohol. Yes, that's right; the bubbles are actually microscopic pocket dimensions that contain many times their own volume in alcohol, resulting in a drink which is much stronger than 100% proof.

Wow, that's even stronger than 307 Ale.

Nuts. There's a Troll Recipe book Cathy Frasier made that's hilarious, but I can't find it online. I'll have to see if she has a copy on her computer somewhere.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

Highlights

Ramen-Toa

Gross! (especially because of the cranium rats) But really cool. Consider this stolen! (though I think I'll likely skip the Ramen-Nazi, so I need to start thinking of another NPC just as cool. I like the hustler who gets the PCs a place in line.

stoneflesh

Wow! Great name! Thank you. Why didn't I think of that?

*Assassin Wine, harvested at great risk fresh from wild Assassin Vines. It's notoriously heady, with a distinctive musty taste. There's at least one vineyard trying to cultivate several varieties. The workers in the field are all undead, since the vines don't bother trying to kill them.

*Beholder's tongue goes for somewhere in the vicinity of 200 marks (gp) in the restaurants of the Empire. Carefully roasted and filleted, and served with an expensive red wine sauce.
Its eaten more for the prestige of being able to afford it than the taste, which is, from all reports, rather bland.

*Krakenmari. 'Nuff said.

Ky'Husa is neato! That's another one to steal. Absinthe is so passe. All of the rest are winners, too. Assassin Wine of course reminds me of heartwine, brewed from razorvine. I love that Beholder tongue fillet is just a status food. Krakenmari is too funny because it makes me imagine that, like beholder tongue, folks are going to buy this on the rationale that if calamari is good, this must be better. Prestige food is such a ridiculous, far-fetched concept that it could only happen in the real world, thus adding to my game should add verisimilitude. The doppleganger is a funny idea, especially for a light-hearted game, but I think I'll leave it in the larder with the troll steaks, as it seems silly for the game I usually run.

Then there's the question of the morality of eating sentient beings... Beholders? Dragons? All sentients! Would you eat a Dwarf? An Elf? A Human? Isn't that cannibalism?

Good point! But then, maybe I'm not the best to ask, as I am a vegetarian, too. There was a cool entry in the AD&D 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual for Crabman (no doubt they'd be crabfolk, now) that indicated that they were pretty tasty boiled and slathered in butter. Since so many creatures are listed as prefering the flesh of this or that PC race, I thought that it was kind of a cool twist.

There is actually a real-world analogue to this, in Japan Pufferfish sashimi is considered a delicacy, even though it must be carefully prepared to avoid having lethal levels of pufferfish toxin. The tounge and lips typically become somewhat to completely numb while eating it.

For "lethal levels," try "any." Fugu poison is deadlier than cyanide. Cooks who prepare it must be specially trained and licenced as per a rule originally put in place by MacArthur, I believe. It's deadly stuff, and is an idea just begging to be used in-game.

"Rat on a Stick"

I always liked the idea of serving "themed' food to my players. While running Bruce Cordell's 2e Illithid trilogy, I nuked up a paste of onion and cinnamon as a sort of creepy potpourri while we played. If I had had a hot tub & pool, I would have run the finale with all of the players' feet in the lukewarm hot tub with one of those wandering pool skimmer things brushing their feet in the opaque water.

 

[The Shaman]

I assume that Troll Stew would work about the same. Boiling it would slow down the regeneration, but once it cooled enough to eat, look out! Your stomach acid might be enough to take care of it, but of not, you could find yourself feeling rather... over-full! (It's like [U[Alien[/U], all over, again!)

Or it becomes an unusual way to get a troll army inside a guarded palace, tower, &c.

The troll is diced up into the stew, then served to a guard, page, or whatever. The diner is then treated to a special after-dinner brew and sent off - the brew is a powerful antacid which when ingested neutralizes the stomach acid, allowing the troll bits to regenerate...