D&D General Need wheat. Too dangerous. (worldbuilding)

[Vaalingrade]

Another thing to consider is that standard D&D is not the cartoon Death World people seem to portray where monsters are constantly running roughshod o'er the land.

In most official adventures and novels, the heroes have to travel for days in order to find something to home invade to death, so the reverse is also true: the monsters are actually far out from settlements unless those settlements are over-extended colonies that basically exist for adventurers to defend against overrun.

 

[Umbran]

And once again, I'm reminded of just what a game changer magic would be.

Sending Stones are an Uncommon item - so they cost a couple hundred gold and a couple of weeks to make (by Xanathar's crafting rules). Or a hundred gold and a few days for an upper-level artificer. But, they are permanent. Watchtowers and people to staff them cost money too - using Lifestyle expenses as a guide, we are talking about one gold a day per watchperson.

If giving the farmer a sending stone can replace the tower watch, it pays for itself in under a year.

 

[Umbran]

Just because a monster is supernatural or something that doesn't exist on our world, doesn't mean it has to pose a risk to the farmland itself (unless it really likes wheat or corn).

That's what I was saying.

 

[Slit518]

I've been having a suspension of belief recently over a commodity that is buyable just about anywhere - bread.

Here's what got me stuck:

1. Bread is a cheap, freely available staple food.
2. You need huge fields outside the walls to make lots of bread.
3. Huge fields outside the walls will inevitably be attacked and overrun.
4. No more bread.

Assuming 1-3 to be true, how do you fix this problem while keeping bread generally cheap and plentiful?

Long distance trade from a fabled land of wheat where there are no monsters? Dwarven underdark wheat, grown in deep basements, if there is such a thing?
I'm just drawing a blank, since every town should be surrounded by acres and acres of wheat fields, and so many places in many different settings, that just isn't possible. 1 cup of flour would need maybe three square feet of wheat plants. That's an awful lot of land to protect.

ideas pls?

There are several ways to combat this:

1. The agricultural area is also walled in.
2. Guards patrol the agricultural area with some towers around.
3. If monsters are a looming threat, perhaps farmers are taught the basics of weapons combat with their tools.
4. A powerful "witch" lives nearby, and she offers protection. The monsters have stories of a terrible, powerful foe nearby, who happens to be that very witch, and that alone is enough to scare them from getting near.
5. Civilization is far enough from the horrors of the outerworlds that monster attacks are rare and unheard of.

I would say civilization has these barriers:

1. You have your town; city; hamlet; village; etc
2. Then there is your farm land.
3. Then your fields.
4. Then the forests; hills; mountains; body of water.
5. The monsters probably inhabit the deep forests; under the hills or mountains, or in deep waters.

So monsters would have to content with animals first, stag; bear; wolves; fox; eagles; hawks; snakes; etc.
Then they would find their way to humans. But, if it is just 1 monster, they may be too scared, much like a wolf not nearing a camp sight with a fire and several folks.
If not that then it may be a group of intelligent monsters, such as Kobolds; Orcs; Goblins, perhaps raiding for food or supplies. Which, would be just like real life where one group of people would do in kind to another group of people. So then really it would get turned into a small scale skirmish or a war if a larger army marched through.

 

[Bedrockgames]

That's what I was saying.

I was agreeing with you

 

[Umbran]

I was agreeing with you

A suggestion of something I have learned myself - when you are agreeing, start with saying so. Like, "Yes...." or "I agree...". Otherwise, it is difficult to tell if there's be some misunderstanding, because... why is this person replying to me repeating what I just said? Was I not clear, and they thought I said the opposite?

 

[Ancalagon]

Another thing to consider is that standard D&D is not the cartoon Death World people seem to portray where monsters are constantly running roughshod o'er the land.

In most official adventures and novels, the heroes have to travel for days in order to find something to home invade to death, so the reverse is also true: the monsters are actually far out from settlements unless those settlements are over-extended colonies that basically exist for adventurers to defend against overrun.

I completely agree with you. A lot of old school design took this into account. For example, the "west march" campaign design has an area that is "safe" - and adventurers don't go there because there are few adventures to be had.

 

[Undrave]

Real-world farmers historically used scarecrows and other defences to ward off pests, so you just need some equivalent method that will ward off low-level wandering monsters. Maybe animated scarecrows (straw golems), along with nasty traps and other measures on the outermost borders of the fields.

Just dress up scarecrows as a party of plucky adventurers! 8 Goblins out of 10 can't tell the difference between a real Wizard and a scarecrow in a pointy hat!

The wheat isn't for making bread. It's for luring in monsters, who are then killed, and bread is made from their ground bones.

Hey, it makes about as much sense as anything else in D&D.

Bone Meal Bread?!

I now want that game.

It's called Rune Factory.

 

[Bedrockgames]

A suggestion of something I have learned myself - when you are agreeing, start with saying so. Like, "Yes...." or "I agree...". Otherwise, it is difficult to tell if there's be some misunderstanding, because... why is this person replying to me repeating what I just said? Was I not clear, and they thought I said the opposite?

what is your problem? I was agreeing. And I clarified. No need to take to be rude about it

 

[Umbran]

what is your problem? I was agreeing. And I clarified. No need to take to be rude about it

I was confused. We clarified that, all good.

I then gave a suggstion, because adding a single word would have elliminated that confusion. I am sorry - I honestly did not expect you to find a minor writing suggestion rude. If I had known this would be the reaction, I would not have done so. And I guess in the future I'll try in the future to not do so with you.