D&D 5E RAW: Using Purify Food and Drink to cure a party member?

[Dannyalcatraz]

DM: I think all your characters are absolutely magical, so unfortunately it doesn't work.

IOW, they’re so fabulous, they could just die!

 

[pemerton]

It is unusual because it revolves around concepts, food and drink, that are notably dependent upon frame of reference. RAW that spell should mean something very different to many different species. If we are truly role playing.

For example, the rules tell you what is food to a Dhampir. The rules also tell you that this spell purifies food. People seem to be interpreting it to mean something extra: specific types of food. I’m sure that was the spell designer’s intent. But this is specifically a topic about RAW. I don’t think the designer was considering non-human frames of reference, or anticipating how varied playable species would become.

The RAW are addressed to the human players of the game.

The non-human frames of reference that you're referring to exist only in the fiction; but in the fiction there is no "RAW" - rather, there's this prayer that purifies stuff that humans and human-like beings would consider food.

 

[Nikosandros]

Due to Gygaxian Relativity, spells are invariant under coordinate transformations and magical effects are the same for observers in different frames of reference.

 

[FrozenNorth]

For example, the rules tell you what is food to a Dhampir. The rules also tell you that this spell purifies food. People seem to be interpreting it to mean something extra: specific types of food. I’m sure that was the spell designer’s intent. But this is specifically a topic about RAW. I don’t think the designer was considering non-human frames of reference, or anticipating how varied playable species would become.

But this ISN’T an example of considering the question from a RAW perspective. Instead, it’s an example of mixing a RAW and non-RAW interpretation in order to get the greatest advantage for a character regardless of whether it makes sense.

The spell affects food only? Pull out the RAW card! Well, my character eats sentient creatures.

The spell doesn’t remove the poisoned condition? Well, suddenly it’s not about RAW. We’re considering the intent rather than the strict wording of the spell.

Does your character actually intend to eat their ally? Well, it’s not about RAW any more. Now, we’re generalizing from the wording of the spell rather than applying the spell as written.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

What a kobold or goblin shaman used "purify" in the corpse of a wererat?

I guess the spell maybe couldn't heal a infected body, only to avoid the eater to be infected by that disease.

The spell is useless when the poisons are harmless by ingestion. Some tribal hunters from Southamerica use curare for poison arrows. They hunted preys with that poison can be eaten.

Maybe it can't heal an infection but it could stop this. At least could serve to earn time.

What if a type of food can cause allergy to most of people? The potential allergens could be neutralized.

 

[FrozenNorth]

The Yuan-ti cleric: I cast purify food and drink on the party wizard. I’m a Yuan-ti, I consider humanoids to be food.
DM: (to wizard) Roll a Con save.
Wizard: 8!
DM: You take 1d6 radiant damage as the spell attempts to render you poison and disease-free in a process that is akin to pasteurization. You are still poisoned.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Yes, I understand the real world reasons that we don't worry much about this spell.

However, this is a roleplaying game where you can play as a variety of different species and the goal of many players is to try to imagine themselves into the mental space of their characters. The issue is not that the spell doesn't work, since all of us humans with shared references get it, but rather whether it makes sense from the perspective of all of those fantastical characters. Because the effect is that we are picking and choosing which sorts of food it can affect. Pragmatism only gets you so far within imaginary settings.

I do get it, and (1) I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade (at least, not more than usual); and (2) I love a good rules analysis ....


That said, I am always firmly of the belief that rules are not designed for the perspective of in-game characters. There once was a poster who argued strenuously that characters within the game always understood the rules that they were playing under, to the point of absurdity. I don't think that this is the case. A fighter, for example, doesn't "understand" that they have d10 hit points every level.

The rules are designed to be read by us, using our language and our expectations. It's kind of a truism, since the spells are written in English, and not in Common (I guess) which means that the word "food" and "water" itself would have a different meaning for PCs that don't speak English gud (or at all!).

So while it is an interesting question as to the cultural differences as to what constitutes food, the purpose of the rule as written for players is necessarily clear; it is not to be used as a protection from poison or restoration spell, but rather to purify things that are meant for consumption prior to consuming them.

 

[Cadence]

So, I'm understanding that some casters could the use create food to summon various types of living creatures, possibly even humanoids? (I might be misremembering the spell).

 

[Swarmkeeper]

So, I'm understanding that some casters could the use create food to summon various types of living creatures, possibly even humanoids? (I might be misremembering the spell).

Yes... but... those creatures summoned by Create Food and Water, according to the spell description, would apparently be uninteresting (bland) and start acting like entitled, overindulged children (spoiled) if uneaten after 24 hours.

 

[Bacon Bits]

I would probably allow it to happen once as a reward for clever thinking, but not repeatedly.

I would rule that the effect is not what the caster thinks is "food and drink," it's what the game defines as "food and drink." Specifically, the casual definition of food and drink within the game is that they are objects.

More specifically, I would rule that a creature swallowed alive is not considered food until after they suffocate or otherwise expire. This means that a creature gets no nutritional value from creatures it swallows whole but are not killed by the digestive system.