Review of A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy
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A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy age recommendation: all ages adventures, D&D 5e mechanics (usually 8+, but flexible)
A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy is a D&D 5e supplement and adventure set that’s all about food! The three adventures included in the book are pretty kid-friendly; there’s some fighting and what not, but it’s usually against something like a grease elemental or angry veggies.
The mechanics additions to the D&D 5e integrate well with D&D (so you do not need to learn a totally new mini-ruleset). D&D mechanics are typically recommended for ages 8+ due to the complexity and reading level required, however, many kids play at a younger age, and the new elements from A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy were something that I was OK showing and trying out with my 5yo.
The Setting in A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy
A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy can be dropped into existing or new D&D campaigns (so you can choose the setting you want) or can be run with the provided one-shot adventures! The three one-shots are set in a fantasy realm and range from a kid’s ditched veggies taking on a life of their own to making a vegetarian brunch for the prince to a striking magical candy factory. They all have a bit of whimsy and are all full of food puns and references (a couple of my favorites were Dragons, Dry Inns, and Dives and the marshmallow golem).
Your character in A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy
Your character is a D&D character! You can create one from the base 5e rules or you can use some of the additional ancestries, backgrounds, and subclasses from A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy… and I do recommend that you check out the new material. New ancestries include the Fey-touched Morsel, the Gourmand, and the Gummyfolk with background options ranging from the barkeep who finally decided to join the adventurers in their tavern to a patisserie chef out to find new ideas. There’s also subclasses for existing backgrounds, like The College of Culinary Arts for Bards, which I absolutely love.
Mechanics in A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy
Because A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy has 5e based mechanics, I’m going to take this part of the review to cover some of the interesting points that play off of those existing mechanics.
Monsters, Spells, and Items
First, there are a ton of unique elements created for this supplement, and many of them are quite funny. I particularly liked the Bucket of Endless Snacks item and the Bigby’s Mighty Rolling Pin spell… and that doesn’t even get to the creatures.
There’s an Assassin Fruit (haha… fruit ninja), a Pantry Dragon with both young and adult stat blocks, and an actual Flying Spaghetti Monster.
I had a good laugh going through these, and I think that whether you’re playing a food-themed adventure or not, these are some great ideas to incorporate into your games.
Recipes!
At the end of the book, there’s actual recipes that tie into the one-shots! Each recipe is set up to look like an encounter, and they’re all recipes that could be made with kids helping out. There’s rock candy to tie into the candy factory adventure, fajitas made from defeated veggies, and more!
I’ve often tied snacks or meals into the games and stories that kiddo and I have played, and it is a great way to help players try out new foods or get excited about cooking since it’s a clear extension of the awesome story we just told. I’m really glad to see recipes here, and they all would make a great pairing for D&D night.
Overall thoughts on A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy
I thought this was a great set of adventures and additions to 5e! It’s fun and colorful, the pre-made one-shots are laid out well and easy to follow, and it provides a ton of new content to bring to your D&D campaigns. I loved the art and humor throughout the book, and I’m very glad to see some food themed adventures out there!
Find a copy of A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy
You can find a copy of A Gourmand’s Guide to Gastromancy here on DriveThruRPG/DMs Guild!
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