Friday, July 3, 2020

The Extremely Boring Diet of the Sheep People

The Ovis, also known as the Flock, the Sheepfolk, them darn Woolies, and many other names they go by. They travel the lands in nomadic caravans, sheering themselves and selling their wool to other races. In my game, they're kind of like the “poverty” starting character. Look at the stats; generic human stat spread but don't need to buy rations during most parts of the year, don't need to buy starter armor, and they start with a little extra gold from having a big social circle.

OVIS
Base AC- 10
You are standard sized.
  • Generate stats as normal (3d6 down the line)
  • You can eat grass.
  • You can't wear shoes or boots; you have hooves, not feet.
  • You have Wool. Wool grants +2 AC and you take -1 attacks from Cold attacks and spells. Your Wool also encumbers you, you can't wear armor over it, and it will drag you down if it gets wet. If you shave it off, your wool will grow back next Fall.
  • You have many friends and relatives. +30c starting gold.
  • If you are alone against a carnivorous predator, you must make a saving throw to avoid the instinct to bleat and flee in terror.
An Extremely Boring Diet
Some of the Ovis have made permanent settlements, some of them live among other races, but all of them eat the same thing. Grass. Grass, Forbs, Weeds; other generic pasture food. When you're an intelligent species, eating this kind of food all the time gets extremely boring. Even moreso when all the stuff you're eating over the winter is just a dried version since it doesn't grow in the cold. How do they remedy this problem?

Foodstuffs Table – 1d8
[1] Grass Jelly. It's a gelatin substance, sweetly flavored with the stems of field flowers.
[2] Grass Noodles. They're beaten and boiled into noodles, sometimes served with a nutty broth.
[3] Crunchy Balls. Leaves and flower stems, rolled into a ball and dried. Adds texture.
[4] Silage soup. Some have been fermented for years; mildly alcoholic.
[5] Hay Pastries. Hay that is woven around sugary plants, baked like any sweet tart.
[6] Leaf rolls. Stuffed with blended plant matter, flower heads for sweetness, or nuts.
[7] Plant Sausage. Its a plant stem from a species with elastic properties; filled with the pressed and squeezed vegetable oil and chaff from other plant products.
[8] Greenbread. The wheat is sourced from pasture plant seeds, some partially germinated, with some plant fiber mixed in for structure; hence it's green. Humans can eat this.

Drinks Table – 1d4
[1] Hayle. Weak ale made with hay, a daily chore for sheep. Has a distinct, nostalgic taste.
[2] Field Daze. Alcoholic, made from roots. The sugar for fermentation imported to give it kick.
[3] Green Milk. Strained and pressed grass blades, made into green drink. Served cold. Useful for the older sheep whose dental pad and teeth have worn down with age.
[4] Hot Leaf Tea. It's just hot water with a leaf put in it. Used as an excuse for a social event more then anything. You can't taste the leaf in the water, you eat it after you're done drinking.

Special Crops – 1d4
[1] Blue Bulbs. Lathered like soap, rubbed into wool to whiten it. Used for grooming and fleece sales.
[2] Rip Thorns. Ferny plants that grow when exposed to blood. Buried within the heart of a dead sheep, to protect their bodies from predators and speed up decomposition into the next life.
[3] Briarbents. Shitty thorny plant with round spiky briers. Within each is a very tasty soft filling, similar to a muscle. Even humans think they're good. Closest thing to “meat” they eat.
[4] Elf Grass. Probably most famous sheep crop. Looks fresh all year, collects dew every morning even in dry places. Hitched to planters on their wagons; mostly carried for water as it lacks nutrition.

6 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. seriously delightful, I feel like my original comment may come off as flippant, but this sort of culinary worldbuilding does five times the work of any other kind

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    2. No, I appreciate the kind words. Sheep men are my new favorite stand in for things like hobbits. Thanks!

      Delete
  2. Now it needs a write-up about hiring friendly dog-men to serve as herdwatchers

    ReplyDelete