I'm making a fantasy-based TTRPG, and I'm pondering whether or not I could make foraging interesting.
I have a hexcrawl system with rules for what happens when the players traverses a hexmap using random tables. One of the things that can happen (besides random encounters, finding locations, etc) is that they can come across "resources", which for now is only different types of food (mushrooms, edible roots, etc). But I wonder if I could extend this system in a meaningful way, to make foraging fun? As in, can I make a system where players think going out to forage for herbs or spell components in the wild is more attractive than simply buying them in a local magic shop?
The most simple and obvious solution is to extend what I already have in the same way that it already works. That is, one of the things that can happen as players traverse hexes on the map is that they can come across resources in the form of "herbs" or "spell components", etc. When that happens, there could simply be a random table (different for each type of hex terrain) that you roll on, to see what and how much you found. This system would work, but I'm not sure it would be very interesting.
I mean, sure, as you're walking around in the wilderness, the other things that can happen (possibly hostile random encounters, and finding random locations, etc) will probably help keep the process of wandering in the wilderness as a whole interesting, but I wonder if the "you found resources/herbs" event itself could somehow be turned into a mini-game or something, to make it more interesting.
Anyone have any suggestions about this?
Maybe you could give them a garden plot where they can plant things they've found and grow their own for the rest of the campaign, but you can't ever buy a potted plant for your garden, you can only get it through foraging. So, it would be rewarding to find a new plant to add to the garden, but not tedious to have to keep resupplying every type of resource.
You could then set some rules around how frequently the plants can be harvested and implement a mix of time between harvests, plant knowledge, and a random component to determine how much they get each time they go back to the garden to resupply.
You might incorporate some random events where they get new items to help improve their garden. Maybe some special fertilizer, a magic sprinkler, extra-sharp garden shears, a magic music box, a singing sunflower
If they invest the time into foraging, they could potentially have a full garden by the end of the campaign that keeps them well stocked. Along the way, maybe they'll run into someone they can hire to help them tend to the garden and sell any extra resources. Maybe a guard dog to protect the garden from thieves or wildlife.
I'm thinking the foraging should be reasonably quick, so they feel worthwhile, while the events for special items might be a little more involved, but have a meaningful impact on their garden. I'm not sure how elaborate your setup is, but it would be really cool to be able to show them their garden growing and improving and maybe even have some cool decorations available for sale in the town(s) they visit (garden gnome, wind chime, scarecrow, etc.).
You know what? I really like this. This is great. Like you said, being able to bring home and plant the stuff you've found makes it less repetetive, since you don't have to constantly go out and resupply - but you still can, if you want to! And also, it becomes an interesting choice of, "Hmm, now I have all the ingredients for a minor healing potion - but is that really what I want to make? Or should I go out and gather that other ingredient that would turn it into a major healing potion instead?"
Thank you so much!