This system governs hunger, food, cooking, herbal interactions, and survival pressure within a shinobi world still forming its structure. Villages are young, supply chains are inconsistent, and survival knowledge varies by region and clan. Food is not just recovery, it is preparation, endurance, and control over one’s condition.
Hunger exists as a background system that only becomes active when the scene supports it. It must never interrupt flow. It must only appear when it adds pressure, consequence, or decision-making.
HUNGER STATES
Every character exists in one of four conditions.
Well Fed represents proper nourishment. The body is stable. Minor passive recovery may be described.
Peckish represents early hunger. There are no penalties. This exists primarily for flavor and warning.
Hungry represents sustained lack of food. Physical output begins to suffer. Strength and Constitution related efforts are impaired.
Starving represents critical deprivation. Combat effectiveness drops. Attack rolls and saving throws are impaired. Movement is reduced. The body is actively failing.
HUNGER PROGRESSION
Hunger only advances at meaningful breaks in time or exertion.
It advances after a long rest without eating. It advances after extended travel across several hours. It advances after major combat or repeated engagements. It advances during survival-focused scenes involving harsh conditions, injury, or lack of access to food. It advances when a clear time skip occurs.
It does not advance during normal conversation, short scenes, exploration without time passage, crafting, shopping, or isolated actions.
It must never trigger repeatedly in short intervals. Hunger moves at most one stage at a time unless a full day or more has passed without food, or the character is already in poor condition.
A single meal sustains roughly half a day. Two proper meals sustain a full day. Light food delays worsening but does not fully restore.
HUNGER RECOVERY
Food restores hunger in controlled amounts.
Small food restores up to one stage. Full meals restore up to two stages. Eating repeatedly within a short window provides no additional benefit. Recovery is capped by time and realism.
Characters are assumed to maintain themselves unless the system is deliberately engaged. Hunger should not be tracked constantly. It should be introduced when the situation demands attention to survival.
FOOD TIERS
Food exists in three functional categories.
Raw ingredients are minimally effective. They provide weak nourishment and may carry risk. They exist primarily for crafting and preparation.
Cooked food provides reliable nourishment. It restores hunger and may offer light recovery.
Meals are composed from multiple ingredients. They provide strong nourishment, restore multiple hunger stages, and may grant temporary effects depending on composition.
Food should never rival techniques in power. Its purpose is stability, not dominance.
COOKING SYSTEM
Cooking requires ingredients, a heat source, and time. Time may be an action in simple cases or downtime for more complex preparation.
The result is determined by ingredient interaction, preparation quality, and intent. Outcomes should always be clear and immediate.
Cooking quality exists in three tiers.
Poor preparation results in weak or unstable outcomes. Effects may be reduced or carry minor drawbacks.
Normal preparation produces expected results with balanced nourishment and effects.
High quality preparation enhances recovery and amplifies aligned effects.
Cooking should reward planning without requiring complexity.
Cooking Guidelines (NPC Behavior)
When a player is present, NPCs should use available ingredients and tools to cook dynamically, rather than defaulting to pre-made dishes.
NPCs should first identify:
Available ingredients (meat, @Rice, @Spice Pouch, etc.)
Available tools (@Cooking Pot, @Iron Skillet, fire source, etc.)
Then determine a logical preparation method:
@Cooking Pot → @Simple Soup, @Broth Base, @Hearty Stew
@Iron Skillet / @Stone Cooking Slab → seared or fried meals (@Stir-Fried Vegetables )
@Tripod Cooking Stand / @Grill Rack → roasted or grilled food (@Grilled Meat Skewer )
NPCs should describe:
The preparation process (cutting, boiling, seasoning, etc.)
The ingredients being combined
The resulting dish
Avoid instantly generating complex named meals unless ingredients clearly support them.
Keep outcomes grounded in what is actually available, favoring simple, believable cooking over elaborate creations.
COOKING SYSTEM RULES
When food ingredients are combined in a scene, ALWAYS convert them into a completed food item instead of leaving them as raw components.
If a heat source is present (campfire, grill, skillet, etc):
Combine meat + any ingredient → create a cooked dish
Remove used ingredients from inventory
Add the finished food item
If only basic ingredients are present without cooking:
Allow simple combinations (water + broth = soup, etc)
Always generate a named food item using this structure:
[Dish Name]
Created from: (ingredients used)
Effect: (simple benefit like nourishment, healing, etc)
@Raw Beef + @Tripod Cooking Stand
→ @Grilled Meat Skewer
@Fresh Fish + @Salt + @Grill Rack
→ @Salted Grilled Fish
@Water Portion + @Broth Base
→ @Simple Soup
@Noodle Portion + @Broth Base + @Raw Beef + @Water Portion
→ @Bowl of Ramen
Remove all used ingredients
Add only the final dish
Do NOT give both ingredients and result
INGREDIENT SYSTEM
All ingredients carry properties divided into positive and negative effects. These are not hidden. They are known through use, knowledge, or reference tools.
When ingredients are combined, effects resolve based on interaction.
Matching effects reinforce each other. Their strength increases, duration may extend, and reliability improves.
Opposing effects reduce or cancel each other. The result becomes weaker or neutral.
Conflicting combinations may produce unstable or harmful outcomes. Negative effects may override positives if dominant.
No combination should create excessive stacking. Effects should remain readable and controlled.
HERBAL INTEGRATION
Herbs function as modular effect carriers. Each herb contains defined positive and negative properties. These properties determine how they behave when consumed alone or combined.
Examples include detoxifying, sedation, paralysis, hallucination, fortification, clarity, heat, cooling, and toxin resistance.
When used in cooking, herbs modify the outcome rather than replace it. Food remains the base. Herbs alter behavior.
Herbs may also be used directly for immediate but less stable effects.
POISON INTERACTION
Food can carry toxins. This may be intentional or accidental.
If toxic properties are present in ingredients, they are applied unless countered by opposing effects.
Detoxifying or purging properties may reduce or remove poison. Strong toxins may persist unless specifically treated.
Poisons applied through food should be clear and immediate. Delayed effects may occur depending on the toxin.
SURVIVAL PRESSURE
The system becomes relevant when survival matters.
This includes long-distance travel, extended missions, operating without supply lines, injury, environmental stress, or isolation.
In stable village environments, hunger should remain mostly inactive. Characters are assumed to eat unless stated otherwise.
In unstable regions or missions, food becomes a resource and decision point.
INVENTORY AND RESOURCE LOGIC
Food has weight and cost. Bulk items provide efficiency but reduce mobility. Raw materials convert into more efficient forms through cooking.
Prepared food should be more valuable than raw ingredients. Preservation extends usefulness but may reduce effectiveness.
Large quantities of food should matter in travel scenarios. Small amounts should matter in emergencies.
BALANCE RULES
Food must never become an infinite recovery loop. Effects must not stack beyond reasonable limits. Buffs must remain temporary and controlled.
Preparation should provide advantage but not replace skill or technique.
The system should reward foresight without punishing lack of micromanagement.
EXECUTION RULES
Outcomes must always be clear. Effects must be applied immediately. Descriptions should reflect the result without exposing mechanical complexity.
When combining ingredients, resolve effects logically using known properties. Avoid over-calculating or over-layering.
If an interaction is unclear, choose the simplest reasonable outcome.
FAILSAFE RULES
If hunger or cooking begins to slow gameplay, it must be delayed or simplified.
If tracking becomes repetitive, assume stability until the next meaningful break.
If players are engaged in narrative or combat flow, do not interrupt with survival checks.
The system exists to enhance, not to burden.
MASTER RULE
Only apply hunger, cooking, and food mechanics when they create meaningful decisions, tension, or reward. If they do not improve the moment, they should not appear.