The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker: Part II

Most fantasy settings include something so fundamental that many people miss it and its ramifications. That is that the extraordinary has always been a part of the setting. Therefore, the fantastic should influence even the most “mundane” aspects of a setting. As an example, a series of three articles will describe “mundane” shops – the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker – each touched by the fantastic and may add some flavor to your game. This article describes the baker’s shop while other articles in this series will describe the butcher and candlestick maker shops.

Pastillarium Bakery

A popular shop among locals, the Pastillarium Bakery is owned and operated by a jolly, heavyset middle-aged couple and sells both mundane and magical breads and pastries. Adventurers love their pastries.

What People Know

A character knows the following information about Pastillarium Bakery with a successful Streetwise skill check.

• DC 14: One of several bakers’ shops in the city, Pastillarium Bakery provides excellent bread at decent prices.
• DC 16: Poppin “Muffinman” Fersc and his wife Poppie own and operate the bakery. He is a capable (if eccentric) baker, his wife runs the business and their children make deliveries across the city.
• DC 20: The “Muffinman” is magically experimenting with his creations, pushing past the boundaries of what the gods intended in terms of fresh baked goods.

The Baker’s Shop

A timber-frame building, located at an intersection between commercial and residential neighborhoods of the city, is home to the bakery. Painted depictions of extremely happy people eating various types of bread are on the sections of plaster between exposed beams on the outside ground floor. The roof of this tall and narrow building sports a profusion of chimneys.

On an average day, Poppie runs the shop, while Poppin bustles around the kitchen, ovens or the storeroom. (gnome male, 12th level wizard, good and gnome female, 12th level rogue, good)

Magic Breads

The Ferscs sell a variety of baked goods, both magical and mundane. The prices below are listed per item, be it a roll or full loaf. Assuming the PC is already holding the bread, a roll or slice may be consumed as a minor action and a wafer as a free action. However, it is not possible for a single medium-sized individual to consume a large loaf in a single round, though they could eat a sixth of it as a minor action.

Brioche of Rest (Level 1 Magic Bread; 50 gp)

• Eating this bread drags people down with magical weariness.
• Power (Consumable * Arcane) Anyone who consumes this bread must make a Will vs. 20 save. If the target fails its saving throw against this power, they fall unconscious (save ends). If they succeed, they are slowed (save ends).

Holy Wafer (Level 2 Magic Bread; 100 gp)

• Consume this wafer and you and those allies closest to you will enjoy the favor of your deity.
• Power (Consumable * Divine) Eating this wafer creates a close burst 20. The individual who consumes the wafer and their allies within the burst area enjoy a +1 power bonus to attack rolls until the end of the encounter.

Brioche of Relief (Level 8 Magic Bread; 680 gp)

• This bread strips an individual of an affliction.
• Power (Consumable * Healing) Eating this bread wipes away a single enduring effect – of any kind – afflicting the target. However, a Brioche of Relief also inflicts damage equal to one-quarter of the target’s maximum hit points in anyone who consumes this bread.

Daktyla of Health (Level 10 Magic Bread; 1,000 gp)

• Consuming a portion of this hearty bread magically mends wounds.
• Power (Consumable * Healing) Those who eat a share of this bread – intended to be consumed by six people – regain hit points as if they had spent a healing surge.

Brioche of Stone (Level 16 Magic Bread; 9,000 gp)

• This crusty bread increases a person’s battle endurance.
• Power (Consumable * Arcane) Eat this bread and gain Resist 10 to all damage until the end of the encounter.

Baker’s Work

The ritual Brew Potion allows a character to create a magic bread of their level or lower. The ritual’s component cost is equal to the price of the bread the character creates.

Adventure Hooks

• You Can’t Catch Me: A chagrined Fersc hires the PCs to help him find and deal with the result of his latest magic project in the kitchen; a small golem made of gingerbread, which has run away while vowing it is too fast for anyone to ever catch.
• Unusual Treasure: While looting an enemy’s lair, they PCs discover less gold than they had anticipated but several loaves of bread. Unbeknownst to the PCs (at least at first) these are expensive magic breads, such as Daktyla of Health or Brioche of Stone.

Edited by Charles Dickey