Flora & Fauna

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by Fox Lee

I like your style, enrious! Though in my game world, a couple of PC races genuinely have the mechanical ability "Eat Anything", so I fear I am back at square one

That kind of reminds me of a spirited debate I read on the paizo forums about whether a "Purify food and drink" spell would render urine and feces consumable and nutritious, thus allowing the party to avoid buying rations after the first time.

Ew.

[EightBitz]

Originally Posted by Aaron

That kind of reminds me of a spirited debate I read on the paizo forums about whether a "Purify food and drink" spell would render urine and feces consumable and nutritious, thus allowing the party to avoid buying rations after the first time.

Ew.

What would be spirited about that debate? Sure, it would purify the urine, but you wouldn't get as much out as you put in. Your body uses water in other ways. It doesn't all come out. It help reduce your need to refresh your water skins, but it wouldn't eliminate it.

Feces is a waste product. It's the parts you ate that your body didn't digest. Even if you purified it, the benefits of eating it would, I believe, be dubious. It already passed through once, why would it not pass through again? But even putting that aside, even if there is anything left to digest, you have the same problem you had with urine. You don't get as much out as you put in.

[Asrugan]

So along the lined of non unique species and minerals, I've also looked at races (since my primary campaign has several unique ones for PCs). I've looked at making that a new category but can't seem to fit it into what exists. Thoughts?

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by EightBitz

What would be spirited about that debate? Sure, it would purify the urine, but you wouldn't get as much out as you put in. Your body uses water in other ways. It doesn't all come out. It help reduce your need to refresh your water skins, but it wouldn't eliminate it.

Feces is a waste product. It's the parts you ate that your body didn't digest. Even if you purified it, the benefits of eating it would, I believe, be dubious. It already passed through once, why would it not pass through again? But even putting that aside, even if there is anything left to digest, you have the same problem you had with urine. You don't get as much out as you put in.

That is indeed one of the positions held, though a secondary one dependant on the primary argument. The main point of contention was whether urine and feces qualified as "food and drink" and thus if they were valid targets for the spell.

[mezme]

I ended up creating a "danger" subcategory of "object" for things like poisons, disease, terrain hazards and narcotics/drugs

[Silveras]

I see a new Category type of "Inhabitant" in the latest builds which seems to be intended for plants, animals, and other generic entities -- though perhaps not Hazards, Poisons, Diseases (all Afflictions in Pathfinder). Most other entries ... poisons, drugs, diseases, and curses anyway... are likely to be mechanics articles more than Story/World Categories.

[Fox Lee]

I was glad to see "inhabitant", though I'm still looking for a solution for materials/substances. Good step in the right direction though, it's definitely something generic/important enough to be a part of the core category structure.

[Dr_Automaton]

Originally Posted by Fox Lee

I was glad to see "inhabitant", though I'm still looking for a solution for materials/substances.

I've lumped these in a Technology category along with topics like Lightsabers, Warp Theory, Flux Capacitors, etc. Potentially another good candidate for the stock categories.

[Fox Lee]

Originally Posted by Dr_Automaton

I've lumped these in a Technology category along with topics like Lightsabers, Warp Theory, Flux Capacitors, etc. Potentially another good candidate for the stock categories.

You know, that just might do the trick! It would be less populated in my fantasy setting, but what are mithral and adamantium if not the hand-wavey fantasy version of technology? Good call.

What does your technology category look like? Any need for new tag domains (etc)?

[Dr_Automaton]

I think I more or less just copied the Inhabitant category and tweaked the section descriptions. There wasn't a perfect match for me in the available icons, but the blue beaker seems to work okay.