Foraging (sage ability)
Foraging is an amateur-status sage ability that permits the character to search for naturally occurring food, which may be edible animal or vegetable matter. The exact nature of the food is not important, though it will typically consist of products such as fish, bird's eggs, roots, fruits and berries, nuts, honey, fungus, shellfish and more. The amount that is found will be far more than an ordinary person would find (an unskilled forager might locate half a pound per day) and will certainly be safe to eat. The ability includes the character's knowledge of when edible products are ripe; while some edible mushrooms may be located, the amount located will be less than 10% of the food found. Foraging should not be confused with mushroom hunting.
Foraging presumes hunting above ground; the ability does not provide for searching in subterranean ranges. As shown on the table, the amount of food located depends greatly upon the time of year.
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As well, foraging is reduced by 50% during the dry season of tropical and subtropical climates. In temperate climates, foraging will fall by 10% per week following October 15th, to a minimum of 10%, where it will remain until rising by 10% per week after February 1st. In sub-arctic climates, foraging will fall by 20% per week after September 7th, dropping to zero, and not climbing again by 10% increments per week after April 15th.
In many ways the skill resembles arboriculture ~ however, there are important differences. The skill does not depend upon a forested or shrub environment, as animal material can be collected as well as vegetable. Therefore, the foraging skill is useful in deserts and even in polar regions. Additionally, the skill is not concerned with potential harm to the environment, and as such may be willing to sacrifice a tree or an animal's family in order to assure food.
The amount of food that can be found per day (1 to 10 hours of searching) is determined by the thickness of the vegetation, as shown on the table.
In those areas of scant foraging, there is a chance that the character may fail to find any food at all; in areas of easy foraging, however, food is common and abundant, and only takes time to locate.
The skill is distinct from hunting in that none of the animal foods that are found require the character to take aim with a weapon and hit anything while moving. It is distinct from fishing in that a line or net is not used. The sort of animal food that is found will be, as has already been mentioned, eggs of birds and other animals, grubs, beetles, shrimps, mollusks and so on.
See Scouting
