Harvesting & Crafting

Harvesting

Harvesting is the process of extracting useful components from a creature’s body after it has been slain. This process must be completed quickly before the body spoils. Harvesting is divided into five clear steps and relies on coordination between players and the Dungeon Master.  

Step by Step Guide

  Declaring Intent: A Player must declare their intention to harvest a slain creature. The Dungeon Master (DM) will then consult relevant harvesting tables to determine what components are available to harvest from that creature.   Creating the Harvest List: The harvesters collectively decide which components they want to extract and in what order. This order forms the Harvest List and is critical to determining difficulty. The group must agree on the list, or the decision defaults to the designated Carving Harvester.   Calculating Harvest DCs: Each component has a Component DC, representing the difficulty of extracting it without ruining it. The Harvest DC is calculated cumulatively based on the harvest list order:  

• Harvest DC Formula: Harvest DC = Sum of Component DCs from this item and all previous items in the list

 

• Example:   A monster's eye has a Component DC of 5.   The base Harvest DC is 10.   Harvesting one eye: DC 15 (10 base + 5 component).   Harvesting two eyes: DC 20 (10 base + 5 + 5).   The DM calculates and provides the full Harvest DC for each item on the list so players can strategize accordingly.

  Making the Harvesting Check: Harvesting is resolved using a combined check made up of two components:  

• Assessment Check – To evaluate the quality and location of components.

 

• Carving Check – To physically extract the desired items.

 

• One player may perform both checks, or two players may split the roles.

 

• The results of both checks are added together to form the Harvesting Check Total.

  Resolving the Harvest:  

• The DM compares the Harvesting Check Total against the Harvest DCs from the Harvest List.

 

• Players do not roll for each individual item—a single set of rolls determines what components are successfully extracted.

 

• Any component whose Harvest DC is met or exceeded is successfully harvested.

 

Harvesting: Duration, Degradation, and Mechanics

Harvesting is not only a test of knowledge and precision but also a race against time. Understanding the duration of harvesting, how quickly corpses degrade, and how skill checks are made is essential to successfully extracting usable components from slain creatures.   Harvesting Duration by Creature Size:  

• Tiny: 5 minutes

• Small: 10 minutes

• Medium: 15 minutes

• Large: 30 minutes

• Huge: 2 hours

• Gargantuan 12 hours

  Degradation: Time-Sensitive Harvesting:  

• A harvester must begin harvesting a creature within 1 minute of its death.

• Once harvesting begins, it must be continuous for the entire duration required. If interrupted, the process fails, and the components are considered spoiled.

• Due to the minimum 5-minute harvesting time, only one creature can typically be harvested after a combat encounter before the rest begin to degrade.

  Assessment and Carving: The Harvesting Check is composed of two separate skill checks:  

• Assessment Check   Determines how best to extract and preserve the desired components.   Made using Intelligence + a skill based on creature type (see table below).   The character performing this is called the Assessing Harvester.

 

• Carving Check   Involves physically extracting components with precision.   Made using Dexterity + a skill based on creature type (see table below).   The character performing this is called the Carving Harvester.

  Creature Types and Associated Skills:  

• Aberration: Arcana

• Beast: Survival

• Celestial: Religion

• Construct: Investigation

• Dragon: Survival

• Elemental: Arcana

• Fey: Arcana

• Fiend: Religion

• Giant: Medicine

• Humanoid: Medicine

• Monstrosity: Survival

• Ooze: Nature

• Plant: Nature

• Undead: Medicine

  Rolling the Harvest Check:  

• Assessment Check: 1d20 + Intelligence modifier + proficiency bonus (if proficient)   Carving Check: 1d20 + Dexterity modifier + proficiency bonus (if proficient)   Harvesting Check Total: Assessment result + Carving result

  Spells and Buffs: Only spells or effects that last the entire duration of the harvesting process may apply to the check.   Helpers in Harvesting: Helpers who are not carving or assessing may still contribute by assisting during the harvest. The number of helpers depends on the creature’s size:  

• Tiny: 0

• Small: 1

• Medium: 2

• Large: 4

• Huge: 6

• Gargantuan: 10

  Helper Bonuses:  

• If proficient in the required skill for the creature type: Add full proficiency bonus to the Harvesting Check total.   If not proficient: Add half proficiency bonus, rounded down.   Helpers must assist for the entire harvesting duration to receive this bonus and are considered Assessing Harvesters for the purpose of failure consequences (see relevant section).

 

Harvesting: Results, Risks, and Requirements

  Once the Harvesting check has been made, the outcome depends on the total result, the damage the creature took, the nature of its components, and whether proper supplies were used. Harvesting is high-reward—but it comes with equally high risk if not performed carefully.   Results and Rewards: A character receives each component from the Harvest List whose Harvest DC is met or exceeded by the Harvesting check total. This is cumulative—higher rolls result in more components being successfully extracted.   Ruining Components: Some components can be rendered partially or completely useless depending on the way a creature dies or the damage it takes. Acid, fire and necrotic damage types are known as destructive damage types. These damage types are known to spoil corpses and ruin components.   Damage-Based Destruction Conditions:  

• Killing Blow: If a creature is killed by a destructive damage type, all components are ruined.

 

• Massive Damage: If a creature is reduced to 0 hit points by an attack and the remaining damage exceeds its hit point maximum, its components are considered ruined.

 

• Salvaging Difficulty: If components are ruined (but not fully destroyed), the Harvesting check is made at disadvantage.

 

• Unsalvageable Components: At the GM’s discretion, any number of components can be declared unharvestable based on the amount and nature of destructive damage sustained.

  Failing With Consequences: Harvesting is a delicate, sometimes dangerous process—especially when dealing with volatile or magically charged corpses. Failure may result in injury or unexpected effects.   Volatile Components: Some creatures (e.g., dragons) have volatile organs (like breath sacs). Failing to successfully harvest these components (rolling below the DC) may trigger a stored effect, such as an explosion or elemental discharge. Example, Attempting to harvest a red dragon’s breath sac (DC 25), the players roll a 12. The sac detonates—each harvester must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw as if they were struck by the dragon’s Fire Breath.   Special Damaging Effects: If a creature inflicts an additional damage type (e.g., poison, cold, necrotic) on its natural attacks, there’s a risk of injuring the harvester.  

• If a harvester rolls a natural 1 on either the Assessment or Carving check:   The harvester takes damage equal to the creature’s additional damage.   If the damage includes a saving throw (e.g., poison), the harvester must make that saving throw as if hit by the creature.

 

Storage and Supplies

  Harvesting isn’t just about extraction—it’s also about properly storing and preserving the components. Even a perfect cut is useless if the component spoils on the journey home.   Harvesting Supplies:  

• Include: Scalpels, gloves, solvents, vials, incense, containers, and preservatives.   All are bundled into a catch-all term: Harvesting Supplies.

  Cost and Usage:  

• Cost: 50 gp worth of Harvesting Supplies weighs 1 lb.

• Supplies are always consumed upon making a Harvesting check, regardless of outcome.

 

• The cost in gold is based on the combined Component DCs of each component attempted:   Total gold cost = Sum of Component DCs for each component started   If harvesting 3 components with DCs of 8, 12, and 15, the harvester must expend 35 gp worth of supplies (8 + 12 + 15 = 35).