There are fewer things in the world that bring groups of people together quite as efficiently as a crackling fireplace, enchanting music and most importantly, a warm meal.  Pair the above with a solid group of friends looking to immerse themselves in collaborative storytelling and you’ve got one surefire way to have a fantastic evening of gaming. With a show of hands, how many of you TTRPG players have started a game with, “You meet in a tavern?”

See, we’re all familiar with what is perhaps the most prevalent start to any long-form campaign. So why a tavern? Well, because it pays homage to creating that genuine sense of camaraderie right out the gate and gives players and their characters a quick set of expectations–you are all here for one purpose, and over a shared meal, you’re going to lay out your initial plans for adventuring. But why leave the warm meal to the imagination?

Engaging the senses while playing the game is about more than just describing what’s ahead of your players and what they are experiencing through words. We explored using scents to create immersion previously. While scent and taste are two different senses, they work together to give us an understanding of [ITALIC]flavor[/ITALIC]. The nervous system understands scent through receptors in nasal passages, while tastebuds on the tongue communicate taste back to our brains. 

With enough prep-time, a Dungeon Master can coordinate with their players ahead of the game to set up a meal to enjoy while adventuring. You have options ranging from fast-food delivery all the way to preparing a 5-course meal fit for a king and their court right at your fingertips.

DMs across the globe put forth incredible effort to craft a narrative fit to be explored by their adventuring parties, and one thing is shared among all of them–gratitude when players chip in. If you’re not sure whether there will be some magnificent meal in the middle of the game session you are preparing for, the easiest bet is to coordinate with players to bring snacks for the table. This can range from chips and salsa, pizza delivery or other similar bite-sized snacks to carry the entire table of players through a 4-hour game session. An easy way to convince your players to help chip in on this front? Offer inspiration points for the session where the players bring food! 

Now, if your game sessions have been building up to  a glorious banquet with the nobility, a peace-making meal set in the BBEG’s castle (looking at you, Strahd) or even a welcome-home dinner for successful adventurers, you and your players have a bit more room to have some fun with engaging the sense of taste. As a DM, carefully consider the culture of the meal you may be preparing your characters for in-game, and work with your players to craft home-cooked meals for the special session. There are fantastic recipe books dedicated to exactly this created by gamers just like us that are useful resources. Check out Critical Role’s official cookbook, Exquisite Exandriaor even The Elder Scrolls: Official Skyrim Cookbook for easy access to a slew of amazing (can confirm) recipes that fit your fantasy settings. There are also content creators, like Quincy’s Tavern, who post video tutorials of recipes straight from their own cookbooks that are themed, fun and easy-to-follow.

Not looking to create an entire meal? Carefully consider smaller scale taste-focused items that you could craft for your players. Healing potions and elixirs make for fantastic, small mixed drinks, and whatever flavor YOU as the DM decide they hold can be a recurring creation throughout your campaign. 

Some tastes though, you’ll likely want to leave to the imagination. We’re talking things like the taste of steel gauntlets when an adventurer takes a hit to the face, or the splash of sewer water that a character might unfortunately take on while fleeing through the twisting tunnels beneath a metropolis. Maybe don’t submit your players to these tastes directly. 

As always, be sure if you are preparing to bring food and drinks to your game table that you discuss allergens and dietary preferences so that you are creating immersive meals that your whole group can enjoy. After all, a little bit of Dust of Deliciousness can change your entire campaign.