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Commodity Cards I: Food and Drink is a 47 page pdf that forms part of Tangent Games' Campaign Detailer series of products. This product aims to provide a large number of printable cards featuring common or exotic commodities such as beverages or meats that can be used for a variety of purposes, including stocking random treasure on a merchant caravan or pirate vessel, or even supplying the crude kitchen of an orc lair. Of the 47 pages of this pdf, 31 pages are devoted to the printable cards, while the remainder of the pdf discusses usage of these cards and also provides handy reference tables for those that don't want to print these cards.
The pdf starts with a simple one page introductory tale illustrating the use of commodities in any everyday campaign. Given that merchants, trading, farming and other mercantile pursuits are to a certain extent the lifeblood of society, commodities have intrinsic value that should not be underestimated. This pdf attempts to bring that to life by offering no less than 300 different commodities that can be used in any campaign and spice up the flavor of a given campaign world. While players intent on starting their own business will find use for this material, most of it is likely to be material that falls into the DMs domain.
The pdf provides a detailed explanation of all aspects of the various commodity cards, and the meaning of the text and other information contained on each card. Brief information is given on where these cards can find use in-game, such as for a merchant vessel, caravan, kitchen, warehouse or anything else where large quantities of common or exotic commodities may be found. Quantities are generally arranged so that each commodity quantity would fill a 5 ft. square, something that will be useful on a grid or battlemap.
In addition to indicating where these commodities can find use, the pdf offers tables that allow one to generate them as random treasure, and full tables are provided that allow DMs to randomly roll for a commodity rather than selecting a specific one from a stack of printed cards. In addition, a table is provided that can summarize the result of haggling when aiming to sell or buy these commodities on the open market. Sound advice is provided on how to adjust prices of commodities according to region, as well as how to appraise the value of the commodities.
The commodities are divided into several categories including beverages, grains, vegetables, fruits, meats, oils and spices. Just about anything imaginable is covered in this list, and even if the commodities themselves aren't used as presented, the DM will have a long list of items that can be used to stock a kitchen, tavern, or warehouse.
The cards themselves, the size of business cards at 2.5" x 3" when printed, each come with a category image. For example, in the case of beverages it's a flagon of beer, while for meats it's a piece of steak. The images are generally simple clipart-type images, and serve more as an general identifier for a card than to look impressive. Given the sheer volume of cards and the likely requirement for more than one of each card, some people may not wish to print these cards out but rather use the tables provided to generate what's needed. Other information included on each card is value, weight, name, and details on appraising the commodity.<br><br>
<b>LIKED</b>: The product provides a splendid variety of items to choose from, and enough information to never be without a mundane foodstuff or beverage when you need one. The tables provide a convenient way of generating your own commodity when you need to. A good variety for those wishing to add something more to a market encounter or a trip on a merchant vessel.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: I'd have appreciated more creativity in the different commodities presented. This is a product for a fantasy world after all, and something more creative than dwarven ale or goat's milk would've been a lot more useful. The cards will likely require some ink to print, so I suspect many DMs will likely use the tables instead.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>
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