Cards of Food Conjuration

Purpose

Food Conjuration Cards are a low to mid level magic item designed to deal with people needing to eat, but having limited abilities and carrying capacity. In a dungeon or other deep adventuring mission the party will be away from settlements, supply lines, and have a fixed limit on how much they can carry. Long delves into dungeons are sometimes offset by eating slain monsters, but this is unreliable as a food source. The current methods are relying on Create Food and Water spells, or carrying food.

Relying on spells means the spellcaster has to give up spell slots or mana to fuel the spell. Many such spells are infamous for the fact that they produce food that's edible but not especially good. 

Carrying supplies is the bane of logistics. The food takes up space and weight. It can be lost, spoiled, stolen, or suffer spoilage. If magicked food is infamous for blandness, adventurer hardtack, iron rations, and jerky are the stuff of desperation.

Appearance

Cards of Food Conjuration are basically Tarot cards. The art style will combine the sigils and glyphs for the spell with illustrations that show what the card will conjure when charged with essence. 

Abilities and Limitations

A card requires essence to activate, but can be used by anyone capable of using charged magic items. When activated the card glows and the item depicted by the card appears as an act of greater conjuration (it doesn't dissappear). If supporting components are present, it can easily reduce the activation cost of using a card. Using a card on a chopped up monster can have some interesting effects as the spell will use said monster protein in its casting. 

There are limitations. The number of times a card can be used deoends on the material the cards are made of and their quality of make. Cheap, quickly made cards would be good for once a day use, but over a short amount of time would start wearing out. More expensive cards would have much higher use limits and higher durability.

Perhaps the most important limitation on the cards is that they are ultimately playing cards and can be easily damaged or ruined. Caught on fire, water damage, crumpled in a fall, cut, can easily ruin the spellcraft of the cards.

History and Origins

The most common stories of the origins of these cards chase back to the golden era inns and taverns of the Ancient Empire and how it prized quality and accuracy. A card conjured dish is the same every time it is cast. There are also equally valid stories claiming that the cards originated from the tables of thr High Lords of Terrasquestone given the number of artificers, cartomancers, and gourmands have graced the high seats.

Author's Note - Cards and Decks of Food Conjuration are specifically NOT created by dungeons, and do not appear in dungeon loot lists or drops.

Sample Decks

The High Gourmand's Deck - this deck is considered a Gold Rank item, and it is made of a very supple tan material, terrasque skin harvested from the depths of the Gyre. This allows the cards to hold up to fourth level spells. Each card in the High Gourmand's Deck is a feast for eight people with all the side items, affectations, and flourishes. The most famous meal from this deck is an exotic fruit and spice stuffed roast wyvern. There is a rumored Sommelier's deck of wine service cards.

The Huntsman's Deck is readily available in the main guild house of the Guild of Adventurere Upon Return and is a silver rank item. Cards are good up to second level spells and in the vein of Delicious in Dungeon, the conjured foods revolve around the commonly encountered beasts of the Gyre. These are geared around creating food for five adventurers. These cards made with high vellum.

The Deck of the Last Inn is available in the Last Inn in Armathaine, in the Castledom. These are considered the epitome of heroic fantasy cuisine as encountered across centuries of adventures and campaigns. The cards are simple and plainly made, and the food is simple but hearty fair. Roasts, large vessels of stew, stuffed breads, charcuterie boards for groups. 

Author's Final Note - please forgive the rough nature of this submission, it was written on an android phone sitting on a hotel bed.