Where are potato's from?


Lost Omens Campaign Setting General Discussion

1 to 50 of 73 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>

I found Ultimate Equipment mentions farmers farming potatoes and lists them as trade goods. For the purpose of cuisine, diet, population and settlement placement (potatoes grow really well in places wheat never could) it would help to know where on Golarion they are native to and how widespread they are.

In the real world potatoes are a "new world" plant and their introduction to Europe was relatively recent (a time the printing press was widespread and firearms were the standard weapon). Are potato like cactus, which are found in Garund (despite real Cactus being only found in the "new world" with one exception)?


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

The Ulfen discovered Arcadia several thousand years ago, so there has been plenty of time for the potatoes they brought back to spread throughout the rest of the world.

And we have no idea when the Arcadians might have discovered Avistan or Tian Xia and brought potatoes with them to one of these continents.


Import from Earth through a portal :p

Paizo Employee Creative Director

8 people marked this as a favorite.

Potatoes grow throughout the Inner Sea region. They are vey very common.


Good to know. Thanks.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
James Jacobs wrote:
Potatoes grow throughout the Inner Sea region. They are vey very common.

Excellent evidence that Arcadians have already begun to colonize the Inner Sea region. We all owe them a great debt of gratitude, of course.


4 people marked this as a favorite.

As a sidenote, I actually think that's kind of dumb. Potatoes didn't just spontaneously evolve—they were the product of generations of careful domestication by the Incas, who bred thousands of different potato varieties to grow at different elevations (and therefore latitudes). Potatoes as the supercrop that they are today—the crop that changed Europe forever—only exist because the Inca people deliberately devised them.

Just handing potatoes off to the Inner Sea is kinda like letting Andoran be the original inventors of fireworks, or letting Cheliax be the birthplace of origami. And we can say, "Oh, but the Golarion cultures aren't carbon copies of the Earth cultures", and that's true, but the parallels are arguably too obvious (and deliberately employed) to just ignore them when they get inconvenient.

Just another way to look at it. Night, folks!


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Would it help if you handwave that the Azlant brought them, possibly through time or dimension hopping if you prefer, in order to give their subjects a high yield crop?


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Kobold Cleaver wrote:

As a sidenote, I actually think that's kind of dumb. Potatoes didn't just spontaneously evolve—they were the product of generations of careful domestication by the Incas, who bred thousands of different potato varieties to grow at different elevations (and therefore latitudes). Potatoes as the supercrop that they are today—the crop that changed Europe forever—only exist because the Inca people deliberately devised them.

Just handing potatoes off to the Inner Sea is kinda like letting Andoran be the original inventors of fireworks, or letting Cheliax be the birthplace of origami. And we can say, "Oh, but the Golarion cultures aren't carbon copies of the Earth cultures", and that's true, but the parallels are arguably too obvious (and deliberately employed) to just ignore them when they get inconvenient.

Just another way to look at it. Night, folks!

To be fair, not everyone went to Potato U. In Idaho like you apparently have. :-)

I'd thought potatoes were given to the Egyptians by aliens as an apology for leaving all their cats with us.

Sovereign Court

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Never underestimate the importance of ethnobotany!!! or that part of my degree


4 people marked this as a favorite.
AnimatedPaper wrote:
Would it help if you handwave that the Azlant brought them, possibly through time or dimension hopping if you prefer, in order to give their subjects a high yield crop?

Azlant sat between Arcadia and Avistan, visited Arcadia, and settled Avistan. Aroden's holy book is "How to Human" (or something), and cultivating potatoes is probably an entire chapter.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
captain yesterday wrote:
Kobold Cleaver wrote:

As a sidenote, I actually think that's kind of dumb. Potatoes didn't just spontaneously evolve—they were the product of generations of careful domestication by the Incas, who bred thousands of different potato varieties to grow at different elevations (and therefore latitudes). Potatoes as the supercrop that they are today—the crop that changed Europe forever—only exist because the Inca people deliberately devised them.

Just handing potatoes off to the Inner Sea is kinda like letting Andoran be the original inventors of fireworks, or letting Cheliax be the birthplace of origami. And we can say, "Oh, but the Golarion cultures aren't carbon copies of the Earth cultures", and that's true, but the parallels are arguably too obvious (and deliberately employed) to just ignore them when they get inconvenient.

Just another way to look at it. Night, folks!

To be fair, not everyone went to Potato U. In Idaho like you apparently have. :-)

Y'learn this in geography, mate.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I assure you sir, I learned nothing of the sort!


5 people marked this as a favorite.
Kobold Cleaver wrote:
...but the parallels are arguably too obvious (and deliberately employed) to just ignore them when they get inconvenient...

But this game is literally the last sanctuary I have where I can ignore things when they get inconvenient! If that's taken away... I... the only thing to do... well... you know where I'm going with this...


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Capn Yesterday, Tomato U Alumni wrote:
I assure you sir, I learned nothing of the sort!

Ah, I see you're a Tomahto graduate.


Banana?


I tweaked my random race generator in my hole where I put stuff. :-)

Finally!


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Hungry Minion wrote:
Banana?

Banana!!!


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Stuart, Minion wrote:
Hungry Minion wrote:
Banana?
Banana!!!

Ah, ah, ah. Hands dak mi banana.

*slap*


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Banana?!


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Unemployed Minion wrote:
Banana?!

Nah nah nah. Tapaku banana pu gumas.

Bapple.


Making notes.

Okay,

Carrell, Tiny, yellow, with terrible vision = alive.

Shatner, forgettably handsome, and red shirts = dead, or worse.

Liberty's Edge

As the Ancient Azlanti traveled to many places, I imagine that they could easily have brought any number of plants to the Inner Sea region.

We know little about Azlanti visits to ancient Arcadia. Arcadia may have had a few civilizations as well at that time that could have cultivated potatoes. The Azlanti should not be given credit for every odd feature in the Inner Sea region, but have their share. Also, other civilizations - human and nonhuman - may have shaped the flora and fauna of the Inner Sea region. (I could see the elves collecting many samples of plant life before mostly leaving Golarion and some of the plants surviving Earthfall.)


12 people marked this as a favorite.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Perhaps on Golarion, potatoes were developed by dwarves for similar reasons to those of the Incas on Earth: to grow on mountain-side farms, as a staple crop that could be readily processed for long-term storage (especially in a controlled-temperature environment such as underground), etc. Of course, dwarves on Golarion could then invent vodka...


I think they're just potatoes, man.


captain yesterday wrote:
Kobold Cleaver wrote:

As a sidenote, I actually think that's kind of dumb. Potatoes didn't just spontaneously evolve—they were the product of generations of careful domestication by the Incas, who bred thousands of different potato varieties to grow at different elevations (and therefore latitudes). Potatoes as the supercrop that they are today—the crop that changed Europe forever—only exist because the Inca people deliberately devised them.

Just handing potatoes off to the Inner Sea is kinda like letting Andoran be the original inventors of fireworks, or letting Cheliax be the birthplace of origami. And we can say, "Oh, but the Golarion cultures aren't carbon copies of the Earth cultures", and that's true, but the parallels are arguably too obvious (and deliberately employed) to just ignore them when they get inconvenient.

Just another way to look at it. Night, folks!

To be fair, not everyone went to Potato U. In Idaho like you apparently have. :-)

I'd thought potatoes were given to the Egyptians by aliens as an apology for leaving all their cats with us.

strange. I thought cats were an apology for the potatoes.

Silver Crusade

Potatoes also serve as a great alchemical reagent due to their toxicity (yes the green part really is bad for you if you eat too much). Or as others have observed too much reality and obsessing over facts like potatoes being in the Nightshade family might not be that useful for the game. Of course if you really want a confusing mix of reality and fantasy you could have potatoes actually be responsible for the destruction of Azlant, after breeding potatoes specifically for the purposes of making the perfect potato 'chip' they contract a horrible stomach disease. (Inspired by a similar attempt in the 70's to use natural plant breeding which did actually result in a potato that was toxic)


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Freehold DM wrote:
I think they're just potatoes, man.

What if we're like, all potatoes, man? Think about it... whoa, right?


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Kobold Cleaver wrote:

And we can say, "Oh, but the Golarion cultures aren't carbon copies of the Earth cultures", and that's true, but the parallels are arguably too obvious (and deliberately employed) to just ignore them when they get inconvenient.

I just did. BOOM!


Dragonchess Player wrote:
Perhaps on Golarion, potatoes were developed by dwarves for similar reasons to those of the Incas on Earth: to grow on mountain-side farms, as a staple crop that could be readily processed for long-term storage (especially in a controlled-temperature environment such as underground), etc. Of course, dwarves on Golarion could then invent vodka...

I have frequently seen "potato" as an anwser to "What do underground dwarves eat?" that I have no issue making them the ones that domesticated it.

Grand Lodge

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

The elemental Plane of Earth, obviously.

-Skeld


4 people marked this as a favorite.

If dwarves love potatoes, and dwarves are in Alkenstar, stat a potato cannon.


I'm not sure why dwarves would eat potatoes. Sure, potato "fruits" grow underground, but the plants don't, do they? Never really got that whole notion.


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Kobold Cleaver wrote:
I'm not sure why dwarves would eat potatoes. Sure, potato "fruits" grow underground, but the plants don't, do they? Never really got that whole notion.

You know what happens to a dwarf who eats a potato? The same thing that happens to everything else.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Kobold Cleaver wrote:
I'm not sure why dwarves would eat potatoes. Sure, potato "fruits" grow underground, but the plants don't, do they? Never really got that whole notion.

Maybe they have developed strains of potatoes (and other vegetables) that are radiotrophic to grow off the natural blightburn deposits, or perhaps even "arcanotrophic" veggies that are nurtured by ley lines and other magical radiation?


So suddenly elves don't look like such a@@@*!@s for hating dwarves. Or as we call them Turnip Thieving A#!~%!~s.

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Garrett Guillotte wrote:
If dwarves love potatoes, and dwarves are in Alkenstar, stat a potato cannon.

SECONDED


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Mine all mine...don't touch wrote:
Garrett Guillotte wrote:
If dwarves love potatoes, and dwarves are in Alkenstar, stat a potato cannon.
SECONDED

I already have.


Sir RicHunt Attenwampi wrote:
Kobold Cleaver wrote:
I'm not sure why dwarves would eat potatoes. Sure, potato "fruits" grow underground, but the plants don't, do they? Never really got that whole notion.
Maybe they have developed strains of potatoes (and other vegetables) that are radiotrophic to grow off the natural blightburn deposits, or perhaps even "arcanotrophic" veggies that are nurtured by ley lines and other magical radiation?

Sure, but potatoes aren't anything special for those purposes. I for one welcome the dwarven pineapple farmers.

Grand Lodge

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

There is no potato, only Zuul.

-Skeld


Many french fries and pans of au gratin will perish in the belly of the Sloar, let me tell you!


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Kobold Cleaver wrote:
Sir RicHunt Attenwampi wrote:
Kobold Cleaver wrote:
I'm not sure why dwarves would eat potatoes. Sure, potato "fruits" grow underground, but the plants don't, do they? Never really got that whole notion.
Maybe they have developed strains of potatoes (and other vegetables) that are radiotrophic to grow off the natural blightburn deposits, or perhaps even "arcanotrophic" veggies that are nurtured by ley lines and other magical radiation?
Sure, but potatoes aren't anything special for those purposes. I for one welcome the dwarven pineapple farmers.

Pineapples are like angry potatoes, man.

Think about it.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Duuude.


Right? And, like check it out, man. The French, right, ok, they call potatoes "apples of the earth," man! What if in France, pineapples were cut into strips and deep fried? Like, instead of potatoes?

Oh man, now I want French fries...


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Bongo Pipeweed wrote:
What if in France, pineapples were cut into strips and deep fried?

If?

(not actual strips, though they would work fine)


Whoa, man. It's like the Internet read my mind or something, man. Like I was just talking about deep frying pineapples and then you post that link... it's like we're all connected, man, by sensory perception or like a fifth sense.

Think about it. I'm going out to buy some pineapples.

Silver Crusade

My fiancé teases me when I grumble about corn and potatoes appearing in a "medieval fantasy" setting because they are a "new world" crop.

But I really do like Dragon Chess's idea the Dwarves could have developed potatoes for mountain side terraces that could be grown at specific altitudes and stored long term.....I think I will steal it for my home campaign.

Any ways this has been a fun thread to read....

So where was corn originally domesticated on Golarion?

Thoughts?

thanks

Grand Lodge

5 people marked this as a favorite.

I always thought that potatoes come from other potatoes...

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
ElyasRavenwood wrote:

My fiancé teases me when I grumble about corn and potatoes appearing in a "medieval fantasy" setting because they are a "new world" crop.

But I really do like Dragon Chess's idea the Dwarves could have developed potatoes for mountain side terraces that could be grown at specific altitudes and stored long term.....I think I will steal it for my home campaign.

Any ways this has been a fun thread to read....

So where was corn originally domesticated on Golarion?

Thoughts?

thanks

You grumble about corn and potatoes but not about how kaiju, dragons and dire elite advanced giant fiendish T-rexes function as apex predators? ;-)

I answer such questions by alternating between "aboltehs did it, under the sea, aeons ago" or "wizards did it, in Old Azlant/Thassilion, ages ago". Works fine.


Amazonian Elder Things From Outer Space.

1 to 50 of 73 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>
Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Lost Omens Campaign Setting / General Discussion / Where are potato's from? All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.