Dyes and Dyeberries

Breath of the Wild featured a unique and versatile dyeing system. It allowed players to express themselves by dyeing their armor, at the cost of some items and Rupees.

However, as much as Reclaim the Wild shares that goal of self-expression, and as much as we try to follow Breath of the Wild‘s lead in all things, this system simply doesn’t translate well to tabletop RPG play. First and foremost, the Hateno dye method requires knowing the colors of all the varied items and materials Heroes find – which is easier to track in a video game, where each item has an icon unique to it, than when all you have is the spoken word. For another, the method doesn’t translate well to all the things a Hero might want to dye: not only their arms and armor, but their hair, their skin, their ink and chalk, and even their foods.

To that end, today, we’re presenting an alternative means to dye one’s items. To do this, we’re going to take a page from the Pokémon anime, of all places, by introducing a new type of item: Dyeberries. We’ll also discuss a few additional reasons you might want to scrounge up some Dyeberries, above and beyond fashion. Check ’em out below!

Dyeberries

Dyeberries are a new type of Food Material. Rather than having effects that boost one’s Traits or other crunchy stats, each Dyeberry has an associated color: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, Black, or White. While any Dyeberry of a given color will give you that particular hue, higher-quality Dyeberries might give richer, more vibrant colors. (If your GM does not specify a Rank for a Dyeberry, it defaults to Rank 1.)

Dyeberries can be eaten raw, just like other Food Materials; in fact, some people will do this just to temporarily dye their tongues. They can also be used in Dishes and Elixirs, as normal, providing the typical benefit of (Rank) points towards the prepared substance (and tinting it, of course).

However, when prepared together with at least one Critter, Dyeberries can make Dyes. Dyes are a new type of Elixir, though unlike most Elixirs, they do not restore any Health, Magic, or Stamina. Instead, using a Dye on an item will change some or all parts of that item to match the consumed Dye. Since a Dye can be made with multiple Dyeberries, you can mix and match the Dyeberries’ colors to get the exact hue you need.

The new coloration provided by a Dye is semi-permanent: normal wear and use won’t ruin the new coloration, though a dyed item can be returned to its original hues with an application of Soap. At GM’s discretion, some types of significant exertion might also wash a Dye out: while a peaceful swim likely won’t make your colors run, tumbling over a waterfall very well might. (If something is stained with an uncooked Dyeberry, that discoloration will only last until the next Extended Rest, though the stain can also be treated with Soap, as above.)

Dyes can be used on more than just arms and armor, though. A Dye can be applied to any individual person or item! (Or a quantity of Miscellaneous Tools, Arrows, or Bombs, per the Dye’s Rank and that item type’s specific quantity-crafting tables as in the Core Rulebook.) Here’re some more ideas for ways to use Dyes:

• By applying a Dye to a person, you can dye their hair, apply a henna tattoo, or even (as eye-drops) change their eye color. Skilled Sheikah infiltrators will sometimes do this, as dyes are not detected by the Lens of Truth spell.
• By using a Dye on an Ink & Quill set, you can change the color of the ink. Useful for writing festive missives, or otherwise adding some color to your correspondence.
• Applying a Dye to a set of Balloons, Candles, or Chalk to give your temporary lighting, writing, or flighting some extra flair.
• By applying 3 units of Dye to an Amenity, or 10 units of Dye to a Building, you can change the color of a structure to match your personal tastes.
• And of course, you can apply a Dye to any already-prepared Dish or Elixir to give it some extra color (or you can just include Dyeberries in the original recipe).

Remember that the goal of Dyes is to express oneself and have fun, not to perfectly mimic real-world dyes and all their foibles. Thus, Dyes should be useful to all people of all Races, and to all (or nearly all) types of items. If a Fairy wants to Dye their light aura, or a Deku Scrub their leaves or bark: go for it! If a Hero wants to dye their Ancient-made Sword, or even recolor the Weapon Spirit that resides within: sure! (Though perhaps in that case, the Weapon Spirit should have a say in the matter, too.)

Quest Hooks & Usage Ideas

The town of Azulia has a curious commandment: all persons in the town must wear at least one blue item. Anyone who fails to wear blue is totally ignored by the townspeople; if one were to bump into an Azulian sans blue, they would act confused, embarrassed – or even afraid. When spoken to by someone wearing some amount of blue, however, they’re quick to sing the praises of a traveling priest named Cyan, and how his teachings have brought peace and prosperity to Azulia.

A hidden dungeon is heavily themed on colors. Within it, the floors and fixtures are brightly painted, either red, blue, or green – and similarly-colored foes have a tendency to blend into those hues, becoming more powerful and Harder to Hit. To survive this dungeon’s trials and claim its variegated treasures, Heroes should go in well-armed with Dyeberries and Dyes, to change the colors of enemies, puzzle pieces, and themselves.

Mantilla, an Inkling, leads the resistance against the evil wizard Karnyx and his undead minions. She and her rag-tag group, the Hip Hellions, use Splat Bombs to cover parts of the conquered city of Frigiliana with thick, colorful ink. To an untrained eye, this seems like mere grafitti, intended to get under Karnyx’s (lack of) skin… But by wearing deeply-dyed clothing, the Hellions can sneak through the Ink-Daubed terrain, and the Stalfos patrolling the streets never see ’em coming. When the Heroes drop in to help Mantilla’s efforts, they’ll need to get hip to these funky-fresh tactics, or face an uphill battle.