Winds of the North v0.8 Playtest Session p1 (Ragnhild, Start-Early Winter, Year 1)

It’s been a while. Winds of the North is still in development, and I recently uploaded the v0.8.1 update.

Previews: Link
Version 0.8 info: Link
Playtest sign up: Link

For v0.8, I made a new character since so much had changed since starting my previous character. I also decided to make some cards for various character types to go along with the printed rules I put together recently. The cards have space for their name, HP, skills, silver, population (the number of people living on their farm), and fame.

Ragnhild is an excellent farmer with 3 Farming. She’s not bad in a fight either with 2 Combat. However, money might be tight since she has low Survival and Seamanship which are both good for making early silver from hunting and fishing. On the upside, her crops will be rocking.

Early Summer

She had a stormy early summer. The starting Pig was sacrificed at the Sigrblót Festival which gave me a bonus for Weather, allowing me to tick bad weather down one result. It was used immediately so she could get some crops planted. At least with her high Farming, she doesn’t have to spend as much time planting, as she puts down more crops per seed the higher she gets on the roll. Eventually, the weather lightens up enough to finish, which includes an extra small field that can hold 4 more crops. Ragnhild’s got some barley, wheat, and flax. Even though a storm destroyed her first two fields of flax, there was just enough time in early summer to get them replanted. She was also able to protect a couple of her wheat fields with a very high roll, giving those crops protection from storms and a bonus yield during harvest.

Late Summer

Summer was a lot of building and a bit of crafting. Her Farming really helps out with building, so she got a smithy and shed built without too much difficulty. An encounter also yielded a high-quality Hammer, giving her a re-roll on building if she needs it. Without gear, exploring is dangerous, so she eventually crafts a basic shield to go with her starting seax. She’s not quite battle-ready, but she’s at least not too vulnerable. A duel with a warrior during an encounter did not go well, but it’s a friendly duel, so no fear of dying. A bit of hunting and tending to the goats keeps the food going. Instead of raiding, Ragnhild stays home to get more work done. Lots of stockpiling of resources for more building and crafting.

Early Winter

With a shovel, Ragnhild’s been collecting iron ore to craft some tools, including a sickle for a bonus to harvesting. The harvest is soon. When the weather is right, she goes to harvest, which takes the entire week to complete. Big yield. Lots of seeds mean planting more crops next year without needing to buy a bunch of seeds. A pile of ale will be good during the Jól feast for bonus happiness. She also has 4 cloth for shipbuilding and a nice fat stack of food. With a couple of chickens added to the livestock, they should be able to keep a supply going during the winter so we don’t completely eat up the harvest.

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Current goals:

• Go big on food and ale during the Jól feast for a chance to increase Fame and rewards.
• Save up and start hiring Hirð members.
• Craft more gear for safer exploring. Ragnhild wants blood!