A sandbox RPG for one player set in Viking Age Scandinavia
Status
Playtesting
Version
0.8.4
Release
TBD
Mechanics
Dice rolling (d8)
Attributes/Modifiers
Resolution tables
Random tables/Events
Sandbox Gameplay
Winds of the North is a sandbox game, a cross between a Harvest Moon farming game and a survival adventure game like the classic Barbarian Prince. You begin with a small farm, some silver, and a few starting animals. Your only real goals are to survive and somehow become a Viking King or Queen. Along the way, you are free to do just about anything you want. Here are some of the things you’ll be able to do:
- Fish
- Hunt
- Adventure over land and seas
- Plant and harvest crops
- Gather wood and mine ore
- Expand your farm
- Craft items
- Hawk goods and items at local markets
- Deliver orders to distant market towns
- Attend seasonal festivals
- And of course, go raiding
Your Character
Your character has 5 Skills which you will get to set with starting values however you want.
- Combat: Your ability to fight in armed combat or mock battles and wrestling.
- Survival: Your skill in exploring over land and foraging resources in the wild.
- Farming: Your skill in working the farm, from crops to building to managing livestock.
- Seamanship: Your skill governing sailing and fishing.
- Wisdom: Your knowledge, creativity, and leadership.
Medieval Hardships
A major aspect of the game is keeping yourself and those under your command alive. Winters are harsh, food can run short, meat spoils, people of your household and your livestock can get sick, and anyone, including you, can die. The Viking Age is an unforgiving period and only the strongest can survive and thrive.
Blog Posts
Winds of the North 0.8.4 Release
After taking a hiatus to make The Unseen World, I’ve been back to Winds of the North, playtesting a full campaign and making more adjustments. There aren’t any major mechanical changes, but there are many adjustments, some additions, a variety of fixes, and a few clarifications. The game has been very loose in several areas,…
Winds of the North v0.8.3 Release
It took a while to compile the feedback and implement the changes (also interrupted by a much-needed break), but the next update is here. It’s primarily small tweaks and balance changes with a couple of revised systems to help streamline the game. Here’s a look at the bigger and more notable changes/fixes/additions in 0.8.3. Learn…
Winds of the North v0.8.2 Release
After several days of jury duty and other distractions, I’ve been back to Winds of the North to finish the update. Unfortunately, the program I use doesn’t seem to be supported anymore, and there was one bug that was never fixed in the retail version: PDF exports don’t have the text preserved, it gets converted…
Winds of the North v0.8.2 Development Update
After further playtesting and getting some very valuable feedback, I’ve been back to making changes, applying fixes, and adding things for v0.8.2. The next update will be focused on balance changes and some re-organization. None of the mechanics are getting an overhaul this time. Exploration One of the biggest changes is how Exploration Encounters are…
Thomas P. King, author and game designer 