Chronicles from the North PART 5

Welcome back, adventurers, to Chronicles from the North. Today we’re diving into one of the key leveling mechanics in Northern Wind—the Synergy cards!

Synergy cards represent your party gradually learning to fight as a well-coordinated unit. They emphasize teamwork, timing, and collaboration, unlocking unique moves that may seem minor on their own—but when combined correctly, they can unleash devastating effects on the battlefield.

HOW DO THEY WORK?

At the start of each Quest, the party selects one Synergy card to work toward and chooses one hero to receive it. Each card has a unique unlock condition—a challenge that reflects your party practicing the maneuver in combat.

Every time the unlock condition is met during the Quest, you place a Synergy Point on the card. Once you’ve earned the required number (e.g., 4 points for Ruthless Execution), the card is flipped and becomes a permanent tool for the party for the rest of the campaign.

If you don’t manage to fully unlock the card during a Quest, you have a choice:

Keep working on it in the next Quest, carrying over your progress, or
Discard it and start fresh with a new Synergy card.

(locked side of “Ruthless Execution”)

SETUP AND PAYOFF CARDS

Synergy cards fall roughly into two categories: Setup and Payoff.

(unlocked side of “Ruthless Execution”)

(unlocked side of “Mighty Strike”)

Setup cards offer control, status effects, or positioning tools. These are designed to create opportunities for the rest of the team to exploit.
Payoff cards are harder to activate but deliver high-impact results, often dealing serious damage or triggering powerful effects when executed correctly.

Both types require party coordination—not only to unlock, but also to use effectively in combat. You’ll need to communicate, plan, and play off each other’s strengths to get the most out of them.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Synergy cards are one of the many ways Northern Wind reinforces its identity as a team-focused dungeon crawler. They reward careful planning and clever teamwork, and with a wide variety of combinations to explore, they ensure that no two campaigns will never play out the same way.