Seasonal Gathering Guide
Step into the wild with intent: every ridge, marsh, and shoreline has its season. This guide aligns with gathering and journal definitions, so you can read the land like a survivor and choose the right biome at the right season.
Gathering Mechanics
- Action: Use
Gather(default key: G) when you are in tile map and positioned where nature can actually pay out - Read the terrain first: Forest, plain, swamp, shore, river, and mountain tiles each favor different plants, berries, and herbs in code
- Hunt by season, not habit: Match your route to the current season and biome to avoid low-yield sweeps and focus on resources that are truly active now
- Field rule: World map is for movement and routing; real gathering happens after you step into local tiles and work the ground
Core Foraged Resources (Journal Definitions)
Treat this as your field ledger: these are the dependable wild finds. If you plan runs around these entries, you spend less time wandering and more time returning home with food, medicine and crafting stock.
| Resource | Biomes | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Herbs | forest, plain, mountain, swamp | spring, summer, autumn | Common edible and medicinal greenery |
| Wild Flowers | plain | spring, summer | Delicate flowers from open fields |
| Dandelion | plain, road | spring, summer, autumn | Edible leaves/roots; reliable roadside forage |
| Thistle | plain | spring, summer, autumn | Prickly but useful food/medicine plant |
| Wild Wheat | plain | summer, autumn | Naturally growing grain |
| Meadow Mushrooms | plain | summer, autumn | Common field mushrooms |
| Wild Peppers | forest, plain | summer, autumn | Spicy cooking ingredient |
| Water Lily | swamp | spring, summer, autumn | Aquatic plant parts from still water |
| Reed Stalks | swamp | spring, summer, autumn | Crafting/weaving reed source |
| Water Chestnuts | shore, lake, river | summer, autumn | Aquatic tubers in shallow water |
| River Reeds | river | spring, summer, autumn | Flexible bank-side plant fibers |
| River Weed | shore, lake | spring, summer, autumn | Edible water plant matter near shore |
| River Moss | river | spring, summer, autumn | Moist moss from stones and banks |
| Mountain Herbs | mountain | spring, summer, autumn | Potent high-altitude herb source |
| Alpine Flowers | mountain | spring, summer | Rare alpine blooms |
| Cattail Roots | swamp | autumn, winter | Starchy wetland roots |
| Swamp Mushrooms | swamp | summer, autumn | Bog/wetland fungi |
| Prairie Grass | plain | spring, summer, autumn | Dry grass for basic materials |
| Ferns | forest | spring, summer | Food/fiber forage in forest tiles |
| Moss | forest | spring, summer, autumn | Soft forest moss from trunks/rocks |
| Tree Fungus | forest | spring, summer, autumn | Shelf fungus from tree bark |
Additional Forage Plants (Catalog)
Think of these as your dependable “second pass” targets when primary forage is thin. Each row is a route-worthy fallback when you need food, medicine ingredients or steady bulk gather.
| Plant | Biomes | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Mushrooms | forest, swamp | summer, autumn | Damp-biome edible fungi; strong wet-season food support |
| Wild Onions | plain, shore | spring, summer | Reliable dual-use ingredient for food and medicine lines |
| Root Tubers | plain, swamp | autumn, winter | Cold-season starch reserve when fresh greens collapse |
| Wild Grain | plain | summer, autumn | Field cereal base for dependable calorie runs |
| Seaweed | shore, lake | spring, summer, fall, winter | Shoreline gather that stays available all year |
Berry Species (BERRY_SPECIES)
Berry routes are your fast morale-and-food runs when you need results without a full harvest operation. Use this table like a scouting map: match biome and season, then sweep high-density patches before daylight and stamina run out.
| Berry | Biomes | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Blueberries | forest, swamp, mountain | summer |
| Raspberries | forest, plain | summer |
| Blackberries | forest, shore, plain | summer, autumn |
| Strawberries | plain, shore | spring, summer |
| Cranberries | swamp, shore | autumn |
| Bog cranberries | swamp | autumn, winter |
| Red blueberries | forest, mountain | summer |
| Gooseberries | forest, plain | summer |
| Currants | forest, swamp | summer |
| Truffle | swamp, mountain | autumn, winter |
| Rose hips | forest, plain, mountain | autumn, winter |
| Sloes | plain, shore, road | autumn |
| Hawthorn | road, forest, plain | autumn |
| Cherries | road, plain | summer |
| Apples | road, forest | autumn |
| Cattail | river, swamp | spring, summer, autumn |
| Water chestnut | river | summer, autumn |
| Watercress | river, shore | spring, summer, autumn, winter |
| Reed | river, swamp | spring, summer, autumn |
| Elderberries | forest, swamp | summer, autumn |
| Chokecherries | forest, plain | summer, autumn |
| Serviceberries | mountain, forest | early_summer |
| Salmonberries | shore, swamp | spring, summer |
| Thimbleberries | forest | summer |
| Mulberries | forest, plain | spring, summer |
| Bearberries | mountain | autumn, winter |
| Huckleberries | forest, mountain | summer, autumn |
| Dewberries | forest, plain | summer |
| Wintergreen berries | forest | autumn, winter |
| Juniper berries | mountain, plain | autumn, winter |
| Sea buckthorn | shore | autumn, winter |
| Wild plums | forest, plain | summer, autumn |
| Wild grapes | forest, ruins | autumn |
Medicinal Herbs (MEDICINE_HERBS)
When injuries, sickness, or fatigue start stacking, these are your field-medic lifelines. Track them by biome and season, and you can turn a rough run into a recoverable one before supplies run dry.
| Herb | Biomes | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Plantain | forest, plain, shore | spring, summer, autumn |
| Yarrow | plain, forest | summer, autumn |
| St. John's Wort | plain, forest | summer |
| Thyme | plain, mountain | spring, summer, autumn |
| Arnica | mountain | summer |
| Nettle | forest, swamp, shore | spring, summer, autumn |
| Peppermint | river, shore | spring, summer, autumn |
| Horsetail | river, swamp | spring, summer |
| Echinacea | plain, forest | summer, autumn |
| Valerian | forest, swamp | summer, autumn |
| Chamomile | plain | spring, summer |
| Ginseng | forest, mountain | autumn |
| Wild ginger | forest | spring, summer |
| Feverfew | plain, forest | summer |
| Comfrey | swamp, river | spring, summer |
| Burdock | forest, plain, ruins | summer, autumn |
| Dandelion | plain, road | spring, summer, autumn |
| Calendula | plain | summer, autumn |
| Shepherd's purse | plain, road | spring, summer, autumn |
| Red clover | plain, forest | spring, summer, autumn |
| White willow | river, swamp | spring, summer, autumn |
| Coltsfoot | river, shore | spring |
| Mullein | mountain, plain | summer, autumn |
Seasonal Route Tips
- Spring: Rebuild your stores fast with wild onions, strawberries, chamomile, plantain, and river-edge greens while growth is strongest
- Summer: Run long forest and plain circuits. This is your richest gather window for berries, medicinal herbs, mushrooms, and wild grain
- Autumn: Shift to winter prep. Prioritize root tubers, cranberries, late berries, and durable herbs you can carry into cold weeks
- Winter: Keep routes tight and efficient. Target cattail roots, bog/winter berries, and watercress zones that remain productive in the cold