ASKA Fox

Ragnar is the Bear. Aska is the Raven. You are an actual fox.

Adds a third selectable player character: a four-legged fox with its own appearance, animations and woodland-shaman playstyle. Build a village, gather supplies, craft, fight and do the usual Viking things. Having paws does not lock you out of the normal player actions. How gracefully you perform them is another matter.

Features

• A playable fox: select Fox alongside Ragnar and Aska, with a character card and fox previews in character selection and the load menu.
• Coat and eye customization: six coats (Red, Gold, Silver, Arctic, Brown and Black) and six eye colors (Green, Amber, Blue, Brown, Gray and Violet). Each fox character saves its own colors.
• Expanded animal animations for players and fox villagers: gathering, chopping, mining, soil work, building, skinning, crafting, smithing, bellows, rituals, research, fire lighting, swimming, climbing, fishing, boating, combat and more.
• Expressive standing and seated idles: tail glances, sniffing, inspection tilts, paw adjustments, ears, blinks and tail movement.
• Conservative fox-sized body hitboxes and lower enemy aim points, instead of an invisible human head above the fox.
• Mouth and paw item displays: equipped tools and carried items use the mouth; work items can appear at the paws. Shields hang at the flank, and bowstrings follow the displayed bow. Some combinations will still look ridiculous.
• Animal audio: uses ASKA's existing wolf calls and paw footsteps in place of the human voice and footsteps while the fox appearance is active.
• A lower third-person camera: framed for the fox, with an adjustable height offset.
• Optional first-person compatibility: with Aska First Person Camera installed, its F5 view follows the fox's head. Its normal camera controls and settings still apply.

A woodland shaman with terrible hands

Shamanism is the fox's specialty, supported by gathering and skinning bonuses. It moves faster than a human and sprints in quick bursts, with higher stamina drain to match.

Starting base values, before food, skills and other modifiers:

The technical-skill drawback is slower learning. It does not impose an additional recipe ban or a permanent work-speed penalty. Native skill requirements still apply, and your villagers can handle the skilled work.

Player bites

Light unarmed attacks retain normal fist damage. Heavy unarmed bites deal only 10% of native base damage by default, but each valid hit attempts to add one native wolf bleed stack, with a default 100% application chance. Native immunity still applies; blocked/dodged hits do not apply fox bleed. A valid hit can apply it even when mitigation reduces the weak direct damage to zero.

Fox and wolf bleeding share stacks; adding a stack refreshes existing timers. The default duration is 60 seconds, with native cures and stack limits. This ability belongs only to the player fox, not NPC foxes. Weapons and work hits do not trigger it.

Fox villagers

Open the Eye of Odin's recruit selection and tick Make fox before confirming a newcomer. That recruit arrives as a fox with randomized coat and eye colors.

The recruit keeps its normal name, perks, aptitudes, proficiencies, needs and jobs. Fox villagers receive a 15% movement-speed bonus, but do not receive the player fox's special stats, starting skills or bite bleed. Their work speeds and navigation remain controlled by the game. Leave the checkbox off to recruit a human normally.

Requirements and installation

• ASKA on Windows x64.
• BepInEx 6 for Unity IL2CPP, Windows x64. Build 788 is the current development/test installation and recommended manual setup: BepInEx builds website. Choose Unity.IL2CPP-win-x64. Thunderstore's available loader dependency supplies build 755; build 755 will probably work, but this update was not tested on it. BepInEx 5 and the Mono loader are not suitable.
• Optional: Aska First Person Camera for the F5 first-person view. The fox works without it.

Manual installation

1. Install BepInEx 6 IL2CPP in the ASKA game folder, next to ASKA.exe. Run the game once to let the loader initialize, then close it.
2. Place AskaFox.dll in BepInEx/plugins/AskaFox/. Keep the included artwork credits with the mod.
3. Start the game and select Fox during character creation, or load an existing fox save.

When updating, close ASKA and replace the previous AskaFox.dll rather than keeping duplicate copies. Keep your existing config and saves; no replacement config is bundled. If you used the old Wolf prototype, remove AskaWolfPrototype.dll as well. You do not need to delete your other plugins.

Controls and settings

• F10: toggle fox/human appearance for the current session. This also switches camera presentation and animal sounds; it does not change your selected character's stats.
• F5: toggle first-person when the optional first-person mod is installed, using that mod's configured key.
• F8: development animation preview while standing still. Move or attack to leave the preview.

The Fox config is BepInEx/config/com.aska.wolfprototype.cfg. The old filename is retained for compatibility.

Under Player combat: PlayerBites enables the bite rules; BiteBaseDamageMultiplier defaults to 0.1, HeavyBiteBleedChance to 1, and HeavyBiteBleedDuration to 60 seconds. If a private preview already wrote HeavyBiteBleedChance=0.2, set it to 1 for the release default. Existing preferences are preserved rather than overwritten. F10 changes appearance; the selected Fox's stats and bite ability remain attached to the character.

Under Camera, ThirdPersonHeightOffset defaults to -1 metre; set it to 0 for the normal camera offset. FirstPersonCompatibility enables the optional fox-head integration. First-person grass is, unfortunately, fox-height grass.

Co-op

Install the same ASKA Fox version on the host and every joining player's game, using matching ASKA versions. Fox identities, colors and animation state are synchronized. First-person is optional for each player.

Co-op has received limited player testing. Dedicated servers, host migration and the full expanded animation library in multiplayer remain unverified.

Rough edges

Animation timing, item/station placement and some combat transitions still need polish. Carpentry log contact, the latest player treatment-bed correction, research, some boat interactions and less common states need further gameplay feedback. Cooking and grinding have no dedicated character-work state in the audited controllers, so no separate cooking/grinding animation is claimed.

The playable Wolf prototype is retired; old Wolf saves are unsupported. Current fox saves retain their existing identity. Keep the mod installed to retain fox presentation; saving after removing it can lose fox-specific appearance information.

For bug reports, include your ASKA version, ASKA Fox version, whether you were host or client, what you were doing, and BepInEx/LogOutput.log. A screenshot or short clip is especially helpful for animation and item-position issues.

Credits

• Quaternius — Ultimate Animated Animal Pack: CC0 fox model, rig and original animation foundation, adapted for this mod.
• BepInEx and Harmony: mod loading and runtime patching.
• JosiahSiegel: Aska First Person Camera, supported through optional compatibility.
• ASKA / Sand Sailor Studio: the game and the existing animal sounds used at runtime.

This mod was made with AI assistance, including code, animations and artwork. pls no hate. See ARTWORK-FOX.md for detailed asset provenance. ASKA's game assets and the optional first-person mod are not bundled with ASKA Fox.

ASKA Fox changelog

0.6.49 — update from public 0.6.3

Consolidates 0.6.4–0.6.49. The previous Nexus file was AskaFox V0.6.3 despite its site version field reading 1; Thunderstore also released 0.6.3.

Work and gathering

• Added a dedicated horizontal, mouth-held axe swing for standing trees, shared by one-handed and two-handed axes.
• Added a separate downward strike for mining, stumps and fallen wood, shared by both pickaxe/axe sizes.
• Corrected tool-head direction so strikes lead with the axe edge or pick point rather than the handle.
• Added stronger windups, planted paws, body bracing, fast strikes, follow-through and recoil.
• Curved the downward stroke and rotated the displayed tool around its mouth grip so the edge or point faces into impact.
• Added a mouth-held soil-work stroke for hoeing, shovelling, terrain shaping and road making: reach, plant, rake/scoop and clearing flick.
• Rotated hoes/rakes and shovel blades into their working angle during soil strokes, then returned them to their carry grip.
• Added a dedicated building/repair hammer stroke with visible windup, impact and recoil; the displayed hammer rotates with the stroke.
• Added a skinning pin-and-pull animation, selected from the active skinning task rather than treating a carcass as ordinary mining/chopping.
• Split gathering into five context-sensitive animation families instead of using the same pawing dance for every resource.
• Low forage lowers the muzzle and uses a paw rake and mouth-led lift for mushrooms, nests and eggs.
• Brace-and-tug plants the paws and pulls with the body for roots, cabbage, flax, reeds, wheat, saplings and similar materials.
• Raised plucking uses an upward mouth reach and backward/sideways pull for berries, berry crops and cave fingers.
• High collection briefly rears up for mussels on raised rocks and honeycomb.
• Careful handling uses a deliberate press, pause and lift for water, mead and Smilk collection, separate from eating/drinking.
• Gathering gestures begin their useful movement early so short interactions show more than the start of a long animation.
• Added three varied cycles to each gathering family, with inspection tilts, work-focused looks, ear flicks, blinks and tail follow-through.
• Reworked general crafting into a planted supporting paw, active adjustments, muzzle nudges and inspection rather than staring ahead while pawing.
• Added three varied general-crafting cycles with stronger adjustment movements and exaggerated inspection tilts.
• Added carpentry draw/rotate/idle motions and render-only placement based on the active session and displayed log top. Log contact still needs further gameplay feedback.
• Added a reared-up anvil stance with mouth-held hammer taps, windup and recoil.
• Tuned bloomery and blacksmith anvil approaches separately to bring the paws closer to the ledge.
• Added bellows raised/compressed idles, downward pushes and upward recovery, following the moving board.
• Corrected the first-tier bellows attachment so the fox is centered over the board.

Rituals, research, fire and care

• Added ritual channelling with a braced stance, lifted chest/muzzle, alternating upward looks, ear attention and tail movement.
• Removed the repeated crouch/rise hitch from sustained ritual channelling and kept its visual clock continuous across native cycles.
• Added a separate boon-delivery gesture with a lifted chest and forepaws reaching toward the recipient.
• Reworked unstable boon leg motion and corrected NPC playback starting late or being suppressed by native casting movement.
• Added a separate 22-second research sequence: rear up at the table, brace, poke, drag, sniff, inspect and make exaggerated head tilts.
• Research uses the confirmed study session; approaching the table or opening its menu does not start the working pose.
• Added an eight-second fire-lighting sequence with paw rubbing/striking, tinder inspection and sustained blowing attempts.
• Fire lighting continues across the game's shorter work cycles and stops on cancellation or departure; warming by an existing fire has its own animation.
• Added healing work and revised it into a seamless six-second inspection/press loop rather than repeatedly snapping to its beginning.
• Added treatment-patient lie-down/rest/wake routing; the latest correction follows the actual player healing session and completed bed match instead of leaving the player fox idle.
• Added painting/dyeing, petting, horn use, soul gathering and warming animations.

Movement, combat and item handling

• Added dedicated swimming and crouched idle/movement, plus sliding transitions.
• Added ladder entry, idle, climb steps, exits and sliding, then rebuilt climbing with raised anatomy, alternating paw reaches and a hanging tail.
• Added vaulting, ledge holds and climb endings.
• Made dodge movement substantially more visible with deeper compression, stronger steps, head tuck and body shifts.
• Added bow idle/draw/aim/release/reload motions, including moving aim poses.
• Added moving and stationary shield guards, shield bashes, and more distinct one-handed/two-handed melee swing families.
• Added hit/block/stagger/parry reactions, knockdowns, recovery, stun, death and revival coverage.
• Added standing and seated fishing cast/wait/pull motions.
• Added rowing, oar handling, anchor handling, steering, boat push/pull and return-to-bench motions.
• Added cart pushing and rope-pulling motions.
• Added equip/stow/drop and extra pickup/log-pickup coverage.
• Completed native equip events now provide a cosmetic fallback for items that skip normal equip states, including the hoe and one-handed metal pickaxe.
• Added more greeting, toast, taunt, seated feast and failed-work gestures.

Liveliness, resting and appearance

• Expanded standing idle to 32 seconds, retaining the tail glance and small sniff and adding curious tilts, sniffing, glances, paw resettling, ears and tail flicks.
• Expanded seated idle to 20 seconds with side looks, paw inspection, listening poses, ear movement, tail-tip swishes and blinks.
• Reworked generic pawing into three varied, downward-focused work cycles with bracing and inspection instead of a rigid repeated dance.
• Reduced extreme paw reaches and made shoulders participate in the movement to reduce stretched skin at the chest.
• Smoothed the seated pelvis/spine bend and removed the unwanted twist affecting sitting transitions, seated gestures and meals.
• Corrected chair/table sitting height while retaining ground sitting and sleeping height.
• Added seated eating/drinking so chair meals remain on the chair and return to sitting; standing meals keep their standing pose.
• Expanded NPC sleep/rest/wake routing and corrected false movement detection caused by native body poses.
• Updated the face with a fuller muzzle/cheeks, taller central skull and forward almond eyes. Recessed the eye assembly and removed the small upper rim roll.
• Preserved all six coat patterns and eye color choices. No male/female variants are added.

NPC foxes, equipment and targeting

• Fox villagers now move 15% faster through the native authority-side movement calculation while retaining normal jobs, needs, skills, work speeds and movement restrictions.
• Expanded NPC work, pickup and combat signals using native animator states and successful native callbacks.
• Removed the unsafe RunAction hook used in an intermediate private build after it caused an IL2CPP conversion failure/crash.
• Corrected overhead marker height and preserved icon-row spacing and native job/notification selection.
• Exempted marker hierarchies and the game's VisibilityCheck helper from hidden human-body rendering, addressing missing job icons.
• Fox villagers now use fox portraits in native villager lists/detail panels while recruitment candidates retain their normal previews.
• Moved more ordinary hand stacks, heavy carried loads and temporary pickup displays to the fox mouth rather than leaving them floating at human hand height.
• Equipped shields hang vertically beside the left ribcage and follow the torso; moved the socket inward to reduce the visible gap.
• Bowstrings now follow the displayed bow tips and draw point instead of floating separately. Rotated the bow so it aims forward and draws toward the fox.
• Contained bowstring setup failures and fixed the unsupported Gradient conversion that could make registered fox villagers fall back to human visuals.
• Reduced upright body capsules to a conservative approximately 1.1-metre height at normal scale while keeping the existing widths.
• Lowered focus/attack target points to the animated fox torso, including seated poses, so enemies aim at the fox rather than an invisible human head.
• Original targeting/collider dimensions are restored when fox presentation ends. Navigation settings remain native.

Player heavy-bite bleed

• Player Fox heavy unarmed attacks now attempt one native wolf bleed stack per valid hit, defaulting to 100% application chance.
• Heavy bites deal only 10% of native base damage by default; light unarmed hits retain normal fist damage and cannot apply fox bleed.
• A valid heavy contact can apply bleed even if its weak direct damage is reduced to zero by mitigation.
• Blocked/dodged hits, weapons, work hits, human characters, NPC foxes and raven/ghost forms do not trigger fox bleed.
• Uses the game's native bleeding effect: wolf and fox bleed share stacks, adding a stack refreshes existing stack timers, and native immunity/cures/stack limits remain in control.
• Added PlayerBites, BiteBaseDamageMultiplier, HeavyBiteBleedChance and HeavyBiteBleedDuration config options. Default duration is 60 seconds.
• Existing private-preview configs keep their stored chance; change HeavyBiteBleedChance to 1 to use the release default if yours is still 0.2.

Timing, memory and compatibility

• Short contact actions follow native phase; sustained work has longer continuous visual loops so native cycle resets do not repeatedly rewind the gesture.
• Added priority/duplicate guards so background poses and repeated callbacks do not restart or interrupt higher-priority actions incorrectly.
• Shared immutable sampled animation data between foxes, avoiding roughly 24 MiB of duplicate frame data for each additional fox with the enlarged library.
• Expanded the library to 132 animation records. The current player/villager controller audit classifies 405 state records across 355 distinct paths; this is coverage of the audited controllers, not a claim that every state has been gameplay-tested.
• Extended co-op animation routing for the new poses. Host and clients must all update to the same version.
• Added bounded diagnostics for markers, bow setup, combat contacts and station/treatment placement to help diagnose remaining problems.
• Preserved fox save identities, coat/eye choices and the historical config filename. No replacement config, game assets or optional first-person mod is bundled.
• The separate performance and shared-stock crafting mods are not part of this update.

Remaining rough edges

• Carpentry log contact and the latest player treatment-bed trigger need further gameplay feedback. Research, some boat interactions, rare states and expanded multiplayer playback remain incompletely tested.
• Some weapon swings, item/station fits and transitions still need polish. Animation coverage is not a promise of perfect contact with every prop.
• Current development/testing uses BepInEx IL2CPP build 788; Thunderstore's loader dependency is 6.0.755. Build 755 will probably work, but this update was not tested on it.

0.6.3

Previous public release: selectable/customizable player fox, fox recruitment, shaman/gathering/skinning playstyle, basic animal animations, fox cameras/audio and initial co-op presentation.