Adventures
Mörk Borg Cult: Heretic
9 contributors
Concept: “A zine full of MÖRK BORG stuff. Most of it is created by our wonderful community and will be (or already is) made available for free download on morkborg.com, but there is also exclusive official material.”
Content: Generators for cults and curses, feats, 2 classes, black-powder weapons, 2 long adventures, a pair of 1-page dungeons, and a quartet of monsters/NPCs
Writing: Varies by author but consistently emphasizes images and concepts that are grim, creepy, and/or outright weird
Art/design: Every entry’s layout, graphic design, and coloration are distinct, creating a lot of visual diversity and easy navigability; sweet foil printing on the cover and first page; fold-out covers just to cram as much content into this zine as possible
Usability: The only obstacle is deciding what to read first.
Content: Generators for cults and curses, feats, 2 classes, black-powder weapons, 2 long adventures, a pair of 1-page dungeons, and a quartet of monsters/NPCs
Writing: Varies by author but consistently emphasizes images and concepts that are grim, creepy, and/or outright weird
Art/design: Every entry’s layout, graphic design, and coloration are distinct, creating a lot of visual diversity and easy navigability; sweet foil printing on the cover and first page; fold-out covers just to cram as much content into this zine as possible
Usability: The only obstacle is deciding what to read first.
Mörk Borg/OSR Mega-Dungeon
11 contributors
Concept: “While the level themes may not be united, we are united in our end goal: to generate financial support for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.”
Content: A Monstrous Mörk Borg Megadungeon – For Suicide Prevention.
Writing: A miserable menagerie of authors and styles.
Art/design: Surreal amalgamations of subject and design.
Usability: Each level is distinct. Your utility may vary.
Content: A Monstrous Mörk Borg Megadungeon – For Suicide Prevention.
Writing: A miserable menagerie of authors and styles.
Art/design: Surreal amalgamations of subject and design.
Usability: Each level is distinct. Your utility may vary.
Mörk Bug
Concept: “Elaborates on the roles of insects in underground gambling in the setting”
Content: Stats for bugs, gear for catching bugs, rules for selling bugs, an entothropic character class, and a sprawling bug-fighting-arena-slash-gambling-parlor
Writing: Clear and readable with Kelly’s characteristic wit
Art/design: Designed and laid out for readability with some buggy, Borgy flair
Usability: Laid out and designed for easy reading and reference
Content: Stats for bugs, gear for catching bugs, rules for selling bugs, an entothropic character class, and a sprawling bug-fighting-arena-slash-gambling-parlor
Writing: Clear and readable with Kelly’s characteristic wit
Art/design: Designed and laid out for readability with some buggy, Borgy flair
Usability: Laid out and designed for easy reading and reference
Mörkal Komborg
Concept: “‘Welcome to the longest-running deathmatch in the known universe.’”
Content: A Mortal Kombat vs Mörk Borg crossover deathmatch.
Writing: Over-the-top brutality disemboweled with self-aware satire.
Art/design: A SICK vintage fighting game manual in black and white.
Usability: Referenceable RPG fighting game manual with solo mini-game insert.
Content: A Mortal Kombat vs Mörk Borg crossover deathmatch.
Writing: Over-the-top brutality disemboweled with self-aware satire.
Art/design: A SICK vintage fighting game manual in black and white.
Usability: Referenceable RPG fighting game manual with solo mini-game insert.
Mörky Waters
Concept: “In the depths of a seaside cave along the coast of Mûr dwells a horrific entity, a mess of eyes and teeth. A group of outlaws on the run hid in the cave where they encountered the beast and deemed it to be a god.”
Content: A straightforward, multiroom dungeon with human NPCs and an eldritch boss entity
Writing: Short introduction and advice for introducing and running the adventure; the rest is easily accessible gameable content
Art/design: Red and white on black with strategic distressing make this visually interesting and easy to read
Usability: Short paragraphs for NPCs, simple stat blocks; room characteristics are bulleted for easy skimming
Content: A straightforward, multiroom dungeon with human NPCs and an eldritch boss entity
Writing: Short introduction and advice for introducing and running the adventure; the rest is easily accessible gameable content
Art/design: Red and white on black with strategic distressing make this visually interesting and easy to read
Usability: Short paragraphs for NPCs, simple stat blocks; room characteristics are bulleted for easy skimming
Mörkédex: Bile Yellow
Concept: “You’ll have to forgive me, but I’ve forgotten, what was your name again? I’m Professor Locust, but most people call me the Mörkémon professor.”
Content: That’s right, it’s that crossover. With d66 Mörkémon, two classes, eight “dungeons” and the city of Caput Mortem.
Writing: A childhood franchise with all the puns and references you’ve come to enjoy, made lovingly miserable.
Art/design: A flexible, consistent, and intuitive design that guides the reader through the world of Mörkémon.
Usability: A second edition of Professor Locust’s Mörkédex.
Content: That’s right, it’s that crossover. With d66 Mörkémon, two classes, eight “dungeons” and the city of Caput Mortem.
Writing: A childhood franchise with all the puns and references you’ve come to enjoy, made lovingly miserable.
Art/design: A flexible, consistent, and intuitive design that guides the reader through the world of Mörkémon.
Usability: A second edition of Professor Locust’s Mörkédex.
No Country for Old St. Nick
“It is a dark time for Santa Claus, the world will end soon and there seems no point in trying to sugar plum coat it.”
Nobunaga's Black Castle - Rules
9 contributors
Concept: “「信長の黒い城」は、織田信長が本能寺で死なず、本当の第六天魔王になった闇の戦国時代を舞台にした、戦国ドゥーム・メタル・ファンタジーTRPGである。(‘Nobunaga's Black Castle’ is a Sengoku doom metal fantasy TRPG set in the dark Warring States period when Nobunaga Oda did not die in Honnoji and became the true Demon King of the Sixth Heaven.)”
Content: Mörk Borg set in an alternate doomed Warring States period. With rules, classes, monsters, and three scenarios.
Writing: Congruent elements establish a cursed alternative history.
Art/design: A bold and bloody tapestry.
Usability: Strong visual style and a comprehensive index make a suitable reference. GM screen available.
Content: Mörk Borg set in an alternate doomed Warring States period. With rules, classes, monsters, and three scenarios.
Writing: Congruent elements establish a cursed alternative history.
Art/design: A bold and bloody tapestry.
Usability: Strong visual style and a comprehensive index make a suitable reference. GM screen available.
Nobunaga's Black Castle - “Kuroyuri”
Concept:
(A total of 6 ambitious songs that fuse Japanese and doom metal by neko.yanagii. The booklet also includes one Nobunaga's Black Castle scenario written by Yusuke Tokida.)”
Content: 6 heavy Japanese doom-metal & electronica fusion songs. With an included Nobunaga’s Black Castle scenario.
Writing: The music’s amazing. Couldn’t translate the scenario though, but it looks awesome.
Art/design: A rich, energetic, and dark tapestry that captures the energy of the album.
Usability: Listen, and drink in the death.
Content: 6 heavy Japanese doom-metal & electronica fusion songs. With an included Nobunaga’s Black Castle scenario.
Writing: The music’s amazing. Couldn’t translate the scenario though, but it looks awesome.
Art/design: A rich, energetic, and dark tapestry that captures the energy of the album.
Usability: Listen, and drink in the death.
Now That’s What I Call Mörk Borg
Concept: “Inspired by the 1983 U.K. release Now That's What I Call Music or Now 1.”
Content: A card set that expands core Mörk Borg components (bad habits, scrolls, hirelings, etc.) … but based on pop music
Writing: Appropriately concise (since it has to fit on a card alongside the art) but still characterful
Art/design: Predominantly yellow and pink on black in a unique adaptation of Nohr’s style
Usability: Project is incomplete
Content: A card set that expands core Mörk Borg components (bad habits, scrolls, hirelings, etc.) … but based on pop music
Writing: Appropriately concise (since it has to fit on a card alongside the art) but still characterful
Art/design: Predominantly yellow and pink on black in a unique adaptation of Nohr’s style
Usability: Project is incomplete
Nvrsery of the Changeling
Concept: “A spooky nursery that can stand alone (ish) or be added to any Mork Borg dungeon, especially the MORK MEGADUNGEON.”
Content: Not your mama’s nvrsery (I hope).
Writing: A precious story of big mama and her precious little one, and the broken bodies left in their wake.
Art/design: Baby-proofed layout in black, white, and yellow. Complete with a picture of the precious little one and the layout of their humble home.
Usability: Contains a rare modification to existing character classes.
Content: Not your mama’s nvrsery (I hope).
Writing: A precious story of big mama and her precious little one, and the broken bodies left in their wake.
Art/design: Baby-proofed layout in black, white, and yellow. Complete with a picture of the precious little one and the layout of their humble home.
Usability: Contains a rare modification to existing character classes.
Of Grey Matters
Concept: “There’s this strange wriggling sensation inside your ears and head.”
Content: A scenario with stats for NPCs and, of course, mechanics for brainworms; optional content includes additional items and a monster as well as stats for Mausritter
Writing: Elevates sardonic cynicism to an artform
Art/design: Linear layout punctuated by shocks of color
Usability: Easy to digest with well-placed stat blocks
Content: A scenario with stats for NPCs and, of course, mechanics for brainworms; optional content includes additional items and a monster as well as stats for Mausritter
Writing: Elevates sardonic cynicism to an artform
Art/design: Linear layout punctuated by shocks of color
Usability: Easy to digest with well-placed stat blocks
Proceeds go toward curing brainworms IRL
Og Magog's Pig Farm
Concept: “A story based on Xiu Xiu lyrics and my life story”
Content: A narrative with two branch points and many unfortunate branches
Writing: Heavy on pathos with visceral and darkly surrealistic imagery
Art/design: Uses various typefaces for visual emphasis and illustrations that lend emotive effect
Usability: “Beware, this thing is heavy and has a lot of content warnings. It's about abuse.”
Content: A narrative with two branch points and many unfortunate branches
Writing: Heavy on pathos with visceral and darkly surrealistic imagery
Art/design: Uses various typefaces for visual emphasis and illustrations that lend emotive effect
Usability: “Beware, this thing is heavy and has a lot of content warnings. It's about abuse.”
Ogtocrawl
Concept: “You have been ingested via an enormous aquatic beast. Everything in here is trying to kill you and you aren't sure where the heck the exit is.”
Content: A surreal trip inside a very unique octopus.
Writing: Absurdist landscapes, “weather”, and loot to disorient your players.
Art/design: Public domain octopus ingestion. In a digestible layout.
Usability: Eight invitations to wild, wet, and weird adventure.
Content: A surreal trip inside a very unique octopus.
Writing: Absurdist landscapes, “weather”, and loot to disorient your players.
Art/design: Public domain octopus ingestion. In a digestible layout.
Usability: Eight invitations to wild, wet, and weird adventure.
Omentide
Concept: “An egg hunt riddled with danger and reward!”
Content: Lore, NPCs, items, and schedule for a high-stakes scavenger hunt in the Dying Land
Writing: A balance of lore and mechanics with lots of character folded into both
Art/design: Laid out for easy reference, with graphic elements that add strange, supernatural character
Usability: A straightforward toolkit for a grimly humorous adventure
Content: Lore, NPCs, items, and schedule for a high-stakes scavenger hunt in the Dying Land
Writing: A balance of lore and mechanics with lots of character folded into both
Art/design: Laid out for easy reference, with graphic elements that add strange, supernatural character
Usability: A straightforward toolkit for a grimly humorous adventure
On the Slaughterfront
Concept: “The basilisks demand blessings from Prügl … but she’s already been abducted by another cult.”
Content: A twisted, insect-themed dungeon
Writing: Highly descriptive with striking imagery and some clever rimshots
Art/design: Nice balance of color, text, and graphics that keeps it easily readable
Usability: Hollow and full of bugs, just like it should be
Content: A twisted, insect-themed dungeon
Writing: Highly descriptive with striking imagery and some clever rimshots
Art/design: Nice balance of color, text, and graphics that keeps it easily readable
Usability: Hollow and full of bugs, just like it should be
One Flew Over the Basilisk’s Nest
Concept: “Overcome your addiction or be taken into God’s Stronghold, where you will be taught the ways of the false prophet ‘Yaweh.’”
Content: A substance-fueled mini-adaptation of Kesey’s novel to Mörk Borg
Writing: Clear delivery of instructions; some subtle but appropriate choices blur the line between psychiatric patient and religious zealot
Art/design: Emulates a bureaucratic form to visually emphasize the core concept
Usability: More of a loose scenario with guiding mechanics than a dungeon or full adventure, but a fun opportunity for roleplaying and weirdness
Content: A substance-fueled mini-adaptation of Kesey’s novel to Mörk Borg
Writing: Clear delivery of instructions; some subtle but appropriate choices blur the line between psychiatric patient and religious zealot
Art/design: Emulates a bureaucratic form to visually emphasize the core concept
Usability: More of a loose scenario with guiding mechanics than a dungeon or full adventure, but a fun opportunity for roleplaying and weirdness
One Night at Castle Ghast
Concept: “...best be gone before the coming of the dawn, lest the castle disappear and drag them with it to the lands of the dead.”
Content: A once in a lifetime castle-crawl.
Writing: A traditional ghost story, an inexorable timer, and the highest stakes.
Art/design: Dark, textured, and occasionally effervescent images of spectral manifestations.
Usability: To prolong the inevitable.
Content: A once in a lifetime castle-crawl.
Writing: A traditional ghost story, an inexorable timer, and the highest stakes.
Art/design: Dark, textured, and occasionally effervescent images of spectral manifestations.
Usability: To prolong the inevitable.
Orc Borg
Concept: “a great big beautiful trash rocket smashing through space and it is jam-packed with ORCS”
Content: An entire hulking space orc ecosystem with a complete rule set.
Writing: Orcy text written for puny humies.
Art/design: Loud and fast. Large and bright. Dakka! Dakka! Dakka!
Usability: A4 format + Riso print enhances style and legibility.
Content: An entire hulking space orc ecosystem with a complete rule set.
Writing: Orcy text written for puny humies.
Art/design: Loud and fast. Large and bright. Dakka! Dakka! Dakka!
Usability: A4 format + Riso print enhances style and legibility.
Our Lord of Warmth
“Having succumbed to madness, the northern farming folk of Thulud seem to have melded into one hive mind now bent on the construction of their new manifestation.”
Palace of The Shadow King
Concept: “An expanded view of the palace of the shadow king for Mork Borg”
Content: The Shadow King’s Palace as dungeon.
Writing: A curt and well-mannered depictions of the palace and court.
Art/design: Strongly colored public domain illustrations and sharp simple visual elements. All shadowed faintly by transparent text boxes.
Usability: Legible fonts in an easy-to-reference format.
Content: The Shadow King’s Palace as dungeon.
Writing: A curt and well-mannered depictions of the palace and court.
Art/design: Strongly colored public domain illustrations and sharp simple visual elements. All shadowed faintly by transparent text boxes.
Usability: Legible fonts in an easy-to-reference format.
Parasitic Infestation at Flame Tongue Temple
Concept: “From the safety of her chamber… the Mother preaches of the gifts Consumer may bestow upon her luckiest of followers.”
Content: A tongue-gets-eat survival horror dungeon crawl. An arsenal of religious paraphernalia.
Writing: The history and rites of a mysterious cult. A cathedral turned labyrinth. A parasite that thrives in dark and wet places.
Art/design: Gritty gothic structure with occasional baroque elements. Illustrations which contrast in their perverse clarity.
Usability: Dark, light, and full color. Digital and printable options available.
Content: A tongue-gets-eat survival horror dungeon crawl. An arsenal of religious paraphernalia.
Writing: The history and rites of a mysterious cult. A cathedral turned labyrinth. A parasite that thrives in dark and wet places.
Art/design: Gritty gothic structure with occasional baroque elements. Illustrations which contrast in their perverse clarity.
Usability: Dark, light, and full color. Digital and printable options available.
Path of Doom
Concept: “You awake in an unknown location and realize that you are in a body that is not yours.”
Content: An inspirational campaign generator from the plague years. Complete with locations, quests, lords, encounters, and magic items. Best of all, it’s all metal.
Writing: Full of flavorful narrative prompts to inspire improvisational play, with mechanics to structure them into a mountain hex-crawl.
Art/design: Dark and gritty line art in a concert poster of a layout.
Usability: Compact and flexible design is suited for experienced groups comfortable with improvisation. Can be easily utilized with multiple fantasy OSR systems.
Content: An inspirational campaign generator from the plague years. Complete with locations, quests, lords, encounters, and magic items. Best of all, it’s all metal.
Writing: Full of flavorful narrative prompts to inspire improvisational play, with mechanics to structure them into a mountain hex-crawl.
Art/design: Dark and gritty line art in a concert poster of a layout.
Usability: Compact and flexible design is suited for experienced groups comfortable with improvisation. Can be easily utilized with multiple fantasy OSR systems.
Peas Offering
Concept: “In ancient times, villagers in fear of the Duck God built an altar deep underground, trying to placate it with gifts and sacrifices.”
Content: A subterranean, duck-themed hex crawl
Writing: Includes lore, stats for monsters, and details about the location
Art/design: Clearly laid out using color, typefaces, and bullet points for emphasis, differentiation, and easy navigation
Usability: Pages are in reverse order, but there’s only two of them, so it doesn’t hinder usability
Content: A subterranean, duck-themed hex crawl
Writing: Includes lore, stats for monsters, and details about the location
Art/design: Clearly laid out using color, typefaces, and bullet points for emphasis, differentiation, and easy navigation
Usability: Pages are in reverse order, but there’s only two of them, so it doesn’t hinder usability
Peddling Ye Olden Tales
Concept: “The travelers encounter a cryptic storyteller weaving tales of darkness in the woods.”
Content: Campfire tales made grimly manifest as cursed artifacts and plot hooks.
Writing: Classic folktales twisted by the nightmare logic of the dying world.
Art/design: Yellowed photographic illustrations haunt a blacked pamphlet layout.
Usability: Structured and legible
Content: Campfire tales made grimly manifest as cursed artifacts and plot hooks.
Writing: Classic folktales twisted by the nightmare logic of the dying world.
Art/design: Yellowed photographic illustrations haunt a blacked pamphlet layout.
Usability: Structured and legible
Penuria
Concept: “Uno del los asentamientos que ha sucumbido ahte la brutalidad es Penuria: un desolado y lúgubre paramo habiado por una docena de almas deplorables, al oeste de Schleswig.”
Content: A filthy pointcrawl, a miserable village setting, and the local ziggurat.
Writing: A village in hardship. Potentially some deep shit. Specifically Fathmu’s shit.
Art/design: The classic grimy yellow in a crisp accordion pamphlet design.
Usability: Printable, but hard on your yellow ink. Spanish language.
Content: A filthy pointcrawl, a miserable village setting, and the local ziggurat.
Writing: A village in hardship. Potentially some deep shit. Specifically Fathmu’s shit.
Art/design: The classic grimy yellow in a crisp accordion pamphlet design.
Usability: Printable, but hard on your yellow ink. Spanish language.
Perfidious Protoplasma
Concept: “An expansion that gives the humble ooze its due”
Content: A roster of oozes with rules for the creature type, an ooze-symbiote character class, and an ooze-centered dungeon
Writing: Efficiently presents information in each section
Art/design: Subtle and relatively traditional but still effective in visually reinforcing the concept; dungeon features clean, efficient layouts and design for easy use by GMs
Usability: Class is more powerful and versatile than some other classes, but balanced by the monetary and/or inventory cost of feeding the ooze
Content: A roster of oozes with rules for the creature type, an ooze-symbiote character class, and an ooze-centered dungeon
Writing: Efficiently presents information in each section
Art/design: Subtle and relatively traditional but still effective in visually reinforcing the concept; dungeon features clean, efficient layouts and design for easy use by GMs
Usability: Class is more powerful and versatile than some other classes, but balanced by the monetary and/or inventory cost of feeding the ooze
Pharmagothica
Concept: “Roleplaying In A World Of Bioweapons”
Content: Complete rules for bioweapon fueled modern survival horror, with a swamp crawling starter scenario.
Writing: A detailed alternate history setting with mechanics emphasizing resource management, body horror, and tactical dismemberment.
Art/design: Neoclassical & romantic oil paintings and biological illustrations juxtapose a partially collapsed 2080 setting in single column layout.
Usability: A robust table of contents, utilitarian layout, rules reference, and character sheet aid in reference to this slightly more robust ruleset.
Content: Complete rules for bioweapon fueled modern survival horror, with a swamp crawling starter scenario.
Writing: A detailed alternate history setting with mechanics emphasizing resource management, body horror, and tactical dismemberment.
Art/design: Neoclassical & romantic oil paintings and biological illustrations juxtapose a partially collapsed 2080 setting in single column layout.
Usability: A robust table of contents, utilitarian layout, rules reference, and character sheet aid in reference to this slightly more robust ruleset.
Pirate Borg
6 contributors
Concept: “Inspired by history, fantasy, horror and rum. Your cutlass & flintlock won’t save you from the hordes of skeletons, the Kraken, or even your own crew.”
Content: A standalone game for nautical scvm. A complete ruleset with 8 classes, naval combat rules, 18 vessels, over 80 monsters & NPCs, suitably scvrvy equipment, and a substantial introductory sandbox adventure.
Writing: A rich grog blending history, fantasy, and horror. As doomed as the Dying Lands... but with more drowning and animated skeletons.
Art/design: Crisp richly colored and strongly contoured illustrations, lovingly textured maps, and full-color spreads.
Usability: Larger, slightly crunchier, but with ample built-in references and tools bookended for ease of reference.
Content: A standalone game for nautical scvm. A complete ruleset with 8 classes, naval combat rules, 18 vessels, over 80 monsters & NPCs, suitably scvrvy equipment, and a substantial introductory sandbox adventure.
Writing: A rich grog blending history, fantasy, and horror. As doomed as the Dying Lands... but with more drowning and animated skeletons.
Art/design: Crisp richly colored and strongly contoured illustrations, lovingly textured maps, and full-color spreads.
Usability: Larger, slightly crunchier, but with ample built-in references and tools bookended for ease of reference.
Pond of Inversion
Concept: “A strange, watery space infested with killer ducks and one odd magical item.”
Content: A reality-defying underground duckpond
Writing: Straightforward with good descriptions of the inversion and a bit of humor
Art/design: Divided into quadrants (map, description, and stat blocks) for easy use
Usability: A good choice for inflicting a surreal scenario on PCs
Content: A reality-defying underground duckpond
Writing: Straightforward with good descriptions of the inversion and a bit of humor
Art/design: Divided into quadrants (map, description, and stat blocks) for easy use
Usability: A good choice for inflicting a surreal scenario on PCs
Pork Borg
“A small village, which each night receives a vicious attack from an unknown entity”
Porkin’ the Void
13 contributors
Concept: “In space, no one can hear you squeal.”
Content: Rules, classes, ships, creatures, gear, settings, tables, generators, and adventures for pigs in space.
Writing: A space opera that simply squeals parody, with rules that are fattened up and ready for slaughter.
Art/design: A grease-slicked modern layout with illustrations varying from rendered near-3D comic illustrations to positively grimy porcine character portraits.
Usability: Reference tables bookend the text, with a clear table of contents to aid in reference. Clear type faces enhance legibility.
Content: Rules, classes, ships, creatures, gear, settings, tables, generators, and adventures for pigs in space.
Writing: A space opera that simply squeals parody, with rules that are fattened up and ready for slaughter.
Art/design: A grease-slicked modern layout with illustrations varying from rendered near-3D comic illustrations to positively grimy porcine character portraits.
Usability: Reference tables bookend the text, with a clear table of contents to aid in reference. Clear type faces enhance legibility.
Psalm IV:I
Concept: “A grimdark adventure module [that] gives the GM a plug-and-play way to explore the 4:1 misery”
Content: An adventure in religion, heresy, deceit, and revenge; incorporates opportunities for PCs to join multiple competing factions, and includes a mechanic for fear effects
Writing: Deftly conveys the scenario’s dynamics and delivers information in manageable portions with plenty of gory and macabre details
Art/design: Efficient layouts and design choices make information accessible while making room for loads of expressive, original illustrations
Usability: A more visually elaborate take on the Rotblack Sludge approach to facilitating quick comprehension and easy use
Content: An adventure in religion, heresy, deceit, and revenge; incorporates opportunities for PCs to join multiple competing factions, and includes a mechanic for fear effects
Writing: Deftly conveys the scenario’s dynamics and delivers information in manageable portions with plenty of gory and macabre details
Art/design: Efficient layouts and design choices make information accessible while making room for loads of expressive, original illustrations
Usability: A more visually elaborate take on the Rotblack Sludge approach to facilitating quick comprehension and easy use
Purgatory
Concept: “100 travel encounters, six new classes, skills to expand your characters, and three adventure locations”
Content: The encounters encompass a range of people, happenings, and other … things; classes bring some archetypes and novel concepts to the table; skills add additional depth and features to Getting Better; the two shorter adventures work as one-shots, and Purgatory provides a sprawling landscape for scum to explore
Writing: Not terribly text heavy with alternately descriptive and instructive prose
Art/design: Fairly straightforward layouts with a wide range of art; obligatory yellow and pink
Usability: PDF comes in HD and SD versions to accommodate user needs; also include some hex tiles for exploring Purgatory
Content: The encounters encompass a range of people, happenings, and other … things; classes bring some archetypes and novel concepts to the table; skills add additional depth and features to Getting Better; the two shorter adventures work as one-shots, and Purgatory provides a sprawling landscape for scum to explore
Writing: Not terribly text heavy with alternately descriptive and instructive prose
Art/design: Fairly straightforward layouts with a wide range of art; obligatory yellow and pink
Usability: PDF comes in HD and SD versions to accommodate user needs; also include some hex tiles for exploring Purgatory
Putrescence Regnant
9 contributors
Concept: “Targ-Dungel. A festering wound upon a dying world. Time and space warp within the malodorous miasma. … This, cursed walker, is where you must go. Into the blight. Into the cold, damp mire.”
Content: A bog crawl and soundtrack filled with sludge, corpses, and brutality; also includes the Gilded Wolf character class
Writing: The prose resurrects the core book’s weird imagery and ominous tone; mechanics text is accessible and easy to use
Art/design: The Mörk Borg style we know and love, but left to putrefy in a swamp
Usability: Places three factions in explicit large-scale conflict, creating a complex backdrop for players to explore and GMs to exploit
Content: A bog crawl and soundtrack filled with sludge, corpses, and brutality; also includes the Gilded Wolf character class
Writing: The prose resurrects the core book’s weird imagery and ominous tone; mechanics text is accessible and easy to use
Art/design: The Mörk Borg style we know and love, but left to putrefy in a swamp
Usability: Places three factions in explicit large-scale conflict, creating a complex backdrop for players to explore and GMs to exploit
Soundtrack: available on Spotify
Queen Hate
Concept: “The Queen was betrayed... Hate kept her alive, warping her body and her prison... those who lost everything bow before her.”
Content: A nauseating, poison shrouded temple to bile and frothing rage.
Writing: Consistent theme and tone throughout. Filled to bursting with literal and symbolic bile.
Art/design: Consistent design cues in a clean practical design. Plus, a disturbingly grainy image of Queen Hate herself.
Usability: Clean map, clear sensory references for crucial elements. Encounters do hop from room to room. Some DM review prior to the session is advisable.
Content: A nauseating, poison shrouded temple to bile and frothing rage.
Writing: Consistent theme and tone throughout. Filled to bursting with literal and symbolic bile.
Art/design: Consistent design cues in a clean practical design. Plus, a disturbingly grainy image of Queen Hate herself.
Usability: Clean map, clear sensory references for crucial elements. Encounters do hop from room to room. Some DM review prior to the session is advisable.
Quest for the Murder Sword
Concept: “Kharkrazh the Dying finally fell, and around his withering bones cultists and cannibals dug […] in search of a blade most foul.”
Content: A system-neutral crawl through a corpse
Writing: Devoted to populating and characterizing the dungeon
Art/design: The larger map is very expressive
Usability: The secondary descriptive map makes navigation fast and efficient
Content: A system-neutral crawl through a corpse
Writing: Devoted to populating and characterizing the dungeon
Art/design: The larger map is very expressive
Usability: The secondary descriptive map makes navigation fast and efficient
*Published under CC BY 3.0; not technically Mörk Borg content, but related in theme, spirit, and authorship
Rattus Norvegicus
Concept: “The base of operation for the fearsome plague-bearing Rätfölk”
Content: A 9-room, ratfolk-infested dungeon with hooks, rumors, random encounters, loot, and shit torches
Writing: Straightforward and clear with well-placed alliterative flourishes and snark
Art/design: Primarily typographical but efficient and easily navigable
Usability: Linearly organized and includes separate GM and player maps
Ravaging Plague I: Rusted Iron, Words of Power
Concept: “Ravaging Plague aims to bring Mörk Borg and its extreme metal influences into further conversation.”
Content: Extreme metal-inspired offerings across the board
Writing: Laden with metal-inspired imagery and themes
Art/design: Brutalist text layouts balanced with organic, gritty graphics all presented in stark black & white
Usability: No table of contents or index, but layouts and different deployments of positive and negative space are good visual aids for navigation
Content: Extreme metal-inspired offerings across the board
Writing: Laden with metal-inspired imagery and themes
Art/design: Brutalist text layouts balanced with organic, gritty graphics all presented in stark black & white
Usability: No table of contents or index, but layouts and different deployments of positive and negative space are good visual aids for navigation
Ravings from Skarhuld: The Lost Brother's Bestiary
Concept: “Seeking to expand their pastureland, herders at Sarkash’s edge demolished an ancient, ruined wall. Amidst its foundation stones, they discovered a bundle of papers wrapped in oilskin. Those pages described, among others, the horrors inhabiting myth-spun Skarhuld.”
Content: Skarhuld, maddeningly sketched in prose and random tables. Alongside 20 surreal and miserable monsters to inhabit the dying world.
Content: Skarhuld, maddeningly sketched in prose and random tables. Alongside 20 surreal and miserable monsters to inhabit the dying world.
Writing: Absurdist nightmare horror given text. Amusing, disturbing, and gripping in equal measure.
Art/design: Cohesive, yet textured. With a familiar structure to the surreal elements.
Usability: Can literally be dropped into your anywhere in time or space. With easy to access tables, a visually engaging map, and navigation by art or table of context.
Usability: Can literally be dropped into your anywhere in time or space. With easy to access tables, a visually engaging map, and navigation by art or table of context.
Reckless Plundering
Concept: “Guide Kargunt through four new dungeons for even more solo play madness!”
Content: Four themed Dark Fort solo dungeons.
Writing: Consistent themes and varied mechanics add to engagement.
Art/design: Simple plaintext layout with small hand drawn annotations.
Usability: Familiar design for players of Dark Fort.
Content: Four themed Dark Fort solo dungeons.
Writing: Consistent themes and varied mechanics add to engagement.
Art/design: Simple plaintext layout with small hand drawn annotations.
Usability: Familiar design for players of Dark Fort.
Reclaim Your Corpse
Concept:
“Your mind stews in total darkness
“Your mind stews in total darkness
Your ears listen to a busy bone saw
You wake in a meat cart...”
Content: “A quick meat-punk dungeon crawl”
Writing: A straightforward dungeon complicated by a few missing limbs and a follow-on hex crawl with the opportunity to earn a few more.
Art/design: Art and design reconstituted from constituent parts of varying styles.
Usability: Best not to take for granted the limb-itations of your scvm.
Content: “A quick meat-punk dungeon crawl”
Writing: A straightforward dungeon complicated by a few missing limbs and a follow-on hex crawl with the opportunity to earn a few more.
Art/design: Art and design reconstituted from constituent parts of varying styles.
Usability: Best not to take for granted the limb-itations of your scvm.
REGICIDE
Concept: “The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen. She squats atop her silk throne”
Content: The end of an empire. A parasite deposed.
Writing: Many hooks and threads ensnare a micro setting at one instant in time.
Art/design: A tightly wound, regal design befitting a 700-year reign at an end.
Usability: Easy to navigate. Requires some translation at the table to be fully compatible.
Content: The end of an empire. A parasite deposed.
Writing: Many hooks and threads ensnare a micro setting at one instant in time.
Art/design: A tightly wound, regal design befitting a 700-year reign at an end.
Usability: Easy to navigate. Requires some translation at the table to be fully compatible.
Release the Quacken!
Concept: “A passageway and a helmet”
Content: A location with 5 random encounters (one of which involves a helmet)
Writing: Details the different encounters and the effects of donning the helm
Art/design: Layout is intentionally haphazard and off kilter but not at the detriment of usability; lots of dead animals
Usability: If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’ll probably try to murder you
Content: A location with 5 random encounters (one of which involves a helmet)
Writing: Details the different encounters and the effects of donning the helm
Art/design: Layout is intentionally haphazard and off kilter but not at the detriment of usability; lots of dead animals
Usability: If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’ll probably try to murder you
Retro Throwback
Concept: “A zany zine that contains some rethought OSR races/classes... creatures... spells in the form of Arcane Scrolls... [and more]”
Content: Traditional OSR classes, creatures, spells, and magical legumes?
Writing: Good-natured irreverence of older fantasy RPG tropes.
Art/design: A broad variety of textual elements, layouts, and illustrations with a hint of coarseness.
Usability: Consistency in styles within sections aid in navigation.
Content: Traditional OSR classes, creatures, spells, and magical legumes?
Writing: Good-natured irreverence of older fantasy RPG tropes.
Art/design: A broad variety of textual elements, layouts, and illustrations with a hint of coarseness.
Usability: Consistency in styles within sections aid in navigation.
Return to the Valley of Despair
Concept: “More ideas to use when the player characters make the mistake of visiting that wretched valley of undeath.”
Content: Random (& less random) encounters, monsters, and artifacts for those who roam The Valley of Unfortunate Undead.
Writing: Pithy adventure ideas which can easily be woven together or into an existing campaign.
Art/design: Vibrant and well-integrated high fantasy art. Functional and emphasized random table elements.
Usability: Optimized for a poster format, but easily navigable as a digital file.
Content: Random (& less random) encounters, monsters, and artifacts for those who roam The Valley of Unfortunate Undead.
Writing: Pithy adventure ideas which can easily be woven together or into an existing campaign.
Art/design: Vibrant and well-integrated high fantasy art. Functional and emphasized random table elements.
Usability: Optimized for a poster format, but easily navigable as a digital file.
Rituals
“13 priests have been abducted while gathering components needed to perform a ritual that, if performed within the next two hours, may prevent the end of the world.”
Sacred Parasites
Concept: “These heretic ideas are collected below the frayed parasol of corrupt religion and cute parasites”
Content: 7 new creatures, a living dungeon, occult-bugs-as-resources rules, and tables for effects of parasitization
Writing: Creature entries feature descriptive passages, stat blocks, and adventure hooks; overall, creative and effective
Art/design: More traditional layouts with text balanced by facing-page illustrations; images are generally gritty (in the good way) and the rest of the graphic design follows suit
Usability: “Cute” is highly subjective, but definitely some interesting and creative creature concepts
Content: 7 new creatures, a living dungeon, occult-bugs-as-resources rules, and tables for effects of parasitization
Writing: Creature entries feature descriptive passages, stat blocks, and adventure hooks; overall, creative and effective
Art/design: More traditional layouts with text balanced by facing-page illustrations; images are generally gritty (in the good way) and the rest of the graphic design follows suit
Usability: “Cute” is highly subjective, but definitely some interesting and creative creature concepts
Sacrifice Before Sunrise
Concept: “A plan to dethrone King Fathmu IX by replacing him with the grotesque child-god is mere days from success.”
Content: Political assassination by ritual god-child sacrifice.
Writing: A surprising amount of depth for a tiny, burned village and the chase for an infant god.
Art/design: Divine blend of color, artful illustration, and navigable sidebar column layout.
Usability: Easier to use than murdering a god-baby.
Content: Political assassination by ritual god-child sacrifice.
Writing: A surprising amount of depth for a tiny, burned village and the chase for an infant god.
Art/design: Divine blend of color, artful illustration, and navigable sidebar column layout.
Usability: Easier to use than murdering a god-baby.
Samson’s Dead, Where’s His Head?
Concept: “Find Randal in d8 rounds and return the head to Samson’s body before all the blood drains out and Samson’s protective magicks over Sarkash are lost.”
Content: An adventure hook and stat blocks for a chase through Sarkash
Writing: Concise, unambiguous, and to the point
Art/design: Well organized and cleanly laid out
Usability: GM will need to fill in incidentals, but the framework is there
Content: An adventure hook and stat blocks for a chase through Sarkash
Writing: Concise, unambiguous, and to the point
Art/design: Well organized and cleanly laid out
Usability: GM will need to fill in incidentals, but the framework is there
Scarlet Descent
Concept: “A submission to the Babalonian Jam!”
Content: A no-frills dungeon with plenty of character
Writing: Lean and efficient delivery of information and mechanical elements
Art/design: An isometric map clearly coordinated with well-delineated room descriptions
Usability: Open-ended so GMs can work it into their game however they see fit
Content: A no-frills dungeon with plenty of character
Writing: Lean and efficient delivery of information and mechanical elements
Art/design: An isometric map clearly coordinated with well-delineated room descriptions
Usability: Open-ended so GMs can work it into their game however they see fit
Scarlet Descent: Black Obelisk
Concept: A sequel to the Scarlet Descent dungeon
Content: 8 weird and macabre rooms with unique hazards and challenges
Writing: Vivid descriptions of scenery with a fourth-wall breach and hints at future entries in the series
Art/design: Each room’s points of interest are clearly delineated for easy reference during play; facing-page descriptions and map shows off the latter’s artistic inversion
Usability: Numbering correlate descriptions to map locations (ordered bottom up, right to left)
Content: 8 weird and macabre rooms with unique hazards and challenges
Writing: Vivid descriptions of scenery with a fourth-wall breach and hints at future entries in the series
Art/design: Each room’s points of interest are clearly delineated for easy reference during play; facing-page descriptions and map shows off the latter’s artistic inversion
Usability: Numbering correlate descriptions to map locations (ordered bottom up, right to left)
Schmatzer, Aufhocker und wo man sie findet
Concept: “Two monsters […] some scenario seeds you can roll up and a small dungeon”
Content: See concept
Writing: Monster entries provide sufficient context while the dungeon is clear and concise
Art/design: Monsters are well organized with appropriate illustrations; dungeon is primarily typographical, which guides reading, but includes a map and a creepy crayfish-baby
Usability: A bit of a variety pack; straightforward and easy to navigate
Content: See concept
Writing: Monster entries provide sufficient context while the dungeon is clear and concise
Art/design: Monsters are well organized with appropriate illustrations; dungeon is primarily typographical, which guides reading, but includes a map and a creepy crayfish-baby
Usability: A bit of a variety pack; straightforward and easy to navigate
Scriptures of the Endless Sea
Concept: “In the depths of the Endless Sea, you awaken... Your twisted journey lies ahead through the abyss, driven by the promise of true death, a release from torment.”
Content: An Endless Sea bottom-crawl.
Writing: A structured linear narrative with set-piece encounters and Endless Sea lore.
Art/design: Pale blue in the deep-sea dark. AI-distorted aquatic monstrosities, deep-sea voyagers, and two-headed deities abound.
Usability: Clean, organized, dense
Content: An Endless Sea bottom-crawl.
Writing: A structured linear narrative with set-piece encounters and Endless Sea lore.
Art/design: Pale blue in the deep-sea dark. AI-distorted aquatic monstrosities, deep-sea voyagers, and two-headed deities abound.
Usability: Clean, organized, dense
Sepulchre of the Swamp Witch
Concept: “In a hidden repository deep in the Slithering Swamp is a witch's altar of glyph-covered roots. They say it can fulfill any wish.”
Content: A serpentine sepulchre you’ll wish you never entered.
Writing: A two-for-one adventure in two modes: sedate & completely stoned.
Art/design: Mind-blowing emerald hued hallucinations, a venomously detailed map, with a sober adventure layout.
Usability: Each scvm can (try to) decide how trippy they want the adventure to be.
Content: A serpentine sepulchre you’ll wish you never entered.
Writing: A two-for-one adventure in two modes: sedate & completely stoned.
Art/design: Mind-blowing emerald hued hallucinations, a venomously detailed map, with a sober adventure layout.
Usability: Each scvm can (try to) decide how trippy they want the adventure to be.
Seven Hells and a Dead Paradise
Concept: “in this book you will find Seven Hells to inflict upon your players, and one Dead Paradise. Tie them all together with a Hellish table-crawl, the Eightfold Crypt of the King Orzog”
Content: Seven hells, a lost paradise, a tormented class, body parts, and a dread king’s crypt.
Writing: The history and cosmos of dead gods conveyed in 13 spreads worth of tables and dungeon.
Art/design: Excellent use of public domain imagery as inspiration for the various locals. Tortured sketches of divine punishment.
Usability: Enough material here to flesh out many settings. With an index to use them piecemeal or whole.
Content: Seven hells, a lost paradise, a tormented class, body parts, and a dread king’s crypt.
Writing: The history and cosmos of dead gods conveyed in 13 spreads worth of tables and dungeon.
Art/design: Excellent use of public domain imagery as inspiration for the various locals. Tortured sketches of divine punishment.
Usability: Enough material here to flesh out many settings. With an index to use them piecemeal or whole.
Shadow of the Past
Concept: “Herein are the ruins they left, epitaphs from potsherd to pillared temple.”
Content: An archeological exploration of the Dying Lands, with 21 sites, their current inhabitants, and everything valuable not bolted down.
Writing: A survey of iconic locals, with enough historical detail, rumor, and information to plan a failed treasure hunt.
Art/design: Yellowed artifacts splatter a clean single-column layout.
Usability: Available in plaintext and “night mode” with an off-white background to ease electronic reading.
Content: An archeological exploration of the Dying Lands, with 21 sites, their current inhabitants, and everything valuable not bolted down.
Writing: A survey of iconic locals, with enough historical detail, rumor, and information to plan a failed treasure hunt.
Art/design: Yellowed artifacts splatter a clean single-column layout.
Usability: Available in plaintext and “night mode” with an off-white background to ease electronic reading.
ShadowClink
Concept: “Escape the dungeon of the Shadow King!”
Content: An adventure for the Sölitary Defilement solo-play ruleset; includes scenario setup, encounters, NPCs, special rooms, and rules for backtracking
Writing: Well written and easy to read with evocative language that helps build the experience
Art/design: Designed and laid out for clarity and ease of use, but the colors and chain graphics provide some appropriate character
Usability: Requires Sölitary Defilement to play solo, but also makes a pretty good random dungeon generator for standard play as well
Content: An adventure for the Sölitary Defilement solo-play ruleset; includes scenario setup, encounters, NPCs, special rooms, and rules for backtracking
Writing: Well written and easy to read with evocative language that helps build the experience
Art/design: Designed and laid out for clarity and ease of use, but the colors and chain graphics provide some appropriate character
Usability: Requires Sölitary Defilement to play solo, but also makes a pretty good random dungeon generator for standard play as well
Skin Job
Concept: “More scum have disappeared in the Blood Tree Wood in the past year than normal. No bodies have been found in more than a year.”
Content: A desperate search for missing persons in the Blood Tree Wood, destined to uncover more than bargained for.
Writing: Established adventure setting with clear NPC motivation, local economy, and culture. Accessible encounter tables and game aids extend the suffering.
Art/design: Michael Harmon’s signature crisp detailed line art style with some Mörk Borg design sensibilities in a (slightly) more traditional layout.
Usability: Optimized for use both as pdf and print. With conveniently located reference tables at the beginning and end of the text, mini maps with room descriptions, and pdf bookmarks.
Content: A desperate search for missing persons in the Blood Tree Wood, destined to uncover more than bargained for.
Writing: Established adventure setting with clear NPC motivation, local economy, and culture. Accessible encounter tables and game aids extend the suffering.
Art/design: Michael Harmon’s signature crisp detailed line art style with some Mörk Borg design sensibilities in a (slightly) more traditional layout.
Usability: Optimized for use both as pdf and print. With conveniently located reference tables at the beginning and end of the text, mini maps with room descriptions, and pdf bookmarks.
Skuggträsk
Concept: “Seven Districs of Soot and Fire”
Content: A swelling industrial nightmare for Mörktober 2023.
Writing: Effervescent prose depicts a strange and storied metropolis.
Art/design: A sprawling map erupting with cursed details.
Usability: Prompts for encounters in a unique urban setting.
Content: A swelling industrial nightmare for Mörktober 2023.
Writing: Effervescent prose depicts a strange and storied metropolis.
Art/design: A sprawling map erupting with cursed details.
Usability: Prompts for encounters in a unique urban setting.
SlasHER
“You emerge from the fog to find the east end of the village deserted and in ruin. On the wind, you hear a faint voice calling, "I will kill them all." You turn to leave, but mist obscures the way. There is no exit.”
Slasher Zine / Jam Compilation
18 contributors
“Slasher Jam was a jam I ran over the course of October 2021 that got 20 entries. I have compiled those entries into 2 volumes. Volume 1 contains classes, items, and monsters. Volume 2 contains the adventures of Slasher Jam.” – Michael Mars, ed.
Slaughtered in the Snow
Concept: “SHE returned you to life and charged you with one task […] slay the usurper, the heresiarch Josilfa Migol of Galgenbeck.”
Content: A compelling battlefield crawl with an interesting twist on Mörk Borg lore
Writing: Solid imagery and ideas conveyed well
Art/design: Not super-elaborate, but fits the the setting’s snowy starkness
Usability: GMs will need to consult a few other titles, which are readily available
Content: A compelling battlefield crawl with an interesting twist on Mörk Borg lore
Writing: Solid imagery and ideas conveyed well
Art/design: Not super-elaborate, but fits the the setting’s snowy starkness
Usability: GMs will need to consult a few other titles, which are readily available
Slaughterhouse Citadel
Concept: “Inspired by Death's album Scream Bloody Gore”
Content: Includes 11 rooms, 10 tables for room clutter and wandering monsters (just in case the other hazards and inhabitants weren’t lethal enough)
Writing: Descriptions of rooms and inhabitants are filled with grim, gritty, multi-sensory imagery
Art/design: Features loads of original art; palette is dominated by red and muted yellow, creating a gory and noxious ambience
Usability: Incorporates high-level internal links in ToC and at the bottom of pages for fast navigation; random monster table includes page references for print-inclined GMs
Content: Includes 11 rooms, 10 tables for room clutter and wandering monsters (just in case the other hazards and inhabitants weren’t lethal enough)
Writing: Descriptions of rooms and inhabitants are filled with grim, gritty, multi-sensory imagery
Art/design: Features loads of original art; palette is dominated by red and muted yellow, creating a gory and noxious ambience
Usability: Incorporates high-level internal links in ToC and at the bottom of pages for fast navigation; random monster table includes page references for print-inclined GMs
Slugfest
Concept: “GIVE THE DUCKS SOME ESCARGOT!”
Content: A snail-based dungeon encounter
Writing: Describes the room’s content and ways of interacting with/escaping from it
Art/design: Color, illustration, visual elements, and judicious use of expressive typeface create an overall slimy feel
Usability: Lots of gross fluids; bring a poncho
Content: A snail-based dungeon encounter
Writing: Describes the room’s content and ways of interacting with/escaping from it
Art/design: Color, illustration, visual elements, and judicious use of expressive typeface create an overall slimy feel
Usability: Lots of gross fluids; bring a poncho
Smoke Filled the Room
Concept: “Inspired by the album 'Smoke Filled The Room, We Slept' by Mellow Grave”
Content: An strange journey to escape inebriation and hallucination
Writing: Skillfully moves through increasingly disjunctive scenes, relying on tone to create continuity; final paragraph contrasts nicely with the preceding content
Art/design: Dense columns of text emulate a smokey interior with a symbolic empty space before the concluding point
Usability: Includes some mechanics but leaves lots of room for GMs to play
Content: An strange journey to escape inebriation and hallucination
Writing: Skillfully moves through increasingly disjunctive scenes, relying on tone to create continuity; final paragraph contrasts nicely with the preceding content
Art/design: Dense columns of text emulate a smokey interior with a symbolic empty space before the concluding point
Usability: Includes some mechanics but leaves lots of room for GMs to play
Smörgasbörg
10 contributors
Concept: “Grab your bibs and bone saws you’re in for a treat…. ”
Content: A filling 120-page harvest of human meat (and how to use it).
Writing: Sefl-indulgent self-injury, masticatory mutilation, and gratuitous gluttony.
Art/design: Sharp sketches, gruesome graffiti, and a not-inconsiderable quantity of red.
Usability: Organized and occasionally explicit body horror abounds. You have been warned.
Content: A filling 120-page harvest of human meat (and how to use it).
Writing: Sefl-indulgent self-injury, masticatory mutilation, and gratuitous gluttony.
Art/design: Sharp sketches, gruesome graffiti, and a not-inconsiderable quantity of red.
Usability: Organized and occasionally explicit body horror abounds. You have been warned.
Snotsoil Mire
Concept: “The edge of the Bergen Chrypt is flooded. Into that slick swamp, the ducal twins of Schleswig fled.”
Content: A relatively lean but atmospheric hexcrawl
Writing: Concise but thorough with subtle character
Art/design: Cut-and-paste feel with intense color
Usability: Linear and easy to use; additional mechanics appended for easy reference
Snow on Snow
Concept: “Out in the frozen wastes of Kergüs is the graven image of a dead god… You need to appease the irate Blood-Countess Anthelia of Alliánce. This may be your chance.”
Content: A blasphemously festive hexcrawl. With occult items, frozen foes, and plenty buried beneath the snow.
Writing: An eloquent introduction this sorry excuse of a province. An unsurprising amount of snow (and death) related mechanics.
Art/design: A flavorful variety of illustrations and layouts. All admirably executed.
Usability: Stylish yet easy to read, with strong visual elements aiding in reference.
Content: A blasphemously festive hexcrawl. With occult items, frozen foes, and plenty buried beneath the snow.
Writing: An eloquent introduction this sorry excuse of a province. An unsurprising amount of snow (and death) related mechanics.
Art/design: A flavorful variety of illustrations and layouts. All admirably executed.
Usability: Stylish yet easy to read, with strong visual elements aiding in reference.
SNÜNGEON
Concept: “Their husks litter the landscape, mountainous swirling shells that are all that remain of the titan snails. Now they serve as a refuge for the stray, the weary, and the weird - and as a lure for fools such as you”
Content: A massive slimy spiral snüngeon.
Writing: Captures the humble majesty of an extinct apex predator.
Art/design: A comforting white and blue layout makes you want to slow down, grow some stalks, and savor the transformation.
Usability: Explore a snüngeon, make your own snüngeon, there are many titan snail shells left to explore.
Content: A massive slimy spiral snüngeon.
Writing: Captures the humble majesty of an extinct apex predator.
Art/design: A comforting white and blue layout makes you want to slow down, grow some stalks, and savor the transformation.
Usability: Explore a snüngeon, make your own snüngeon, there are many titan snail shells left to explore.
Social Encounter With a Psychic Spider
Concept: “We both know the title tells you everything you need to hear.”
Content: A social encounter with a psychic spider.
Writing: Regal and demanding, with requests and secrets that'll make your skin crawl.
Content: A social encounter with a psychic spider.
Writing: Regal and demanding, with requests and secrets that'll make your skin crawl.
Art/design: The desaturated, elegant, but slightly disturbed design elements reinforce the tension of a princess who wishes to be so much more than just a spider.
Usability: With prose that inspires as much as it implies. These improvisational aids provide just the right information for a truly memorable social engagement.
Usability: With prose that inspires as much as it implies. These improvisational aids provide just the right information for a truly memorable social engagement.
Solitude
Concept: “A lonely adventure with inspiration drawn from Solitude by Hans-Christoph Steiner.”
Content: An abstract crawl inspired by experimental digital music
Writing: Concise but atmospheric; stat blocks for some challenging monsters
Art/design: Visually adapts its source material to a unique effect
Usability: Some inverted text may be a challenge but not a significant hindrance
something wicked this way comes
Concept: “Since King Dunkan died and Macdeath sits on the throne of Kamdorr Castle as his successor, no one in the entire city has slept a wink.”
Content: Mörkbeth
Writing: Adapts Macbeth in broad strokes, adding in some additional occult elements and atmosphere
Art/design: Introductory sections are typographically differentiated; the adventure itself is presented in the clean, accessible style of Rotblack Sludge (with some blood smears and stains for extra character)
Usability: Perfect for groups seeking a gothic-horror castle crawl
Content: Mörkbeth
Writing: Adapts Macbeth in broad strokes, adding in some additional occult elements and atmosphere
Art/design: Introductory sections are typographically differentiated; the adventure itself is presented in the clean, accessible style of Rotblack Sludge (with some blood smears and stains for extra character)
Usability: Perfect for groups seeking a gothic-horror castle crawl
Somnolevolence
Concept: “Those who suffer these Miseries and perish with them shall be reborn too. Suffer with them, in everlasting Misery.”
Content: A dead basilisks’ dreamcrawl.
Writing: A tortured text with misery lying just below the surface. A dying world dress rehearsal, complete with psalms.
Art/design: Strong cover illustration and design elements support a tortured narrative.
Usability: Clear rules pamphlet with a self-contained map. Available in full color, print-friendly, and digital formats.
Content: A dead basilisks’ dreamcrawl.
Writing: A tortured text with misery lying just below the surface. A dying world dress rehearsal, complete with psalms.
Art/design: Strong cover illustration and design elements support a tortured narrative.
Usability: Clear rules pamphlet with a self-contained map. Available in full color, print-friendly, and digital formats.
Soul Wrenched Shaman
Concept: “The streets of Schleswig are filled with empty husks … Fathmu IV has put a hefty bag of 200 silver to anyone who can put a stop to this.”
Content: Adventure hook and framework with a creative final boss
Writing: Sets the overall scenario and trajectory, and provides seeds for scenes along the journey
Art/design: Features a pretty bizarre illustration
Usability: Content is well-organized for linear use
Spore-spawn of the Rhizoworm
Concept: “Young adults living in and near the village have disappeared.”
Content: An adventure in fungal infection
Writing: Presents rules and flavor for a skin-crawling ecology
Art/design: Diverse but unified; useful in navigating the document during play
Usability: Some ambiguity in the fungal infection rules but intent becomes clear
Content: An adventure in fungal infection
Writing: Presents rules and flavor for a skin-crawling ecology
Art/design: Diverse but unified; useful in navigating the document during play
Usability: Some ambiguity in the fungal infection rules but intent becomes clear
Stinkmouth
Concept: “A descent into a pitiless stink pit. Designed for a TPK, but shenanigans can happen.”
Content: A truly foul and fun-filled delve into a pit of unpleasantness. There’s also a dog and some prizes.
Writing: Concise but conveys the intended tone very well
Art/design: Typographic choices and colors aid navigation, and other visual elements reinforce the motifs of stench, viscera, and excrescence
Usability: Don’t show your players the map. Let them fvck around and find out.
Content: A truly foul and fun-filled delve into a pit of unpleasantness. There’s also a dog and some prizes.
Writing: Concise but conveys the intended tone very well
Art/design: Typographic choices and colors aid navigation, and other visual elements reinforce the motifs of stench, viscera, and excrescence
Usability: Don’t show your players the map. Let them fvck around and find out.
Stone and Rock
Concept: “Searching for a lost treasure in a cave at the base of a mountain, wrong turns in a maze of tunnels only took you fumbling deeper into the earth.”
Content: An abstract dungeon bursting with content
Writing: Copious instructions for travel, tables for encounters, stat blocks for denizens, and some unique loot
Art/design: Background adds color and character, but mostly devoted to text
Usability: Much enhanced by arrows connecting relevant sections of text
Stull
Concept: “Rumors have begun to spread of what lies in its cemetery: one of the seven gates to Nech itself—portal to a god.”
Content: A bitterly satirical scenario centered on a deal with the devil
Writing: Concise but descriptive and punctuated with sardonic wit
Art/design: Well organized with visually differentiated sections and expressive illustrations
Usability: Gives GMs latitude to work setting and situation into campaigns and adventures as they need or see fit
Content: A bitterly satirical scenario centered on a deal with the devil
Writing: Concise but descriptive and punctuated with sardonic wit
Art/design: Well organized with visually differentiated sections and expressive illustrations
Usability: Gives GMs latitude to work setting and situation into campaigns and adventures as they need or see fit
Suffer the Children
Concept: “Something evil lurks in the corn... are the children the cause of the strange occurrances?, why are the adults hidding from them? and what is that smell?”
Content: A rural adventure with some traditional horror tropes
Writing: Leans on the writing to deliver the atmosphere as well as the content
Art/design: Monochrome, single-column layout with some inset illustrations
Usability: Information mainly presented in extended paragraphs ; may present some issues when trying to reference or review quickly during play
Content: A rural adventure with some traditional horror tropes
Writing: Leans on the writing to deliver the atmosphere as well as the content
Art/design: Monochrome, single-column layout with some inset illustrations
Usability: Information mainly presented in extended paragraphs ; may present some issues when trying to reference or review quickly during play
Survival
Concept: “Entries to the maze can be found in several houses of the village and of course in the cemetery.”
Content: A village hideaway, and its buried occupants.
Writing: Implies as much as it says about the sad history of this place.
Art/design: A tunnel entrance buried under the boxed text.
Usability: Stats for villagers when needed.
Content: A village hideaway, and its buried occupants.
Writing: Implies as much as it says about the sad history of this place.
Art/design: A tunnel entrance buried under the boxed text.
Usability: Stats for villagers when needed.
Svið in a Ditch
Concept: “Deep within the cloughs of Bergen Chrypt there lies an inverted tower beneath the skull of a basilisk, known only as THEY, and in this inverted tower, at its deepest recess, is the Ljusgvare: a scroll that is said to be able to end the greatest of calamities.”
Content: A high-concept hexcrawl across the Dying Land and through Bergen Chrypt; populated by a wide and colorful cast of characters
Writing: Provides detailed descriptions of locations, insights into NPCs, and creates a sense of interconnection between encounters
Art/design: Text heavy, but necessarily so; color and visual choices keep the pages interesting and lively
Usability: Contains links to other useful supplements; also available in simple and plaintext formats for easier readability
Content: A high-concept hexcrawl across the Dying Land and through Bergen Chrypt; populated by a wide and colorful cast of characters
Writing: Provides detailed descriptions of locations, insights into NPCs, and creates a sense of interconnection between encounters
Art/design: Text heavy, but necessarily so; color and visual choices keep the pages interesting and lively
Usability: Contains links to other useful supplements; also available in simple and plaintext formats for easier readability
SVMP
7 contributors
Concept: “These wetlands of acidic sludge and SVMPs of sickening secretion will, no doubt, fester upon your mortal coil - even your soul will not go untainted.”
Content: A wetlands setting complete with monsters, gods, scvm, and treasure.
Writing: As dark and rotten as DEADSKIN. With black humor creeping into its horror.
Art/design: A variety of filthy illustrations, in both style and substance. Bold headings contrast generally restrained body text. Adds neon green to the palette.
Usability: Table of contents, categorized index, and navigable spreads. With an emphasis on clarity in the scenario and classes section.
Content: A wetlands setting complete with monsters, gods, scvm, and treasure.
Writing: As dark and rotten as DEADSKIN. With black humor creeping into its horror.
Art/design: A variety of filthy illustrations, in both style and substance. Bold headings contrast generally restrained body text. Adds neon green to the palette.
Usability: Table of contents, categorized index, and navigable spreads. With an emphasis on clarity in the scenario and classes section.
Sword of Hailstone
Concept: “A TTRPG adaptation of the Sword of Hailstone cRPG app and accommodates the dungeon synth Sword of Hailstone saga”
Content: A hexcrawl through Kergüs in pursuit of the eponymous sword
Writing: A mix of mechanics and description with setting-appropriate imagery
Art/design: Text is economically laid out to accommodate the intended physical format; includes some nice pixel art from the app version
Usability: Will require some scrolling (or page flipping if you print it); includes player maps
Content: A hexcrawl through Kergüs in pursuit of the eponymous sword
Writing: A mix of mechanics and description with setting-appropriate imagery
Art/design: Text is economically laid out to accommodate the intended physical format; includes some nice pixel art from the app version
Usability: Will require some scrolling (or page flipping if you print it); includes player maps
Swordpoint
Concept: “A micro-hexcrawl”
Content: A pair of 10-point tables and a 24-tile hex map with 4 locations
Writing: Establishes a setting and pretext for delivering the 20 quest seeds
Art/design: Fairly intuitively laid out with a suitable map and some neat cover art
Usability: GMs will need to devise and populate whichever adventures the players pursue; note that numbers on the map don’t correspond to table results
Content: A pair of 10-point tables and a 24-tile hex map with 4 locations
Writing: Establishes a setting and pretext for delivering the 20 quest seeds
Art/design: Fairly intuitively laid out with a suitable map and some neat cover art
Usability: GMs will need to devise and populate whichever adventures the players pursue; note that numbers on the map don’t correspond to table results
Séquelle
Concept: “You were hired by a village to hunt a witch who kidnapped over a dozen children. […] They are all singing and holding hands, dancing in a circle in front of a cave.”
Content: A dark, plague-infested adventure with Pied Piper overtones
Writing: Text-heavy but accessible thanks to the conversational tone; includes graphic images of suffering
Art/design: Text overlaying a figurative and literal background image
Usability: Challenges players with moral conundrums and dilemmas of trust and justice
Content: A dark, plague-infested adventure with Pied Piper overtones
Writing: Text-heavy but accessible thanks to the conversational tone; includes graphic images of suffering
Art/design: Text overlaying a figurative and literal background image
Usability: Challenges players with moral conundrums and dilemmas of trust and justice
Südglans
Concept: “The southern empire of Südglans sank into the sea, but that was not the final chapter for its capital.”
Content: An aquatic point crawl across a disturbingly inhabited sunken city.
Writing: Stylistic, clear, and evocative. Provides a strong framework for running each location.
Art/design: Distressed black and white. Strong and consistent hierarchy. Two column structure.
Usability: Easily Printable. Consistent cues for sensory descriptions, mechanics and stats.
Content: An aquatic point crawl across a disturbingly inhabited sunken city.
Writing: Stylistic, clear, and evocative. Provides a strong framework for running each location.
Art/design: Distressed black and white. Strong and consistent hierarchy. Two column structure.
Usability: Easily Printable. Consistent cues for sensory descriptions, mechanics and stats.
Tajemnice Eterycznej Twierdzy
Concept: “Widoczne w oddali ruiny twierdzy zakrzywiają otaczającą rzeczywistość. Światło wydaje się być wciągane wgłąb czarnych murów. Dlaczego tu przyszliście? To teraz bez znaczenia. Ważniejsze jest czy i jak stąd wyjdziecie.”
Content: A time-frozen, flesh-warping, light-sucking fortress crawl.
Writing: An entertaining mix of motivated factions in a situation that’s ready to spiral out of control. In short, a good night of Mörk Borg.
Art/design: Dark and menacing AI-generated figures haunt a simple map in a tri-fold layout.
Usability: Organized into clear sections, legible, Polish.
Content: A time-frozen, flesh-warping, light-sucking fortress crawl.
Writing: An entertaining mix of motivated factions in a situation that’s ready to spiral out of control. In short, a good night of Mörk Borg.
Art/design: Dark and menacing AI-generated figures haunt a simple map in a tri-fold layout.
Usability: Organized into clear sections, legible, Polish.
Tajemnice Gnuśnego Biskupa
A Polish-language dungeon centered on a covetous bishop and the beautiful daughter of a wealthy count. I like the graphic design, but I don’t read Polish and can’t offer any further comment.
Take then thy bond
Concept: “The voice inside your head commands you: Travel to the wastelands and find the wretched peak. Scour its halls. Bring me its heart, the rest of the treasure is yours.”
Content: A putrid pyramid crawl full of heart—and other organs.
Writing: Encounters are lively and responsive, often in unexpected ways. Pregnant with activity.
Art/design: Bold cover art of the titular encounter. Table of contents and mini-map layout aid in navigating this moderately sized adventure.
Usability: Encounter descriptions diminish accidental revelations. Surprises reach player and GM simultaneously.
Content: A putrid pyramid crawl full of heart—and other organs.
Writing: Encounters are lively and responsive, often in unexpected ways. Pregnant with activity.
Art/design: Bold cover art of the titular encounter. Table of contents and mini-map layout aid in navigating this moderately sized adventure.
Usability: Encounter descriptions diminish accidental revelations. Surprises reach player and GM simultaneously.
Tales and Poetry of Sarkash
Concept: “The forests of Sarkash are nourished by the dead and feed upon the weak. The inhabitants of this land used 'folksy' tales and poems for centuries to teach each other how to survive this brutal land.”
Content: Rules to get lost by, monsters to be caught by, and places to be haunted by. With diseases, flora, fauna, artifacts, tables, fables, and poety to distract you from the darkness.
Writing: Folktales, poetry, and marginalia shed light on the dark canopy of Sarkash.
Art/design: Muted warm palette to hide from the illustrated terrors it contains inside.
Usability: A organized and legible guidebook for any who wander Sarkash.
Content: Rules to get lost by, monsters to be caught by, and places to be haunted by. With diseases, flora, fauna, artifacts, tables, fables, and poety to distract you from the darkness.
Writing: Folktales, poetry, and marginalia shed light on the dark canopy of Sarkash.
Art/design: Muted warm palette to hide from the illustrated terrors it contains inside.
Usability: A organized and legible guidebook for any who wander Sarkash.
Tame Your Demons
Concept: “‘Come! Come! Sit with me. Let us bask in the glorious light of the Prescient Flame. Gaze into its depths. The Flame sees all. What do you see?’
—Seskel the Flamekeeper”
Content: A tallow-melting, candle-burning, demon-facing altar crawl.
Writing: An atmospheric and sensory experience suitable to horror and suspense.
Art/design: A single-column adventure with simple spot illustrations and a clear top-down dungeon map.
Usability: Organized and system neutral, with stats for Mörk Borg and 5e D&D.
Content: A tallow-melting, candle-burning, demon-facing altar crawl.
Writing: An atmospheric and sensory experience suitable to horror and suspense.
Art/design: A single-column adventure with simple spot illustrations and a clear top-down dungeon map.
Usability: Organized and system neutral, with stats for Mörk Borg and 5e D&D.
Tatterhood
Concept: “None of you know anything about fighting daimons, wyches, or restoring heads to princesses, but the whole world’s dying anyway and a job’s a job.”
Content: A strange, surreal fetch-quest with lots of bizarro elements and flavor
Writing: Well-written, laden with subtle humor and overt viscerality
Art/design: A more traditional OSR presentation, both textually and graphically
Usability: Includes a separate map and bestiary for quick reference
Content: A strange, surreal fetch-quest with lots of bizarro elements and flavor
Writing: Well-written, laden with subtle humor and overt viscerality
Art/design: A more traditional OSR presentation, both textually and graphically
Usability: Includes a separate map and bestiary for quick reference
Teind of Álfheim
Concept: “An experimental sonnet, adventure, and bestiary”
Content: A relatively brief but compelling, supernatural dungeon
Writing: Poetic text reinforces the dark, haunted theme and provides DM with inspiration as well as interpretive flexibility
Art/design: Some extremely rich colors with A LOT of creepy baby doll faces, even by Mörk Borg standards
Usability: Paginated by room for easy operation
Content: A relatively brief but compelling, supernatural dungeon
Writing: Poetic text reinforces the dark, haunted theme and provides DM with inspiration as well as interpretive flexibility
Art/design: Some extremely rich colors with A LOT of creepy baby doll faces, even by Mörk Borg standards
Usability: Paginated by room for easy operation
Temple of the Kraken God
Concept: “‘Steer a ship into the unknown, carry our hopes to alien shores, and restore our destiny.’”
Content: An adventure filled with maritime weirdness and cosmic horror; includes a corruption rule
Writing: Sharp and esoteric in descriptive text but clear and efficient when addressing mechanics
Art/design: A variety of layouts and visual styles ranging from brooding to vibrant
Usability: Isolated island setting makes this a good option for anyone seeking a survival-horror adventure
Content: An adventure filled with maritime weirdness and cosmic horror; includes a corruption rule
Writing: Sharp and esoteric in descriptive text but clear and efficient when addressing mechanics
Art/design: A variety of layouts and visual styles ranging from brooding to vibrant
Usability: Isolated island setting makes this a good option for anyone seeking a survival-horror adventure
Temple of Trechery
Concept: “An LSD trip of an adventure for Mörk Borg”
Content: As above (so below).
Writing: A deeply rooted plot that’s sure to decay into a psychedelic trip, whether idylic or hellish is up to your scvm.
Art/design: A collection of print illustrations, and a few tastefully generated portraits which produce that strange hallucinatory feeling.
Usability: Well-organized and flexible. Available in German, with English translation in the works.
Content: As above (so below).
Writing: A deeply rooted plot that’s sure to decay into a psychedelic trip, whether idylic or hellish is up to your scvm.
Art/design: A collection of print illustrations, and a few tastefully generated portraits which produce that strange hallucinatory feeling.
Usability: Well-organized and flexible. Available in German, with English translation in the works.
The Aching Wood
Concept: "Winne-the-Pooh meets MÖRK BORG! "
Content: A hex crawl made in the public domain.
Writing: More melancholic than morbid. A slowly fading innocence that questions whether it existed at all.
Art/design: Delicate corruption of the children’s book style reinforces a sense of flagging innocence.
Usability: You won’t get lost in these woods.
Content: A hex crawl made in the public domain.
Writing: More melancholic than morbid. A slowly fading innocence that questions whether it existed at all.
Art/design: Delicate corruption of the children’s book style reinforces a sense of flagging innocence.
Usability: You won’t get lost in these woods.
The Ball
Concept: “In the crumbling, dilapidated manor house of a dead Schleswig noble, a horrific, expanding life-form has taken up residence.”
Content: Four rooms and tables of major and minor treasures
Writing: Concise but descriptive with occult imagery
Art/design: Graphics are more atmospheric than illustrative images
Usability: Discrete text blocks laid out for easy use
Content: Four rooms and tables of major and minor treasures
Writing: Concise but descriptive with occult imagery
Art/design: Graphics are more atmospheric than illustrative images
Usability: Discrete text blocks laid out for easy use
The Ballad of Sarta Rapida
Concept: “The world is dying. But then there came a voice.”
Content: Mobs of rabid fans, cutthroat sycophants, ex-lovers, and the voice of an angel, of sorts.
Writing: Yes, it’s about Taylor Swift.
Art/design: Outlined mobs, grainy photographs, alterations. Black, yellow, pink. Blackletter
Usability: Want fluff, hope you’re proficient in blackletter, work for it.
Content: Mobs of rabid fans, cutthroat sycophants, ex-lovers, and the voice of an angel, of sorts.
Writing: Yes, it’s about Taylor Swift.
Art/design: Outlined mobs, grainy photographs, alterations. Black, yellow, pink. Blackletter
Usability: Want fluff, hope you’re proficient in blackletter, work for it.
The Bastard of the Badlands
Concept: “Whoever claims the Bastard will have the power to rule over the land. Or to destroy it.”
Content: A frozen-wasteland-themed dungeon; also includes the badlands ranger character class
Writing: Nice descriptions but not as grimly humorous as Mörk Borg’s standard
Art/design: Also a departure from the standard, but does evoke a sense of place
Usability: Occasionally substitutes D20 terms like “check” and “AC”
Content: A frozen-wasteland-themed dungeon; also includes the badlands ranger character class
Writing: Nice descriptions but not as grimly humorous as Mörk Borg’s standard
Art/design: Also a departure from the standard, but does evoke a sense of place
Usability: Occasionally substitutes D20 terms like “check” and “AC”
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