Adventures
The Beastlord Will Feast on Your Flesh
Concept: “The wild beastlord WENDIGO, the living heart of the woods, holds a potent, unshakeable hatred of you.”
Content: Incorporates tons of community creations into a predator-prey scenario
Writing: Tables for conflicts, resolutions, and locations; lots of amusing one-liners
Art/design: Solid choices of illustrations and graphics
Usability: Ergonomic in digital and print forms
The Beggar’s Shrine
Concept: “Local children are being abducted, and dragged to a long abandoned dungeon … carved into a gigantic, mysterious crystal skull.”
Content: A twisted (and twisting) dungeon full of blood, corpses
Writing: Vivid and visceral—sure to please GMs and players
Art/design: Nice map and conservative but still aesthetically pleasing design; text is visually dense but not excessively so
Usability: Stat blocks aren’t specifically labeled, which may slow reference during play
The Black City
Concept: “the Blood-Countess Anthelia, will reward with eternal youth whomsoever delivers into her hands the six lost magical artefacts of the Creton order.”
Content: A dynamically generated city of Alliáns, plenty of ice-cold ways to die, and a collection of artifacts to collect to appease the Blood-Countess. Bring a torch — and a stake.
Writing: Frigidly thematic and appropriately bleak. No choice goes unpunished in Alliáns.
Art/design: Charcoal sketches convey a dark starving city, drained of its vibrancy and life.
Usability: A self-contained solo dungeon scrawl. Just add flint. Watch it burn.
Content: A dynamically generated city of Alliáns, plenty of ice-cold ways to die, and a collection of artifacts to collect to appease the Blood-Countess. Bring a torch — and a stake.
Writing: Frigidly thematic and appropriately bleak. No choice goes unpunished in Alliáns.
Art/design: Charcoal sketches convey a dark starving city, drained of its vibrancy and life.
Usability: A self-contained solo dungeon scrawl. Just add flint. Watch it burn.
The Black Stallion Manor Massacre
“Once renowned stables where boys and girls from all over the country came to be trained in the delicate art of horse mastery. But those days are gone, and a shadow lurks in the vast tree-filled park.”
The Bone Fields of Northwyr
Concept: “A cursed and frostbitten sandbox”
Content: 5 distinct locations with unique characters and tables for random encounters and cursed artifacts
Writing: Very dark and somber; provides copious background for the setting and concise but effective characterization for its inhabitants
Art/design: Predominant use of powder blue creates an appropriate cold tone punctuated with warmer pink and yellow to aid navigation and provide contrasting character
Usability: Text heavy, but written to be memorable and designed for quick and easy reference during play
The Book of Vile Dungeons
“A collection of one-page, one-shot dungeons”
The Boreal Refuge
“This underground inn is usually a sight for sore eyes, a sanctuary for the frostbitten traveller. But something is clearly amiss...”
The Bridges of Múr and the Endless Sea
Concept: “The Pillar of Múr was found and destroyed. … Creatures called Devourers now make the ground tremble as they crawl from the depths. Scouring the land, they ravenously consume what lay in their path.”
Content: An expansive hexcrawl that includes a bestiary, specialized gear, and optional rules for mounts, chases, climbing, and fighting colossal creatures
Writing: Incorporates general information about the scenario as well as descriptions of and mechanics for elements like monsters and locations
Art/design: Incorporates original and found art into exuberant designs and diverse layouts
Usability: Requires more GM prep and intervention to assemble a narrative arc, but supplies all necessary components
Content: An expansive hexcrawl that includes a bestiary, specialized gear, and optional rules for mounts, chases, climbing, and fighting colossal creatures
Writing: Incorporates general information about the scenario as well as descriptions of and mechanics for elements like monsters and locations
Art/design: Incorporates original and found art into exuberant designs and diverse layouts
Usability: Requires more GM prep and intervention to assemble a narrative arc, but supplies all necessary components
The Broken Sword of Vile Souls
Concept: “When Lorenz Hattendorf was murdered, one member of his party managed to escape. […] she knows where the man’s magic sword fell when he was torn limb from limb.”
Content: A seemingly unassuming tower crawl with a murderous climax (and some loot along the way)
Writing: Mostly devoted to background and description but includes stats for enemies and the titular sword (which is pretty brutal even while broken)
Art/design: Graphics add character and ambience, and the maps provide easy navigation for the GM
Usability: It’s a tower. There’s nowhere to go but up.
Content: A seemingly unassuming tower crawl with a murderous climax (and some loot along the way)
Writing: Mostly devoted to background and description but includes stats for enemies and the titular sword (which is pretty brutal even while broken)
Art/design: Graphics add character and ambience, and the maps provide easy navigation for the GM
Usability: It’s a tower. There’s nowhere to go but up.
The Burning Gash
Concept: “Imprisoned for a crime you most certainly committed, you need to escape. However, in your first hours in the Gash, you meet someone and need to either take them with you or take them out.”
Content: Cannibal prison massacre
Writing: Aside from the introductory paragraphs, short descriptions of locations and creatures, tables for times, and adventure hooks
Art/design: Mostly sticks to an uneven, fractured-looking two-column format with some illustrations and additional trade dress
Usability: Nonlinear and presumes creative problem solving
Content: Cannibal prison massacre
Writing: Aside from the introductory paragraphs, short descriptions of locations and creatures, tables for times, and adventure hooks
Art/design: Mostly sticks to an uneven, fractured-looking two-column format with some illustrations and additional trade dress
Usability: Nonlinear and presumes creative problem solving
The Burning of Galgenbeck Cathedral
Concept: “Onlookers still gather, unsure whether to fight against the blaze and save the temple, or to fan the flames and sate their avarice with molten gold.”
Content: A cathedral-saving sewer crawl (presumably); packed with characters, hazards, and options for dealing with them
Writing: Sets the atmosphere and then devotes itself to delivering mechanical information
Art/design: Artwork and color choices work very well together
Usability: Cathedral map’s numerical markers can be tough to spot amidst the art
Content: A cathedral-saving sewer crawl (presumably); packed with characters, hazards, and options for dealing with them
Writing: Sets the atmosphere and then devotes itself to delivering mechanical information
Art/design: Artwork and color choices work very well together
Usability: Cathedral map’s numerical markers can be tough to spot amidst the art
The Chapel of Suffering
Concept: “Sentenced to death, you will be spared if you bring a mysterious puzzle-box to the judge.”
Content: A DNGNGEN-derived crawl reminiscent of the early one-page MB dungeons
Writing: Concise and targeted at individual rooms and events rather than overall narrative
Art/design: Text is oriented around the map, the detailed contents of which are set off against the page’s negative space
Usability: Will almost certainly require some player ingenuity and creativity
Content: A DNGNGEN-derived crawl reminiscent of the early one-page MB dungeons
Writing: Concise and targeted at individual rooms and events rather than overall narrative
Art/design: Text is oriented around the map, the detailed contents of which are set off against the page’s negative space
Usability: Will almost certainly require some player ingenuity and creativity
Chapel of Suffering was created as an exclusive, one-of-a-kind reward for the Ex Libris RPG crowdfunding campaign. The backer has generously made it available free to the community.
The Charnal Map
Concept: “A simple map to make running The Charnal Ditch of Haat the Unwilling, from ‘30 Days of Mörk Borg’ that much more fun.”
Content: Map and key
Writing: Restricted to the title and key
Art/design: Expresses a lot with only a few colors, forms, and patterns
Usability: Look at map. Use map.
Content: Map and key
Writing: Restricted to the title and key
Art/design: Expresses a lot with only a few colors, forms, and patterns
Usability: Look at map. Use map.
The Church of Katharszisz
Concept: “The Church of Katharzsisz demand your assistance in returning the head of the Saint-Mother Magdus.”
Content: A coerced crawl through a corpse-haunted cathedral
Writing: Includes an elaborate introduction with plenty of atmospheric details throughout
Art/design: Graphic design consisting predominantly of earth tones with other muted hues reinforces the sensation of exploring a dim, murky cathedral
Usability: Well organized by page (intro, descriptions, map, monsters) for easy reference
Currently unavailable
Content: A coerced crawl through a corpse-haunted cathedral
Writing: Includes an elaborate introduction with plenty of atmospheric details throughout
Art/design: Graphic design consisting predominantly of earth tones with other muted hues reinforces the sensation of exploring a dim, murky cathedral
Usability: Well organized by page (intro, descriptions, map, monsters) for easy reference
Currently unavailable
The Church of the Forbidden Gate
Concept: “As long as THE GATE remains active, all death is meaningless to the faithful.”
Content: Fairly straightforward dungeon with heretical overtones
Writing: An accessible mix of exposition and stat blocks
Art/design: Reserved use of color provides emphasis, aids navigation
Usability: Supported by explicit visual connection of text and locations
Content: Fairly straightforward dungeon with heretical overtones
Writing: An accessible mix of exposition and stat blocks
Art/design: Reserved use of color provides emphasis, aids navigation
Usability: Supported by explicit visual connection of text and locations
The City Shall be Made Hollow
Concept: “The city is never the same place twice.”
Content: Creatures, encounters, items, and events with bizarre twists
Writing: Sets the tone and establishes the setting’s dynamics well
Art/design: Lots of effective collage work and atmospheric colors
Usability: Intended as a supplement for The Dead City of Pyre-Chrypt
Content: Creatures, encounters, items, and events with bizarre twists
Writing: Sets the tone and establishes the setting’s dynamics well
Art/design: Lots of effective collage work and atmospheric colors
Usability: Intended as a supplement for The Dead City of Pyre-Chrypt
The Cleaving in Buskstätt
Concept: “A darkly shimmering GROWTH has overtaken the town.”
Content: A pointcrawl amidst malicious overgrowth
Writing: Concise; mostly devoted to stats & mechanics
Art/design: Map and art are prominent without encroaching on the text
Usability: Small text emphasizes the visual elements but may be difficult to read
Content: A pointcrawl amidst malicious overgrowth
Writing: Concise; mostly devoted to stats & mechanics
Art/design: Map and art are prominent without encroaching on the text
Usability: Small text emphasizes the visual elements but may be difficult to read
The Cockatrice Breeding Room
Concept: “A dungeon room full of deadly chicken”
Content: A small adventure site with 7 unique cockatrices
Writing: Quick, clear descriptions punctuated by wry humor
Art/design: A bounty of cockatrices. Seriously, they’re everywhere
Usability: Intended as a single room in the Miserable Dungeon, but can be used as a stand-alone locale
Content: A small adventure site with 7 unique cockatrices
Writing: Quick, clear descriptions punctuated by wry humor
Art/design: A bounty of cockatrices. Seriously, they’re everywhere
Usability: Intended as a single room in the Miserable Dungeon, but can be used as a stand-alone locale
The Cook at the Crossroads
Concept: “The Inn at the Crossroads … Nothing bad ever happened here. Or did it?”
Content: An insidious secret at an unassuming inn
Writing: Predominantly devoted to setting the scene for roleplaying
Art/design: Text-focused and more traditional than many other third-party publications
Usability: Linear; some redundancy eliminates page flipping
The Corpse Library
Concept: "...a library where it is rumored an entity older than story dwells, salvation writ on its skin."
Content: A library only the dying world could love.
Writing: A heady catalogue of the mundane, academic, grotesque horrific, and surreal.
Art/design: A calming midtone and clinical layout lends a stoic air to the dreadful proceedings, with one exception which can be found deep in the basement.
Usability: Well organized, easy to follow, quite likely to end in disaster.
Content: A library only the dying world could love.
Writing: A heady catalogue of the mundane, academic, grotesque horrific, and surreal.
Art/design: A calming midtone and clinical layout lends a stoic air to the dreadful proceedings, with one exception which can be found deep in the basement.
Usability: Well organized, easy to follow, quite likely to end in disaster.
The Creature From Blackwater Lake
Concept: “The ritual called forth a violent, monstrous hunter... The monster stalks the caverns, leaving only to drag more victims below the water, to sate its ravenous appetite for drowned flesh.”
Content: A lakeside village creature feature.
Writing: History and plot that easily be engaged or bypassed based on player interests and needs.
Art/design: Cover illustration and dungeon map lend imagination to a clean plain text document format.
Usability: Easy to search or reference pdf text.
Content: A lakeside village creature feature.
Writing: History and plot that easily be engaged or bypassed based on player interests and needs.
Art/design: Cover illustration and dungeon map lend imagination to a clean plain text document format.
Usability: Easy to search or reference pdf text.
The Cross Stitch
Concept: “Sönderfall was never much to look at, but as one of the only outposts on the trek between Tveland and the Western Kingdom, travelers came to rely on it for a brief respite from the road. Until a week ago, when rumor reached Schleswig that Sönderfall had vanished overnight.”
Content: A thirty-minute wrinkle in time. One full night of adventure.
Writing: A deftly woven tale that doesn’t feel stiff or leave many loose threads.
Art/design: Carefully woven threads track the timeline, combined with careful linework and strongly delineated sections, to support a securely tailored theme.
Usability: One of the easiest to reference timeline-based adventures I’ve read.
Content: A thirty-minute wrinkle in time. One full night of adventure.
Writing: A deftly woven tale that doesn’t feel stiff or leave many loose threads.
Art/design: Carefully woven threads track the timeline, combined with careful linework and strongly delineated sections, to support a securely tailored theme.
Usability: One of the easiest to reference timeline-based adventures I’ve read.
The Crypt of the Heretical Botanist Margar Veit
Concept: “Denounced by the Church for HERESY, MARGAR was hunted by the inquisition, but never found. Until, perhaps, now.”
Content: This pamphlet dungeon leads deep to the loamy soil of an unholy botanist's crypt.
Writing: The lore planted in each encounter sheds light on the extent of Veit’s heretical horticultural experiments.
Content: This pamphlet dungeon leads deep to the loamy soil of an unholy botanist's crypt.
Writing: The lore planted in each encounter sheds light on the extent of Veit’s heretical horticultural experiments.
Art/design: Easy to reference in all three versions. Clear isometric map with a morbid botanical flourish.
Usability: Pamphlets available in print-friendly and full color versions. With a digital version for phone/tablet reference. Suitable as a cold open, requires a forest to begin the adventure as written.
Usability: Pamphlets available in print-friendly and full color versions. With a digital version for phone/tablet reference. Suitable as a cold open, requires a forest to begin the adventure as written.
The Cult of the Black Salt
Concept: “Ever wanted to use that black salt table from Feretory?”
Content: A salty, corpse-strung scaffold crawl.
Writing: An event-based framework to explore a surprisingly constructive death cult.
Art/design: A defiantly tortured figure is scaffolded to the top of this simple text spread.
Usability: Requires Feretory. Print Friendly
Content: A salty, corpse-strung scaffold crawl.
Writing: An event-based framework to explore a surprisingly constructive death cult.
Art/design: A defiantly tortured figure is scaffolded to the top of this simple text spread.
Usability: Requires Feretory. Print Friendly
The Dagger of the Green Church
“Delve into the depths of temple, rob it of everything and wield the power of the Dagger of the Green Church.”
The Dead City of Pyre-Chrypt
Concept: “The source of the plague, and great power, is still present, somewhere in the heart of the city, locked in a giant iron ziggurat.”
Content: A sprawling, horror-haunted necropolis
Writing: There’s a lot, but it provides appropriate imagery and atmosphere
Art/design: Largely non-representational but does include some illustrations, particularly in the bestiary
Usability: Some instructions and mechanics are incorporated into descriptive text
Content: A sprawling, horror-haunted necropolis
Writing: There’s a lot, but it provides appropriate imagery and atmosphere
Art/design: Largely non-representational but does include some illustrations, particularly in the bestiary
Usability: Some instructions and mechanics are incorporated into descriptive text
The Dead Samaritan
“There's horror lurking beneath an abandoned church. Walk away and stay alive or interfere and prepare to run for your life!”
The Death Race
Concept: “Crazy rules and setting for two parties challenging each other to a deadly race.”
Content: Includes scenario seeds, gear, adversaries, and additional rules
Writing: A mix of flavor and mechanics; stylized as a retro videogame
Art/design: Features a variety of expressive typefaces, textures with original illustrations
Usability: Includes a brochure version and printable play resources
Content: Includes scenario seeds, gear, adversaries, and additional rules
Writing: A mix of flavor and mechanics; stylized as a retro videogame
Art/design: Features a variety of expressive typefaces, textures with original illustrations
Usability: Includes a brochure version and printable play resources
The Death Ziggurat
Concept: “A cosmic necrocrawl at the end of time”
Content: Pre-apocalyptic hexcrawl with random elements
Writing: Fairly elaborate with plenty of horrible imagery
Art/design: Captures the mood, setting, and characters well
Usability: Fun and lethal; separate player and GM maps are quite helpful
Content: Pre-apocalyptic hexcrawl with random elements
Writing: Fairly elaborate with plenty of horrible imagery
Art/design: Captures the mood, setting, and characters well
Usability: Fun and lethal; separate player and GM maps are quite helpful
Bonus: Generate some dialogue seeds for your rot priests at https://perchance.org/rot-priest-thoughts
The Demesne of Conflagration
Concept: “The Endless Sea burns. Within it, a flaming fortress of stench and grotesque hordes. Venture within before all blackens and burns. Free the Lich Queen Aoiva from unrepentant misery.”
Content: A fire-themed mansion crawl
Writing: Extremely concise but with enough bizarre detail to fuel the imagination
Art/design: Good use of color to guide focus and to add character in key places
Usability: Pamphlet is nicely laid out for quick, easy use in-game
Content: A fire-themed mansion crawl
Writing: Extremely concise but with enough bizarre detail to fuel the imagination
Art/design: Good use of color to guide focus and to add character in key places
Usability: Pamphlet is nicely laid out for quick, easy use in-game
The Demon's Arse
Concept: “This is the legendary Demon’s Arse, rumored to be the home of unearthly creatures both demonic and dead. Who dares enter?”
Content: A smoky temple of torture and transformation.
Writing: Purposeful description lends a sense of vibrancy and life to the deranged proceedings of a heretical cult.
Art/design: Gorgeous map of the Demon’s Arse with a clean and clear sidebar column layout. Enhanced with background illustration and judicious use of color.
Usability: A few too many rooms to keep track of in a booklet. Print the map separately.
Content: A smoky temple of torture and transformation.
Writing: Purposeful description lends a sense of vibrancy and life to the deranged proceedings of a heretical cult.
Art/design: Gorgeous map of the Demon’s Arse with a clean and clear sidebar column layout. Enhanced with background illustration and judicious use of color.
Usability: A few too many rooms to keep track of in a booklet. Print the map separately.
The Devil’s Crossroad
Concept: “A random encounter generator based on the lore of meeting the Devil at the crossroads. He’ll take your soul and force you into playing his little death games.”
Content: Complete one of six death matches or be dragged down to Hell; includes some clever conditional mechanics and rewards for completion
Writing: A balance of context and mechanics with strong imagery in the descriptive text
Art/design: Designs and layouts reinforce the themes and concepts from the text with plenty of grimness and grimness
Usability: Unforgiving to unlucky PCs (not that that’s anything new in this game)
Content: Complete one of six death matches or be dragged down to Hell; includes some clever conditional mechanics and rewards for completion
Writing: A balance of context and mechanics with strong imagery in the descriptive text
Art/design: Designs and layouts reinforce the themes and concepts from the text with plenty of grimness and grimness
Usability: Unforgiving to unlucky PCs (not that that’s anything new in this game)
The Devil’s Tramping Ground
Concept: “Based on a real-life location in Chatham County, North Carolina”
Content: A cursed location and potential infernal encounter
Writing: Straightforward delivery of lore and mechanics
Art/design: A frenetic layout (but in a good way) with good use of color and form to differentiate text blocks and add emphasis
Usability: Handy as a random encounter or the object of a quest
Content: A cursed location and potential infernal encounter
Writing: Straightforward delivery of lore and mechanics
Art/design: A frenetic layout (but in a good way) with good use of color and form to differentiate text blocks and add emphasis
Usability: Handy as a random encounter or the object of a quest
The Doomsday Archive
“Where lanternlight fails, you’ll find the Doomsday Archive.”
The Dragon Ships
Concept: “From the barren wastelands to the towers of Grift, all have come to quake at the sight of the Dragon Ships.”
Content: Melodramatic dragon ship marauders, a raid scenario generator, and a fury-filled class.
Writing: Presented with gonzo enthusiasm and punctuated brutality.
Art/design: Runes, round shields, and longships invade blocks of organized (and occasionally highlighted) plaintext.
Usability: Legible, organized, and accessible.
Content: Melodramatic dragon ship marauders, a raid scenario generator, and a fury-filled class.
Writing: Presented with gonzo enthusiasm and punctuated brutality.
Art/design: Runes, round shields, and longships invade blocks of organized (and occasionally highlighted) plaintext.
Usability: Legible, organized, and accessible.
The Dungescape #1
Concept: “Why not try to escape a dungeon instead of exploring it?”
Content: A heavily guarded, escalating torture-dungeon
Writing: Descriptive; doesn’t tie directly to Mörk Borg, but likewise easily transplantable according to need or taste
Art/design: A departure from Mörk Borg-style graphics, but fine quality; layout fits copious content into a small space
Usability: Admirable given the self-imposed constraints
The Dungescape Issue 2
Concept: “Rugged tunnels far beneath the dirt of the earth. What stirs in the dark with all-seeing eyes, beaks, and claws, scratching the stone?”
Content: An escape dungeon, full of feathered “friends”.
Writing: Social elements add a dynamic element to the dungeon.
Art/design: Top-down map and creature illustrations highlight a compact two-page dungeon reference.
Usability: Compact and organized for easy reference of the entire dungeon during play.
Content: An escape dungeon, full of feathered “friends”.
Writing: Social elements add a dynamic element to the dungeon.
Art/design: Top-down map and creature illustrations highlight a compact two-page dungeon reference.
Usability: Compact and organized for easy reference of the entire dungeon during play.
The Emperor of Teeth
Concept: “Your party is starving and cold. Maybe there's something to eat in that cottage up ahead. Maybe you ARE what's to eat in that cottage up ahead. Let yourself in and find out.”
Content: A weird, bleak encounter in cabin-turned-horror-show
Writing: Pulls no punches with the body horror and grotesque imagery; payoff is grimly humorous
Art/design: Available in pamphlet and Album crawl version, which is read counterclockwise
Usability: Page numbers help reading the pamphlet digitally; the Album Crawl version is challenging in either medium
Content: A weird, bleak encounter in cabin-turned-horror-show
Writing: Pulls no punches with the body horror and grotesque imagery; payoff is grimly humorous
Art/design: Available in pamphlet and Album crawl version, which is read counterclockwise
Usability: Page numbers help reading the pamphlet digitally; the Album Crawl version is challenging in either medium
The Enigmatic Oracle
Concept: “‘The Enigmatic Oracle lurks, shrouded in darkness. Its vile whispers beckon those desperate enough to seek its guidance, offering twisted quests in exchange for cursed power.’”
Content: A series of d6 tasks, in return, a damned relic.
Writing: A dangerously powerful artifact, framed by a dark oracle, and the cursed acts one must perform to obtain it.
Art/design: Crisp black illustrations with wispy pink highlights.
Usability: A striking and clear one-page encounter.
Content: A series of d6 tasks, in return, a damned relic.
Writing: A dangerously powerful artifact, framed by a dark oracle, and the cursed acts one must perform to obtain it.
Art/design: Crisp black illustrations with wispy pink highlights.
Usability: A striking and clear one-page encounter.
The Escort
Concept: “Esther will pay you with money, information or a rare cursed scroll. All you have to do is to escort her to the church. That’s it. Really.”
Content: An escort mission. Really.
Writing: “Like, really slow. Painfully slow. Pain. Fully. Slow.”
Art/design: I can tell from the art that Esther is a real charmer. The layout is too.
Usability: Use at your own risk. Players will get impatient. Antics will ensue.
Content: An escort mission. Really.
Writing: “Like, really slow. Painfully slow. Pain. Fully. Slow.”
Art/design: I can tell from the art that Esther is a real charmer. The layout is too.
Usability: Use at your own risk. Players will get impatient. Antics will ensue.
The Faceless Fiend
Concept: “Thur Fulgus enjoys living at a distance from the village. He has carried out heretic rituals in his basement for years...”
Content: A mind-exploding village invasion.
Writing: A horrifying concept with hilariously B-Movie execution.
Art/design: Clean and almost unsettlingly cheery two-column layout.
Usability: Invisible enough to sneak in just about anywhere.
Content: A mind-exploding village invasion.
Writing: A horrifying concept with hilariously B-Movie execution.
Art/design: Clean and almost unsettlingly cheery two-column layout.
Usability: Invisible enough to sneak in just about anywhere.
The Farm
Concept: “Since it’s Mörk Borg, you’ve probably already guessed that everything is just fine, and the livestock aren’t slaughtering people or anything like that.”
Content: Animal Farm on PCP
Writing: Well-delineated descriptions of individual locations pervaded by visceral charnel imagery and punctuated by sardonic wit and bleak humor
Art/design: Laid out for easy use with stats and maps proximal to descriptions; includes some gritty, evocative illustrations
Usability: Easy to run and guaranteed to get some cringes; not for the body-horror averse
The Festering Pit of Mokath
Concept: “Descend into the depths on a doomed quest, the only certain outcome is total ruin!”
Content: A continually randomized dungeon with rules for fire spreading and damage
Writing: Plenty of vile imagery and vindictiveness for the PCs
Art/design: Subdued colors create a somber tone; rooms are nicely presented on the page but detached, allowing the GM to arrange and rearrange them as called for
Usability: Requires some renumbering and extra rolling on the GM’s part, but worth it to make those scvm suffer
Content: A continually randomized dungeon with rules for fire spreading and damage
Writing: Plenty of vile imagery and vindictiveness for the PCs
Art/design: Subdued colors create a somber tone; rooms are nicely presented on the page but detached, allowing the GM to arrange and rearrange them as called for
Usability: Requires some renumbering and extra rolling on the GM’s part, but worth it to make those scvm suffer
The Fevre Pytt
Concept: “The stench. The flies. The touch of clammy flesh. You have been cast into the Fever Pytt to die.”
Content: A corpse pile crawl through a mispurposed cistern in The Western Kingdom.
Writing: A festering pytt of viscera and gore that bursts with sickening mechanics to back it up.
Art/design: Currently only available as plaintext.
Usability: Standardized room description layout aids in reference.
Content: A corpse pile crawl through a mispurposed cistern in The Western Kingdom.
Writing: A festering pytt of viscera and gore that bursts with sickening mechanics to back it up.
Art/design: Currently only available as plaintext.
Usability: Standardized room description layout aids in reference.
The Fiend’s Paw
Concept: “Schleswig’s Courtroom drama”
Content: A courtroom-dungeon generator
Writing: Delivers a backstory to motivate a crawl in search of fabled treasure
Art/design: Primarily textual with typographical emphasis and illustrations to establish ambience
Usability: Straightforward to use, and interesting change of scenery for an urban adventure
Content: A courtroom-dungeon generator
Writing: Delivers a backstory to motivate a crawl in search of fabled treasure
Art/design: Primarily textual with typographical emphasis and illustrations to establish ambience
Usability: Straightforward to use, and interesting change of scenery for an urban adventure
The Flesh Legion
“The hamlets are exhausted of silver, steel, and most curiously, people. No valuables or personal effects were taken. Just all the people, their money, and their weapons.”
The Fleshworks
Concept: “Nechrubel has […] resurrect[ed] you here as animated skeletons. […] Your only desire is to escape and get some new fleshy digs.”
Content: An imaginative character-creation dungeon
Writing: Visceral descriptions punctuated by blunt wit
Art/design: Color choices differentiate text blocks and maintain readability the graphic ground
Usability: The layout’s logic may not be apparent at first; look to the pentacle, and all will be revealed
The Forsaken God
Concept: “Destroy the abhorrent cult of the dreaming serpent and plunder the treasures left by the lifeless corpses of its followers.”
Content: A crawl through the castle and its surroundings, including a table to randomize the fortress’s layout
Writing: Ample descriptions of NPCs, locations, and other details
Art/design: Includes a full-page map and a Mörk-Borgy palette
Usability: Mechanics are incorporated into the descriptive text, which may slow some readers and GMs down
Content: A crawl through the castle and its surroundings, including a table to randomize the fortress’s layout
Writing: Ample descriptions of NPCs, locations, and other details
Art/design: Includes a full-page map and a Mörk-Borgy palette
Usability: Mechanics are incorporated into the descriptive text, which may slow some readers and GMs down
The Fowl Fountain
Concept: “Can the players resist the allure of the Rubber Ducky?”
Content: A room featuring a hilariously frustrating item and an extra, optional curse
Writing: Describes the curses’ mechanics and the room in which they’re acquired
Art/design: Textures, blackletter, and other visual elements reinforce the concept’s comedic tension
Usability: Frustrating for the PCs, hilarious for the GM
Content: A room featuring a hilariously frustrating item and an extra, optional curse
Writing: Describes the curses’ mechanics and the room in which they’re acquired
Art/design: Textures, blackletter, and other visual elements reinforce the concept’s comedic tension
Usability: Frustrating for the PCs, hilarious for the GM
The Gardens at the Bewitching Hour
Concept: “The gardens were an extremely popular spot in Grift …. Now it is nothing but weeds and despair.”
Content: A crawl through a baroque pleasure garden
Writing: Primarily descriptive; adds clever nuances to monsters and NPCs
Art/design: A nice map and clearly delineated locations
Usability: C’est magnifique
The Glass Herbarium
Concept: “The Herbarium is beautiful and warm. It grows fruits and vegetables despite the snow. And just one taste of the bright red apples that grow inside its glass walls is enough to bewitch a man.”
Content: A location adventure featuring glass, destructible flooring, and plants that probably want to do dreadful things to you.
Writing: The Glass Herbarium’s concise efficient prose blooms into a brilliant, weird fantasy adventure.
Art/design: Consistently clean art and layout hint at a glass sanctuary protected from the scvm of the dying world.
Usability: Clean but not sterile. Strong stylistic hierarchy makes for easy navigation and reference during play.
Content: A location adventure featuring glass, destructible flooring, and plants that probably want to do dreadful things to you.
Writing: The Glass Herbarium’s concise efficient prose blooms into a brilliant, weird fantasy adventure.
Art/design: Consistently clean art and layout hint at a glass sanctuary protected from the scvm of the dying world.
Usability: Clean but not sterile. Strong stylistic hierarchy makes for easy navigation and reference during play.
The God of Many Faces
Concept: “HE and SHE must die and a new god must replace them.”
Content: A strange hexcrawl through Galgenbeck’s heretical underbelly; also includes a set of 4 thematic Powers
Writing: Provides some compelling images and scenery in a small amount of space
Art/design: Strikes a strong balance between Mörk Borg aesthetic and the setting’s character
Usability: Efficient layout with helpful checkboxes for tracking the party’s progress
Content: A strange hexcrawl through Galgenbeck’s heretical underbelly; also includes a set of 4 thematic Powers
Writing: Provides some compelling images and scenery in a small amount of space
Art/design: Strikes a strong balance between Mörk Borg aesthetic and the setting’s character
Usability: Efficient layout with helpful checkboxes for tracking the party’s progress
The Grapes of Psych
Concept: “Ravel, the exuberant goat ogre necromancer… has been kidnapping local villagers. Track him to the vineyard which he has made into his depraved and psychedelic lair.”
Content: An ogre powered, wine fueled, zombie infested, psychedelic crossword puzzle dungeon.
Writing: Manages to build a disturbingly coherent theme from a crossword puzzle selection, all while making a Goat Ogre into something truly menacing.
Content: An ogre powered, wine fueled, zombie infested, psychedelic crossword puzzle dungeon.
Writing: Manages to build a disturbingly coherent theme from a crossword puzzle selection, all while making a Goat Ogre into something truly menacing.
Art/design: Map inspired by a crossword puzzle. Well-chosen Goat Ogre art.
Usability: Visit the vineyard, drink the wine, deathmatch a Goat Ogre.
Usability: Visit the vineyard, drink the wine, deathmatch a Goat Ogre.
The Great Axeby
Concept: “You receive a party invitation from the owner of the lavish lakeside mansion next to the guesthouse where you’ve been staying.”
Content: Yes. It’s a Gatsby-inspired mansion crawl.
Writing: Overflowing with character and wit
Art/design: A very clean and appropriate design in the manner of Rotblack Sludge
Usability: Extremely well laid out and efficient
The Guild of Xargosi
Concept: “Their motto is ‘Corpora Infinita’ for the sheer number of fools ready to die under their banner."
Content: A parody of a guild that fights bears, whiffs hard, picks up the pieces, and dumps them in the endless sea.
Writing: Exaggerated Galgen-“talian” flair, with puns and body humor aplenty.
Art/design: A colorful, variegated, and grimy zine format. Classic poster illustrations of major encounters with altered public-domain spot illustrations.
Usability: Available in “guilded” and plaintext formats.
Content: A parody of a guild that fights bears, whiffs hard, picks up the pieces, and dumps them in the endless sea.
Writing: Exaggerated Galgen-“talian” flair, with puns and body humor aplenty.
Art/design: A colorful, variegated, and grimy zine format. Classic poster illustrations of major encounters with altered public-domain spot illustrations.
Usability: Available in “guilded” and plaintext formats.
The Hadean Fort
Concept: “A Dark Fort - long thought abandoned - stands upon a sinking island on an icy lake.”
Content: A fairly elaborate dungeon inspired by a DNGNGEN creation
Writing: Provides copious detail about rooms, inhabitants, and content
Art/design: Primarily textual, but includes some illustrations and maps
Usability: Fairly linear progression obviates need for flipping/scrolling through a relatively lengthy document
Content: A fairly elaborate dungeon inspired by a DNGNGEN creation
Writing: Provides copious detail about rooms, inhabitants, and content
Art/design: Primarily textual, but includes some illustrations and maps
Usability: Fairly linear progression obviates need for flipping/scrolling through a relatively lengthy document
The Haruspex of Anzû-Uz
Concept: “In this vile, Babylonian-inspired, one-page encounter, players will encounter a cult who practice haruspicy upon fattened victims.”
Content: Includes backstory, hooks, and descriptions of rooms and boss
Writing: Fairly concise without sacrificing character
Art/design: Text heavy with fairly traditional design and layout
Usability: Easy to navigate with numbers coordinating the text and map
Content: Includes backstory, hooks, and descriptions of rooms and boss
Writing: Fairly concise without sacrificing character
Art/design: Text heavy with fairly traditional design and layout
Usability: Easy to navigate with numbers coordinating the text and map
The Hateful Grave of Klor Prügl
“Silver, power, curiosity? One of these has drawn you here, and likely other would-be grave-robbers.”
The Hateful Grave of Klor Prügl was created as an exclusive, one-of-a-kind reward for the 30 Days of Mörk Borg Adventure Chapbook vol. 2 crowdfunding campaign. The backer has generously made it available free to the community.
The Hexed Gauntlet of Kagel-Secht
Concept: “A Mörk Borg obituary dungeon”
Content: A combination poster-size comic/dungeon
Writing: Contains stat blocks, item descriptions, and a point-map of the dungeon layout
Art/design: Panels convey a narrative and illustrate the dungeon’s locations; colors and style strongly recall the Underground Comix movement; sweet art on the reverse side
Usability: Could double as a play mat if you hide the stats (or don’t care if players see them)
Content: A combination poster-size comic/dungeon
Writing: Contains stat blocks, item descriptions, and a point-map of the dungeon layout
Art/design: Panels convey a narrative and illustrate the dungeon’s locations; colors and style strongly recall the Underground Comix movement; sweet art on the reverse side
Usability: Could double as a play mat if you hide the stats (or don’t care if players see them)
The Hidden Hemlighet Prison
Concept: “Укрытая холодными лапами Кергюса, эта тюрьма - маленький лимб для дворян, откуда лишь два пути, и оба ведут в ледяную могилу.”
Content: A frozen aristocratic prison resurrection-crawl.
Writing: A notorious prison where nobles pay to live out their death sentences, with corruption revealed behind every door.
Art/design: A gorgeously rendered isometric map and character illustrations paint a clear picture of each encounter.
Usability: Highlighted room illustrations with each encounter for easy reference of details on the map with each encounter. Available in Russian.
Content: A frozen aristocratic prison resurrection-crawl.
Writing: A notorious prison where nobles pay to live out their death sentences, with corruption revealed behind every door.
Art/design: A gorgeously rendered isometric map and character illustrations paint a clear picture of each encounter.
Usability: Highlighted room illustrations with each encounter for easy reference of details on the map with each encounter. Available in Russian.
The Hiidet On The Hills
Concept: “The hills hide goblins.”
Content: Everything you wanted to know about hill goblins, and then some
Writing: Clear and descriptive with little flourishes of humor and weirdness
Art/design: Overall coherent design choices with graphics that are varied but always expressive, entertaining, and appropriate
Usability: Components are well organized on the macro and micro scales
Content: Everything you wanted to know about hill goblins, and then some
Writing: Clear and descriptive with little flourishes of humor and weirdness
Art/design: Overall coherent design choices with graphics that are varied but always expressive, entertaining, and appropriate
Usability: Components are well organized on the macro and micro scales
The Hills are Watching You
“Inspired by Wes Craven's 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes”
The Horde from Beyond
Concept: “Those, who have ventured into the Endless Sea and returned, told the tales of anguish, chagrin, and disappointment. But not all were so fortunate. Some ships were thought lost forever. Until now.”
Content: 5 days of random labors and encounters on a ghost ship
Writing: Generally grim in tone with dashes of verbal (and even mechanical) humor
Art/design: Colors and images beautifully support the otherworldly background
Usability: Minimal prep required (other than rolling 4:3)
Content: 5 days of random labors and encounters on a ghost ship
Writing: Generally grim in tone with dashes of verbal (and even mechanical) humor
Art/design: Colors and images beautifully support the otherworldly background
Usability: Minimal prep required (other than rolling 4:3)
The Hungering Halls of Haat the Pitiful
Concept: “Lost, tired, and starved... you are greeted by a pitiful small man who offers a tour of the wonders within while trying to hide blood stains on the floor.”
Content: A pitifully persistent guided tour-crawl
Writing: A thoroughly unexpected escort quest with positively soul-wrenching implications.
Art/design: A gritty map and thoroughly splattered reference text in a dramatic and high-contrast pamphlet layout.
Usability: Stylish text that is legible in print or at full resolution.
Content: A pitifully persistent guided tour-crawl
Writing: A thoroughly unexpected escort quest with positively soul-wrenching implications.
Art/design: A gritty map and thoroughly splattered reference text in a dramatic and high-contrast pamphlet layout.
Usability: Stylish text that is legible in print or at full resolution.
The Ice Caves of Santa’s Claws
“Silly seasonal dungeon!”
The Ice Pirates of Penn-Tayn
“Will you survive ship-to-ship combat and pirate duels, or the hidden menace beneath the ice? More importantly, will you receive all the pickled fish you can carry?”
The Invisible Man
Concept: “he has been left invisible, alone, and insane.”
Content: An unusually obscure death threat.
Writing: A timeline of escalating events, beginning and ending with a punctual threat.
Art/design: A soft pale silhouette unobtrusively framed in gray text.
Usability: Gray text may hinder reading in certain lighting.
Content: An unusually obscure death threat.
Writing: A timeline of escalating events, beginning and ending with a punctual threat.
Art/design: A soft pale silhouette unobtrusively framed in gray text.
Usability: Gray text may hinder reading in certain lighting.
The Last Titan Burrowers
Concept: "The Great Dungeon’s construction brought the attention of the last Titan Burrower."
Content: Organism ‘come alchemist shop of titanic proportion.
Writing: An interactive blend of prose and mechanics makes for a lengthy but enjoyable read.
Art/design: Visceral and meaty, an artifact of the flesh-alchemy it depicts.
Usability: Available in digital and print format.
Content: Organism ‘come alchemist shop of titanic proportion.
Writing: An interactive blend of prose and mechanics makes for a lengthy but enjoyable read.
Art/design: Visceral and meaty, an artifact of the flesh-alchemy it depicts.
Usability: Available in digital and print format.
The Lich of Föhrenöd
7 contributors
Concept: “Lady Neszeka, they say, is sealed in the crypt. Dead, but not gone.”
Content: A heretical crypt crawl.
Writing: A complete and self-contained micro-setting. With the abridged history of Lady Neszeka, her domain, as well as its major players.
Art/design: An engaging printer friendly layout with consistent design elements and crisp inky character illustrations.
Usability: Suitable for both dungeon crawling and narrative play.
Content: A heretical crypt crawl.
Writing: A complete and self-contained micro-setting. With the abridged history of Lady Neszeka, her domain, as well as its major players.
Art/design: An engaging printer friendly layout with consistent design elements and crisp inky character illustrations.
Usability: Suitable for both dungeon crawling and narrative play.
The Lichen Knight of Sarkash
Concept: “You meet a strange knight in the wilderness and he dares you to cut off his head.”
Content: A two-part encounter consisting of the initial challenge and the follow-up chapel crawl
Writing: Clear, readable prose with loot tables, location descriptions, and overview of the encounter structure
Art/design: Typography and color delineate sections for easy use and reference
Usability: A straightforward but spirited adaptation of the medieval poetic plot
Content: A two-part encounter consisting of the initial challenge and the follow-up chapel crawl
Writing: Clear, readable prose with loot tables, location descriptions, and overview of the encounter structure
Art/design: Typography and color delineate sections for easy use and reference
Usability: A straightforward but spirited adaptation of the medieval poetic plot
The Living Statue of Alk Baum
Concept: “The PCs hear a horrible rumble outside. Followed by a cacophony of screams, shrieks, and panicked voices.”
Content: An adventure that ties into the Unclean Leporello mythos; includes a release valve for blockage against an immortal foe and alternate endings based on PCs’ (in)action
Writing: Mostly descriptive with a stat block and Specials for the titular monster, including a mechanic for titanic attacks
Art/design: Textual design facilitates navigation on the fly; graphics depict the two central characters
Usability: “Use this pamphlet as best fits your needs.”
Content: An adventure that ties into the Unclean Leporello mythos; includes a release valve for blockage against an immortal foe and alternate endings based on PCs’ (in)action
Writing: Mostly descriptive with a stat block and Specials for the titular monster, including a mechanic for titanic attacks
Art/design: Textual design facilitates navigation on the fly; graphics depict the two central characters
Usability: “Use this pamphlet as best fits your needs.”
The Loneliness of the Múrmaiden
Concept: “How the protagonists have learned that there is no power stronger than love”
Content: A twisted archetypal comedy in 4 acts; emphasizes weirdness over grimness
Writing: Presented as a script for stage; full of humor and clever wordplay
Art/design: Makes powerful use of a limited palette of vivid colors in traditional page layouts and images
Usability: A fairly linear adventure; as a document, easy to read and use
Content: A twisted archetypal comedy in 4 acts; emphasizes weirdness over grimness
Writing: Presented as a script for stage; full of humor and clever wordplay
Art/design: Makes powerful use of a limited palette of vivid colors in traditional page layouts and images
Usability: A fairly linear adventure; as a document, easy to read and use
The Lonely Throne
Concept: “It is said that that those who sit upon this ‘Lonely Throne’ […] can attract the attention of something buried deep under Graven-Tosk that can grant them treasures and forbidden knowledge… for a price.”
Content: 12 random encounters, 3 otherworldly entities, 21 rewards, 8 consequences, and more adventure possibilities than I feel like calculating
Writing: A clever concept well executed with lots of descriptive flair
Art/design: Organized for usability with illustrations and other graphic elements that contribute atmosphere
Usability: Linear, dual-column layout makes the document easy to read and navigate
Content: 12 random encounters, 3 otherworldly entities, 21 rewards, 8 consequences, and more adventure possibilities than I feel like calculating
Writing: A clever concept well executed with lots of descriptive flair
Art/design: Organized for usability with illustrations and other graphic elements that contribute atmosphere
Usability: Linear, dual-column layout makes the document easy to read and navigate
The Lost Theater
Concept: “it looks like you have the main role in the new play… It will be a gruesome story tonight… The third bell has already rung, take your seat and enjoy the show…”
Content: A theater dungeon in three acts.
Writing: The skeleton of a script to allows for easy improvisation anchored in concise descriptions of actors and events.
Art/design: Detailed Illustrated maps set the stage. Text blocks and bulleted room encounters set the scene.
Usability: Printer Friendly.
Content: A theater dungeon in three acts.
Writing: The skeleton of a script to allows for easy improvisation anchored in concise descriptions of actors and events.
Art/design: Detailed Illustrated maps set the stage. Text blocks and bulleted room encounters set the scene.
Usability: Printer Friendly.
The Masticator Gate
Concept: “The Vile Court were imprisoned in a black oubliette where they were forgotten. … Through the Masticator Gate, the survivors are now vomited back into the world from which they were banished. Remade and vengeful.”
Content: A three-part campaign, a new class for unlucky PCs, and a lot of monsters
Writing: Lots of description and discussion of the overall situation and locations; more specific locations’ text is broken down into quickly navigable paragraphs and points
Art/design: Tends toward an efficient 2-column layout but breaks from the norm to facilitate usability and accommodate the grim, gritty artwork
Usability: Designed for a fresh game with 0 Miseries; requires The Endless Demon Deck
Content: A three-part campaign, a new class for unlucky PCs, and a lot of monsters
Writing: Lots of description and discussion of the overall situation and locations; more specific locations’ text is broken down into quickly navigable paragraphs and points
Art/design: Tends toward an efficient 2-column layout but breaks from the norm to facilitate usability and accommodate the grim, gritty artwork
Usability: Designed for a fresh game with 0 Miseries; requires The Endless Demon Deck
The Maze of Raedis the Necromancer
Concept: “A generic maze, stocked with skeletons and magic traps”
Content: Exactly what you’d expect from the title and description
Writing: Includes backstory, hook, descriptions of rooms, and monster stat blocks in an appendix
Art/design: Traditional and text focused, but includes some visuals and trade dress as well as a map
Usability: GMs will probably benefit from reviewing it once or twice before running it to minimize downtime spent reading
Content: Exactly what you’d expect from the title and description
Writing: Includes backstory, hook, descriptions of rooms, and monster stat blocks in an appendix
Art/design: Traditional and text focused, but includes some visuals and trade dress as well as a map
Usability: GMs will probably benefit from reviewing it once or twice before running it to minimize downtime spent reading
The Melting
Concept: “The further you walk from the city, the stranger the land gets. All that salt in the air does things to the mind. Of late, people wandering the wilds around Grift are not returning.”
Content: A haunted house dungeon with strong supernatural and body horror themes.
Writing: Effectively utilizes mechanics to reinforce descriptive horror elements.
Art/design: Distressed gritty zine aesthetic, playful use of sidebar layout, eclectic style with striking visual elements.
Usability: Useful mini map highlights for reference. Some horror elements require DM engagement to be most effective. Come to the table prepared.
Content: A haunted house dungeon with strong supernatural and body horror themes.
Writing: Effectively utilizes mechanics to reinforce descriptive horror elements.
Art/design: Distressed gritty zine aesthetic, playful use of sidebar layout, eclectic style with striking visual elements.
Usability: Useful mini map highlights for reference. Some horror elements require DM engagement to be most effective. Come to the table prepared.
The Murderous Monks of Mournful Moor
Concept: “Adventurers stopped to rest in a once-beautiful Abbey at the edge of Kergüs. […] Only time will tell if they have the mettle to escape.”
Content: 8 rooms of survival horror
Writing: Includes extensive descriptions of rooms and NPCs
Art/design: Entirely typographical, but establishes a visual hierarchy for quick navigation
Usability: May pose a challenge to more spatially oriented readers
Content: 8 rooms of survival horror
Writing: Includes extensive descriptions of rooms and NPCs
Art/design: Entirely typographical, but establishes a visual hierarchy for quick navigation
Usability: May pose a challenge to more spatially oriented readers
The Neverending Forest
“Many walk past. Few enter. None leave.”
The Oasis
Concept: “A long forgotten kitchen. The Inquisition has made camp here, building a beachhead for the final push …”
Content: A fairly densely populated crawl through the digestive tract of a dead god
Writing: Lots of exposition and description of the rooms and inhabitants; includes tables for encounters, conditions, food, and rumors
Art/design: Lovely map; typographical and color choices greatly assist in navigating the document
Usability: Logically organized and easy to navigate
Content: A fairly densely populated crawl through the digestive tract of a dead god
Writing: Lots of exposition and description of the rooms and inhabitants; includes tables for encounters, conditions, food, and rumors
Art/design: Lovely map; typographical and color choices greatly assist in navigating the document
Usability: Logically organized and easy to navigate
The Occult Ossuary
28 contributors
Kevin B.
Rugose Kohn
Maceo the Escher
Johan Nohr
Bracken MacLeod
Michael Mars
Matthew Neff
Max Verbludenko
Brian Yaksha
Federico Pagliardini
machinic
Greyson Yandt
Dom Cohen
Djuun
Adam U.
Martin Gehrke
Jesse Davenport
The Eldritch Tomb
James M.
Christopher Betancourt
Owen McGauley
Tupac Zuleta
Pablo Dapena
Naomi Rådmark
Vagabundörk
I. McClung
Chalkdown
Jared Barnes
Concept: “27 pieces exhumed from the depths of lavish graves, themed around skeletons, bones and skulls.”
Content: “Classes, items, companions, monsters and encounters created by sacrilegious mind.”
Writing: A variety of styles, all appropriate to their content
Art/design: Worth downloading just to check out the range of art and layouts
Usability: Complexity varies by entry but consistently easy to use
Content: “Classes, items, companions, monsters and encounters created by sacrilegious mind.”
Writing: A variety of styles, all appropriate to their content
Art/design: Worth downloading just to check out the range of art and layouts
Usability: Complexity varies by entry but consistently easy to use
The Origin of My Depression
Concept: “Urma, a farmer’s daughter, grew up in this small settlement in Wästland, wrongfully raised as a boy. She was flayed alive for witchcraft.”
Content: An adventure centering on blind vindictiveness and vindication
Writing: Poetic in its bluntness and emphasis on body horror
Art/design: Features a very clinical but still visceral anatomical illustration
Usability: Presents the situation as exploratory rather than plot driven
Content: An adventure centering on blind vindictiveness and vindication
Writing: Poetic in its bluntness and emphasis on body horror
Art/design: Features a very clinical but still visceral anatomical illustration
Usability: Presents the situation as exploratory rather than plot driven
The Oyster Ditch
“The Idol of Guilty Pleasures has wreaked havoc on the denizens of The Oyster Ditch. The Marquess De Bastille has turned it into her own grotesque kingdoms. Secure the artefact. Wear gloves.”
THE PALE CURSE OF YAKEDO CASTLE
Concept: “‘I will bring him death. I will avenge every soul he took and end this curse, even if I lose my own life in that god-forsaken place, the White Demon's lair’
the Dark Fort”
Content: An ashen death-cursed castle crawl.
Writing: Consistent theming lends a sense of verisimilitude to Yakedo Castle and its curse.
Art/design: Strong design aligns with classic illustrations in a simultaneously vibrant and grave visual style.
Usability: Easy-to-reference spreads aid in dungeon navigation.
Content: An ashen death-cursed castle crawl.
Writing: Consistent theming lends a sense of verisimilitude to Yakedo Castle and its curse.
Art/design: Strong design aligns with classic illustrations in a simultaneously vibrant and grave visual style.
Usability: Easy-to-reference spreads aid in dungeon navigation.
The Pest House
Concept: “Enter the pest house, fight past the screaming corpses, find patient zero, and hopefully live to see another miserable week.”
Content: A good doctor’s mistake, Galgenbeck’s problem.
Writing: A highly volatile plague crawl, full of pressure, pus, and projectile vomiting.
Art/design: A sturdy top-down manor illustration in a forest of text, with the occasional pink and yellow highlight.
Usability: Highlights emphasize frequently referenced monsters and mechanics.
Content: A good doctor’s mistake, Galgenbeck’s problem.
Writing: A highly volatile plague crawl, full of pressure, pus, and projectile vomiting.
Art/design: A sturdy top-down manor illustration in a forest of text, with the occasional pink and yellow highlight.
Usability: Highlights emphasize frequently referenced monsters and mechanics.
The Plagued Crypt of Helvete
6 contributors
Concept: “When a horrible plagued beast invades Galgenbeck, the party takes a bounty to seek out the source in the doomed forests of the north!”
Content: A plague-ridden, demon-driven bounty crawl.
Writing: A cinematic flair with a three-act structure, detailed boxed text, and staged set-piece encounters. A plague token mechanic produces both risk and “incentive” for scvm.
Art/design: A variety of visual styles with the notable addition of an introductory comic strip.
Usability: A core two-column structure with consistent hierarchy aids in table reference.
Content: A plague-ridden, demon-driven bounty crawl.
Writing: A cinematic flair with a three-act structure, detailed boxed text, and staged set-piece encounters. A plague token mechanic produces both risk and “incentive” for scvm.
Art/design: A variety of visual styles with the notable addition of an introductory comic strip.
Usability: A core two-column structure with consistent hierarchy aids in table reference.
The Quantum Tzompantli
Concept: “‘A tzompanlti is a rack of human skulls.’”
Content: A malicious, elusive trap-room
Writing: Strongly biased against the PCs—but those guys are scvm anyway
Art/design: On-brand and clever
Usability: Smartly organized to help GMs track and manage effects and features
The Raining Caves
Concept: "As the world grows dark with Nechrubel’s influence... they farm the mushrooms, listen to the messages they give them, and wait."
Content: A slick cavern complex full of apostates, visions, monsters, and spores.
Writing: Encounter structure that builds toward the insidious influence of the fungi and the waters on the cultists.
Art/design: Illustrations highlight a traditional text. Variety in typeface throughout. The contrast in type color creates visual breaks between room descriptions.
Usability: Background, Map, Encounter, and NPC sections blocked. Adventure is best referenced in print.
Content: A slick cavern complex full of apostates, visions, monsters, and spores.
Writing: Encounter structure that builds toward the insidious influence of the fungi and the waters on the cultists.
Art/design: Illustrations highlight a traditional text. Variety in typeface throughout. The contrast in type color creates visual breaks between room descriptions.
Usability: Background, Map, Encounter, and NPC sections blocked. Adventure is best referenced in print.
The Rains on Merecastle
Concept: “Those fool enough to listen to the tune might find the riches left by the long dead inhabitants of the castle. Or death.”
Content: A dead castle bathed by acid rain and home to 2-headed aberrant reptiles
Writing: Provides lore pertaining to Merecastle and its environs
Art/design: Typographically delineates different textual components; colors lend an energetic, toxic visual tone
Usability: GMs will have to populate the scenario with monsters and other mechanical elements
Content: A dead castle bathed by acid rain and home to 2-headed aberrant reptiles
Writing: Provides lore pertaining to Merecastle and its environs
Art/design: Typographically delineates different textual components; colors lend an energetic, toxic visual tone
Usability: GMs will have to populate the scenario with monsters and other mechanical elements
The Right to Bear Arm
“Venture in to the fortress-like complex, encounter Tarragon Cultists awaiting the arrival of the wyrm, visit the court of the Raven Lord, and learn the fate of the owner of the arm in your possession.”
The Road of Light
Concept: “The road of light has chosen. You have no choice but to follow.”
Content: A linear sequence of puzzles with two new optional classes
Writing: Vivid descriptions of locations with clearly delineated key reference points for GMs
Art/design: Organized and designed for easy use; plentiful and consistently excellent illustrations throughout
Usability: PCs will permanently change class at least once; the first part of an ongoing adventure
Content: A linear sequence of puzzles with two new optional classes
Writing: Vivid descriptions of locations with clearly delineated key reference points for GMs
Art/design: Organized and designed for easy use; plentiful and consistently excellent illustrations throughout
Usability: PCs will permanently change class at least once; the first part of an ongoing adventure
The Romvs Inn
Concept: “Player characters can […] indulge in the most important aspect of RPGs – roleplaying their characters.”
Content: A humorous but still extremely lethal anti-adventure
Writing: Entertaining and establishes the desired, comedic tone
Art/design: Columns for exposition and proximal layout for the setting both adapt the MB aesthetic to good effect
Usability: Have you tried those scrambl'd æggs? To die for.
Content: A humorous but still extremely lethal anti-adventure
Writing: Entertaining and establishes the desired, comedic tone
Art/design: Columns for exposition and proximal layout for the setting both adapt the MB aesthetic to good effect
Usability: Have you tried those scrambl'd æggs? To die for.
The Shape of He to Come
Concept: “Venture into the swamps of Wästland to get to the bottom of the recent disappearances of foresters and peat cutters.”
Content: A morally ambiguous, jungle-themed hexcrawl
Writing: Primarily instructional with a random encounter table and some stat blocks
Art/design: Map-based with a floral background that sets the atmosphere
Usability: Discrete sections are easy to navigate
The Slobberer’s Observatory
Concept: “Explore a forgotten observatory tower in the world of Mork Borg, discover a new class and have your body twisted by those things that lurk between the stars.”
Content: A cosmic-horror-themed adventure and a matching character class
Writing: Concise descriptions of rooms and lightweight stat blocks for monsters and loot
Art/design: Fairly liberal page layouts, readable typefaces, and a mix of hand-drawn and open-source images
Usability: The flat yellow ground on some pages is a bit eye-burning on the screen, but it’s only really prominent on a few pages
Content: A cosmic-horror-themed adventure and a matching character class
Writing: Concise descriptions of rooms and lightweight stat blocks for monsters and loot
Art/design: Fairly liberal page layouts, readable typefaces, and a mix of hand-drawn and open-source images
Usability: The flat yellow ground on some pages is a bit eye-burning on the screen, but it’s only really prominent on a few pages
The Smiling Mountain Annals
Concept: “A collection of weapons, armor, items, creatures, traps, and powers all compatible with Mörk Borg.”
Content: A mörktober compilation
Writing: A compilation of humorous (and truly miserable) artifacts and situations across the dying world.
Art/design: Gritty chalk illustrations with hints of red. All on a slate grey backdrop with crisp white text.
Usability: Available fully Illustrated or Plaintext.
Content: A mörktober compilation
Writing: A compilation of humorous (and truly miserable) artifacts and situations across the dying world.
Art/design: Gritty chalk illustrations with hints of red. All on a slate grey backdrop with crisp white text.
Usability: Available fully Illustrated or Plaintext.
The Sorcerer’s Corpse
“A five-track dirgewave EP … Includes one encounter hook for each.”
The Spire of Grief
Concept: “Drawn to the spire, the only shelter for many miles, you seek refuge from a storm of prophetic intensity.”
Content: 4 rooms and inhabitants to populate them
Writing: Provides atmosphere and scenery; more suggestions rather than hard, fast rules
Art/design: Creates a wonderfully isolated, Gothic feel
Usability: Mapless; easy to grasp and highly usable at the table
The Sundrenched King
Concept: “The coronation is approaching. Helvius will die. Long live Helvius.
You are newcomers to Hunningbury. You are here to stop the coronation.”
Content: Rabble-rousing and regicide in the kingdom of Hunningbury.
Writing: A hard timer lends urgency to the political intrigue. There are many options to prepare for the assault on Helvius in his keep, all of them viable.
Art/design: Quaint and idyllic imagery belies the unpleasant realities of Hunningbury.
Usability: Political intrigue that works for both talk and sword happy scvm.
Content: Rabble-rousing and regicide in the kingdom of Hunningbury.
Writing: A hard timer lends urgency to the political intrigue. There are many options to prepare for the assault on Helvius in his keep, all of them viable.
Art/design: Quaint and idyllic imagery belies the unpleasant realities of Hunningbury.
Usability: Political intrigue that works for both talk and sword happy scvm.
The Temple of Healing
Concept: “The locals claim that the old god is still able to heal, but would only accept its cure as a last resort.”
Content: A 5-room dungeon, the Devourer of Afflictions, and the Maggot Priest character class
Writing: Sharp and concise with particular attention to imagery; a good fit for the dungeon and concept
Art/design: Mix of green, purple, pink, and flesh tones creates a Mörky vibe while retaining a distinct visual character; excellent, thematic illustrations
Usability: May improve PCs’ quality of life or make it oh-so-much worse
Content: A 5-room dungeon, the Devourer of Afflictions, and the Maggot Priest character class
Writing: Sharp and concise with particular attention to imagery; a good fit for the dungeon and concept
Art/design: Mix of green, purple, pink, and flesh tones creates a Mörky vibe while retaining a distinct visual character; excellent, thematic illustrations
Usability: May improve PCs’ quality of life or make it oh-so-much worse
The Temple of the Scattered God
Concept: “The god has fallen from the sky. Its giant body scattered. Some parts have been recovered and saved by the Kultists. Meet his brain, one eye, one foot, one hand and maybe more body parts in the underground temple!”
Content: A god crawl divided into parts.
Writing: Adaptive and dynamic encounter design make for more dynamic combat encounters.
Art/design: Disturbingly detailed map by Brian Yaksha, clear use of color to indicate rooms and features of interest, mini-map navigation, and stats incorporated into room description text.
Usability: OSR style abbreviations require some minor translations for Mörk Borg.
Content: A god crawl divided into parts.
Writing: Adaptive and dynamic encounter design make for more dynamic combat encounters.
Art/design: Disturbingly detailed map by Brian Yaksha, clear use of color to indicate rooms and features of interest, mini-map navigation, and stats incorporated into room description text.
Usability: OSR style abbreviations require some minor translations for Mörk Borg.
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