Adventures
The Thirteenth Damned Son
Concept: “When Mother Leeds heard she was due for a thirteenth child she cursed The Two-Headed Basilisk and the child, and demanded HE take what belonged to HIM.”
Content: An abomination inspired by the Jersey Devil but skillfully adapted to the setting; includes a sleek randomized crawl through the frozen lands of Kergüs
Writing: Short but flavorful description and a healthy stat block; a beautifully written hook with a table of random encounters that keep the PCs moving toward the climax
Art/design: Fits right into Mörk Borg on every count
Usability: Verbally and visually economical
Content: An abomination inspired by the Jersey Devil but skillfully adapted to the setting; includes a sleek randomized crawl through the frozen lands of Kergüs
Writing: Short but flavorful description and a healthy stat block; a beautifully written hook with a table of random encounters that keep the PCs moving toward the climax
Art/design: Fits right into Mörk Borg on every count
Usability: Verbally and visually economical
The Three Towers of Flägash the Undying
Concept: “A cult has taken up residence in a group of towers on the outskirts of the city of Grift.”
Content: A cult-fueled tower-crawl. With thrills, spills, and gravity-defying wills.
Writing: A responsive and versatile adventure style. With mechanics that reinforce a narrative of subtle and contagious cult reprogramming.
Art/design: A dreary affair, punctuated by the occasional otherworldly shadow or psychedelic highlight.
Usability: Uneven two-column layout and mini-maps aid in table reference. Additional tools provided to assist in bookkeeping for the central adventure mechanic.
Content: A cult-fueled tower-crawl. With thrills, spills, and gravity-defying wills.
Writing: A responsive and versatile adventure style. With mechanics that reinforce a narrative of subtle and contagious cult reprogramming.
Art/design: A dreary affair, punctuated by the occasional otherworldly shadow or psychedelic highlight.
Usability: Uneven two-column layout and mini-maps aid in table reference. Additional tools provided to assist in bookkeeping for the central adventure mechanic.
The Tight Grip
Concept: “You have been tasked with stealing an artifact from a forgotten temple for a collector of rarities... You have received a hint: ‘Follow the left hand, the left eye reveals the path.’”
Content: A pot collecting, bounty escaping, possession 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: Hazy sketches of cheerless figures and grisly horror occasionally sully an otherwise clean plaintext layout.
Usability: Black and white. Text separated from darker illustrations for ease of printing.
Content: A pot collecting, bounty escaping, possession 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: Hazy sketches of cheerless figures and grisly horror occasionally sully an otherwise clean plaintext layout.
Usability: Black and white. Text separated from darker illustrations for ease of printing.
The Tomb of Galien
Concept: “Venture into the tomb of the powerful warlock Galien in search of riches and arcane knowledge.”
Content: A warlock's tomb with a very “protective” familiar.
Writing: Puzzle design that anticipates flexibility and player agency when possible. Encounter design that incorporates complicating elements if the conflict drags out.
Art/design: Subtle use of images to enhance the navigability and reference of the text. Strong back cover illustration of Gnash.
Usability: Short, sweet, and referenceable adventure.
Content: A warlock's tomb with a very “protective” familiar.
Writing: Puzzle design that anticipates flexibility and player agency when possible. Encounter design that incorporates complicating elements if the conflict drags out.
Art/design: Subtle use of images to enhance the navigability and reference of the text. Strong back cover illustration of Gnash.
Usability: Short, sweet, and referenceable adventure.
The Tomb of Lost Souls
Concept: “Left without victims, the necromancers resolved to become undeads and wait for a new era... The tomb of Lost Souls was forgotten... until now.
What the hell are you doing here?”
Content: A soul-stealing necro-crawl.
Writing: Descriptive and full of soul. Small dramatic touches add motivation and direction to encounters.
Art/design: A blast of yellow with a detailed and well-structured overhead map. Pink, white, and black text elements scream for attention.
Usability: Fairly legible for pink text. References Grave Matters.
Content: A soul-stealing necro-crawl.
Writing: Descriptive and full of soul. Small dramatic touches add motivation and direction to encounters.
Art/design: A blast of yellow with a detailed and well-structured overhead map. Pink, white, and black text elements scream for attention.
Usability: Fairly legible for pink text. References Grave Matters.
The Tournament at Alliáns
Concept: “Her Excellency Anthelia, Blood-Countess of Kergüs, has determined to amuse herself by holding a tournament in Alliáns.”
Content: Tourney rules and tables for rewards, consequences, combatants, and relationships
Writing: Consistently entertaining and inspiring
Art/design: Solid choices add atmosphere and facilitate flow
Usability: Well organized; hyperlinks to other texts are quite useful; bracket sheet is a plus
The Troll of Njernheim
7 contributors
Concept: “a small scenario about an isolated village, a troll and the adventures of the characters while hunting said troll for a reward.”
Content: A troll extermination forest crawl.
Writing: An established micro-setting, with a complex village, forest adventure, and random encounters.
Art/design: Strong cover illustration, with the occasional spot illustration in a crisp two-column layout.
Usability: Complete adventure format that lends itself to advanced reading.
Content: A troll extermination forest crawl.
Writing: An established micro-setting, with a complex village, forest adventure, and random encounters.
Art/design: Strong cover illustration, with the occasional spot illustration in a crisp two-column layout.
Usability: Complete adventure format that lends itself to advanced reading.
The Unseen Vaults of the Optic Experiment
Concept: “Freak Freaks […] have established an arcane laboratory dedicated to finding the key to true vision.”
Content: Nohr’s sheer weirdness and wit in full effect
Writing: Provides lots of options and suggestions for GMs to play with
Art/design: Creates a crazed tone that ups Mörk Borg’s bizarro aspect
Usability: Easy to navigate thanks to the map and room roster alongside detailed descriptions
Content: Nohr’s sheer weirdness and wit in full effect
Writing: Provides lots of options and suggestions for GMs to play with
Art/design: Creates a crazed tone that ups Mörk Borg’s bizarro aspect
Usability: Easy to navigate thanks to the map and room roster alongside detailed descriptions
*Published prior to release of the formal third-party license
The Unworthy
Concept: “Only the worthy can persevere through the trials and set eyes upon the divine.”
Content: Circumvent (or kill) embodiments of the 7 Deadly Sins to reach the stronghold and negate a Misery
Writing: Sketches the overall scenario and individual encounters with stat blocks for each NPC
Art/design: Text blocks’ arrangement around the map reflects encounter placement on the map; typography and color also help with navigation
Usability: Carries serious penalties for PCs who take encounters at face value
Content: Circumvent (or kill) embodiments of the 7 Deadly Sins to reach the stronghold and negate a Misery
Writing: Sketches the overall scenario and individual encounters with stat blocks for each NPC
Art/design: Text blocks’ arrangement around the map reflects encounter placement on the map; typography and color also help with navigation
Usability: Carries serious penalties for PCs who take encounters at face value
The Vale of Stinking Fur
Concept: “An ape-infested jungle crawl”
Content: Map and mechanics with random events, monsters, locations, and loot
Writing: Some nice, subtle touches in the exposition
Art/design: Aids navigation and reinforces theme
Usability: Some tables reference others, but that’s the extent of the complexity
The Vault of Refuse and Waking Nightmares
Concept: “Descend into a shrine to a secret god, converted into a foul treasury for the Dark Lord.”
Content: A dungeon filled with minions of Nechrubel
Writing: Descriptive with some subtle humor in the exposition and stat blocks
Art/design: Graphics and text ordinated on the central map
Usability: The nonlinear numbering is a little tricky but not severely detrimental
The Vaults of Torment
Concept: “Explore a demon-infested hell-hole below the city of Schleswig.”
Content: A modular, procedurally generated dungeon replete with ambient hazards, elaborate set pieces, monsters, tables for generating inhabitants, a pantheon of demonic gods, and powerful artifacts; also includes terrain “tiles” to print, cut, and assemble during the game
Writing: Well written with a grim, gruesome tone and copious imagery to match
Art/design: A variety of page layouts crafted and organized for easy usability at the table
Usability: Easy to use on both the GM and player sides; Zombification provides a countdown clock that adds additional lethality
The Vermilion Throne
Concept: “Venture into the depths, recover the heart of the True King, and bring an end to the Shadow King's reign. Or fail, and bleed, and die.”
Content: A pulse pumping, blood-drenched, flesh crawl.
Writing: As consistent and efficient as the beating heart, without feeling too clinical.
Art/design: Accessible and fluid design which doesn’t clot alongside thematic illustrations which do.
Usability: A considered and effective table reference.
Content: A pulse pumping, blood-drenched, flesh crawl.
Writing: As consistent and efficient as the beating heart, without feeling too clinical.
Art/design: Accessible and fluid design which doesn’t clot alongside thematic illustrations which do.
Usability: A considered and effective table reference.
The Visitation at Rosewell
Concept: “The Angel came to offer salvation, and began to lead the villagers into the Miracle Forest that had sprung up from the starved soil.”
Content: A sinister forest crawl across 7 hazardous locales
Writing: The dark, gruesome elements contrast well with the more pastoral and divine-symbolic imagery
Art/design: Images and colors serve as quick reminders of locations’ inhabitants and their threat levels
Usability: Includes navigation prompts and references so GMs can flip to destinations instead of the map
Content: A sinister forest crawl across 7 hazardous locales
Writing: The dark, gruesome elements contrast well with the more pastoral and divine-symbolic imagery
Art/design: Images and colors serve as quick reminders of locations’ inhabitants and their threat levels
Usability: Includes navigation prompts and references so GMs can flip to destinations instead of the map
The Visitor of Reduction
Concept: “The constant downpour started some weeks ago after yet another newborn disappeared. […] To top it off, nobody is allowed to the cemetery and place of prayers.”
Content: An investigative, isolation-horror adventure inspired by South American lore
Writing: Provides background and hooks along with profiles for important NPCs, stat blocks for enemies and monsters, and weather mechanics
Art/design: Judicious use of contrasting colors in illustrations and clean, clear maps
Usability: Relevant information and stats are proximal to maps, making them easy to use at the table
Content: An investigative, isolation-horror adventure inspired by South American lore
Writing: Provides background and hooks along with profiles for important NPCs, stat blocks for enemies and monsters, and weather mechanics
Art/design: Judicious use of contrasting colors in illustrations and clean, clear maps
Usability: Relevant information and stats are proximal to maps, making them easy to use at the table
The Wailing Well
“This original adventure takes a group of unlucky wretches down an old well to find and kill the goblins that cursed them.”
The Western Wall
Concept: “A tale also known as The Quest for Yig or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Accept Dying”
Content: A fvcking mountain crawl.
Writing: A mountain adventure that is easy to read, but hard to climb.
Art/design: Austere as a view from the summit. Does exactly what’s needed to convey both subject and tone.
Usability: Hope you brought climbing equipment. Dying on the way there is half the fun.
Content: A fvcking mountain crawl.
Writing: A mountain adventure that is easy to read, but hard to climb.
Art/design: Austere as a view from the summit. Does exactly what’s needed to convey both subject and tone.
Usability: Hope you brought climbing equipment. Dying on the way there is half the fun.
The Wicker God
Concept: “From the forest it emerges, taller than the trees, its body a writhing, shifting mass of woven roots and branches. […] Faintly, you hear screams from behind its prison of living branches.”
Content: An enormous monster that eats characters and monsters alive before immolating itself
Writing: Concise but descriptive with well-placed humor
Art/design: Typography and purely graphic components all contribute to an overall woven, vegetable texture
Usability: Selective regeneration makes a bit more math for the GM; defeating it without killing consumed allies creates a tactical challenge for the PCs
Content: An enormous monster that eats characters and monsters alive before immolating itself
Writing: Concise but descriptive with well-placed humor
Art/design: Typography and purely graphic components all contribute to an overall woven, vegetable texture
Usability: Selective regeneration makes a bit more math for the GM; defeating it without killing consumed allies creates a tactical challenge for the PCs
The Yoke of God
Concept: “Yes, yoke is spelled correctly”
Content: A church-raiding egg crawl.
Writing: A coherent adventure, with just enough egg left over to yoke yourself.
Art/design: A chaotic cathedral map that’s navigable with well-placed visual and textual references.
Usability: Don’t rely on the text alone. Cooks over easy.
Content: A church-raiding egg crawl.
Writing: A coherent adventure, with just enough egg left over to yoke yourself.
Art/design: A chaotic cathedral map that’s navigable with well-placed visual and textual references.
Usability: Don’t rely on the text alone. Cooks over easy.
This Adventure is Full of Flies
Concept: “contains enough insects to sustain the average player for an evening of abject pestilence.”
Content: A pamphlet adventure with a village that practically vomits insects.
Writing: Tightly woven adventure text with many subplots and callbacks to distract Scvm from all the bugs they’ve probably swallowed.
Content: A pamphlet adventure with a village that practically vomits insects.
Writing: Tightly woven adventure text with many subplots and callbacks to distract Scvm from all the bugs they’ve probably swallowed.
Art/design: Surprisingly clean text. Design elements reinforce narrative structure. Insect imagery hints at the horrors dominant in certain locales.
Usability: A self-contained village adventure simply bursting with replay value.
Usability: A self-contained village adventure simply bursting with replay value.
This Forest Breathes
Concept: “Pulsing with green life, lit without sun, the secret to this sprawling wood lies within its lifeblood: somewhere, deep past crawling vines and scurrying creatures, is a pool, its crystal-clear waters holding the secret to life eternal.”
Content: A bizarre subterranean forest crawl
Writing: Predominantly textual and relies on the writing to convey the intended tone
Art/design: A variety of layouts, some more traditional than others, and an array of typefaces all within a limited palette
Usability: Eternal life ain’t all it’s cracked up to be
Content: A bizarre subterranean forest crawl
Writing: Predominantly textual and relies on the writing to convey the intended tone
Art/design: A variety of layouts, some more traditional than others, and an array of typefaces all within a limited palette
Usability: Eternal life ain’t all it’s cracked up to be
This Hell of Mine
Concept: “A week has passed since the mine collapse. All efforts to move the giant boulders blocking the entrance have proven futile. […] Left with no other choice, you grasp the rope and descend into the mines…”
Content: A complex and cerebral dungeon
Writing: Clear and does a good job of economizing elements into accessible bullet points
Art/design: Efficient, atmospheric use of typefaces and color
Usability: More than a few moving parts to keep track of, but the document provides cues and assistance
This is the End Now
Concept: “Peace Death shall come to everyone. For is it not written that the sword is key to heaven and hell?”
Content: A psychedelic album crawl of magic spheres, wishes, human greed, and its inevitable conclusion.
Writing: Prescriptive language which produces a singular narrative.
Art/design: Sepia-hued imagery in tribute to both album and musicians.
Usability: Bordered font hinders skimming and referencing the text.
Content: A psychedelic album crawl of magic spheres, wishes, human greed, and its inevitable conclusion.
Writing: Prescriptive language which produces a singular narrative.
Art/design: Sepia-hued imagery in tribute to both album and musicians.
Usability: Bordered font hinders skimming and referencing the text.
Thoughts and Prayers
7 contributors
Concept: “100% of the benefits are to be donated to Direct Relief.”
Content: A porcine-deity crawl, NPCs to murder, a fallen angel hunt, more ways to break your body, d66 murder implements, a weird egg, some cool essays, and stuff for those other Kartell games.
Writing: Some great insight into how to run or design for rules light games, along with some truly Miserable examples.
Art/design: Dark, gritty, a little messy, and fun.
Usability: You can identify the Swedish printing by (paper) weight. I’ll give you a hint, the title can be abbreviated TP.
Content: A porcine-deity crawl, NPCs to murder, a fallen angel hunt, more ways to break your body, d66 murder implements, a weird egg, some cool essays, and stuff for those other Kartell games.
Writing: Some great insight into how to run or design for rules light games, along with some truly Miserable examples.
Art/design: Dark, gritty, a little messy, and fun.
Usability: You can identify the Swedish printing by (paper) weight. I’ll give you a hint, the title can be abbreviated TP.
Through a Glass Darkly
Concept: “Your party has stumbled into a dungeon that appears abandoned, but weird things keep happening.”
Content: A slow-boil slaughterfest with an excellent gimmick
Writing: Conveys necessary information concisely
Art/design: Marvelous contrast between the two maps
Usability: Effective room nomenclature; the Notes document is a very useful, practical addition in many ways
Thy ship was swallowed by a moray eel of considerable proportions
Concept: “As stated in the title”
Content: “As stated in the title”
Writing: A medical treatise, ecology, and setting guide in one long, wriggly, event-driven package. The eel's name is Inmedius Rex.
Art/design: Memorable use of eel anatomy, and organic placement of spot illustrations.
Usability: The monster and NPC stat blocks were fully digested, make your own.
Content: “As stated in the title”
Writing: A medical treatise, ecology, and setting guide in one long, wriggly, event-driven package. The eel's name is Inmedius Rex.
Art/design: Memorable use of eel anatomy, and organic placement of spot illustrations.
Usability: The monster and NPC stat blocks were fully digested, make your own.
Tomb of the Old Dead One
Concept: “Treasure hunters, a bottomless pit with a terrible secret, long-forgotten cells containing the corpses of people nobody remembers anymore, and the animated skull of a necromancer giant. What more do you need?”
Content: A dungeon with a necromancer’s animated giant skull giant animated necromancer skull necromancer giant’s animated skull.
Writing: Short and sweet, lets the mechanics tell the story. with clear references to the core rules where needed.
Art/design: A simple and accessible map of pink and yellow surrounded with alternating lay colored blocks of text.
Usability: Text coloration allows for easy visual reference and navigation.
Content: A dungeon with a necromancer’s animated giant skull giant animated necromancer skull necromancer giant’s animated skull.
Writing: Short and sweet, lets the mechanics tell the story. with clear references to the core rules where needed.
Art/design: A simple and accessible map of pink and yellow surrounded with alternating lay colored blocks of text.
Usability: Text coloration allows for easy visual reference and navigation.
Tomb of the Screaming Snakes
Concept: “Somewhere in the Sarkash forest you can find a group of standing stones among the dying trees. … The stones are the last remains of a snake cult, its mutated members not seen by the world in centuries.”
Content: A 15-room dungeon with indigenous monsters and treasures
Writing: Short, clear descriptions of each room and inhabitants
Art/design: Map is easily readable and use of colored text facilitates easy GM use
Usability: Includes a player-facing map and an overlay sheet to simulate a torch’s light radius while exploring
Content: A 15-room dungeon with indigenous monsters and treasures
Writing: Short, clear descriptions of each room and inhabitants
Art/design: Map is easily readable and use of colored text facilitates easy GM use
Usability: Includes a player-facing map and an overlay sheet to simulate a torch’s light radius while exploring
Tower of Insanity
“Mind-bending aberrations, a BBEG from out of this dimension, insanity and madness table and more.”
Tower of Scoundrels
Concept: “The heroes search for shelter from the impending downpour. Lightning flashes, illuminating the forest and revealing a tower.”
Content: A tower crawl designed to distract from larger plots and quests
Writing: Provides background on the tower and descriptions of each room and character
Art/design: Woodcut-style graphics, vibrant colors, and other visual flourishes set the tone well
Usability: Album sleeve doubles as a GM screen with concise maps of each level and a summary of enemy stats and key features; booklets are organized by floor with descriptions and stats in close proximity to maps
Tragic Castle Obsession
Concept: “VAMPIRES! VAMPIRES! VAMPIRES!
EVERYTHING IS A VAMPIRE! ...”
Content: A vampire castle dungeon, and Old Nick album crawl.
Writing: A full-blooded and aggressive parody of spooky vampire dungeons.
Art/design: Illustrations reinforce the cheesy haunted castle aesthetic.
Usability: Highlighted mini-map and column sidebar make for convenient table reference.
Content: A vampire castle dungeon, and Old Nick album crawl.
Writing: A full-blooded and aggressive parody of spooky vampire dungeons.
Art/design: Illustrations reinforce the cheesy haunted castle aesthetic.
Usability: Highlighted mini-map and column sidebar make for convenient table reference.
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Concept: “A red glow is coming from over the horizon. It is a HOTEL sign.”
Content: Mörk Borg vacations at a lunar resort
Writing: Conveys an isolated, nostalgic tone
Art/design: Color and graphics contribute a lot to the overall atmosphere
Usability: Slight flow ambiguity between Lobby and Hotel but not a major obstacle
Trapped Within
Concept: “’Descending further into delirious madness, King Fathmu IX is haunted by visions of mockery... (he) imprisons everyone who seems a threat in his underground prison. Terrified traitors, aspiring necromancers, powerful demagogues and even scum like you.’”
Content: A warped, demented, and bloody prison crawl with two new classes, items, tools, and apocalyptic campaign aids.
Writing: A gonzo trip with some devious twists. Accessible at multiple levels of play, from dungeon crawls to a dramatic campaign.
Art/design: A grimy, yet familiar, adventure layout which deviates from expectations to emphasize its most unusual or dramatic encounters.
Usability: Strongly visual, yet highly structured and easy to navigate in play.
Content: A warped, demented, and bloody prison crawl with two new classes, items, tools, and apocalyptic campaign aids.
Writing: A gonzo trip with some devious twists. Accessible at multiple levels of play, from dungeon crawls to a dramatic campaign.
Art/design: A grimy, yet familiar, adventure layout which deviates from expectations to emphasize its most unusual or dramatic encounters.
Usability: Strongly visual, yet highly structured and easy to navigate in play.
Treasures of the Troll King
Concept: “The troll-king Niduk … oversees the small domain he has carved for himself, in a forgotten chapel to a murdered god. KILL HIM.”
Content: A randomized, shifting sewer crawl with multiple set pieces, random encounters, some new Powers, and one nasty f’ing troll
Writing: Provides copious descriptions and multi-sensory imagery to help GMs immerse their players
Art/design: A mix of layouts and design choices meant for expressiveness and usability
Usability: Seriously, the last boss is going to be really tough
Content: A randomized, shifting sewer crawl with multiple set pieces, random encounters, some new Powers, and one nasty f’ing troll
Writing: Provides copious descriptions and multi-sensory imagery to help GMs immerse their players
Art/design: A mix of layouts and design choices meant for expressiveness and usability
Usability: Seriously, the last boss is going to be really tough
Trial of the Altered Beast
Concept: “The Altered Beast is dying, slowly succumbing to the passage of time. While their story is set to end, there is a way they can yet live on.”
Content: A funnel containing locations, monsters & NPCs, and an optional class as a “reward”
Writing: Provides background for the GM’s benefit along with descriptions and relevant mechanics for locations and inhabitants
Art/design: Typographical choices create a visual hierarchy that facilitates reference and navigation; illustrations add color and character to the creatures & NPCs
Usability: Includes separate PC- and GM-facing maps and a printer-friendly version of the whole document
Content: A funnel containing locations, monsters & NPCs, and an optional class as a “reward”
Writing: Provides background for the GM’s benefit along with descriptions and relevant mechanics for locations and inhabitants
Art/design: Typographical choices create a visual hierarchy that facilitates reference and navigation; illustrations add color and character to the creatures & NPCs
Usability: Includes separate PC- and GM-facing maps and a printer-friendly version of the whole document
Troll King Grave
Concept:
“Delve deep
Silver awaits
Hold precious your face
For the eyes will unlock”
Content: A troll-filled, in-your-face, one-page grave-crawl
Writing: Dense graphic prose scratched across the cavern floor.
Art/design: A meandering cave filled with handwritten scrawl.
Usability: Available in printer-friendly black & white.
“Delve deep
Silver awaits
Hold precious your face
For the eyes will unlock”
Content: A troll-filled, in-your-face, one-page grave-crawl
Writing: Dense graphic prose scratched across the cavern floor.
Art/design: A meandering cave filled with handwritten scrawl.
Usability: Available in printer-friendly black & white.
Two Hunters
Concept: “A Mörk Borg album crawl based on Two Hunters (2007) by Wolves In The Throne Room”
Content: A wilderness scenario with a slew of stat blocks and items
Writing: Keeps a tight focus on the scenario and dynamic but opens multiple entry points for PCs
Art/design: Use of green helps set the scene while other colors and typefaces keep it anchored in the Mörk-Borg aesthetic
Usability: Design choices are helpful for navigating the document
Content: A wilderness scenario with a slew of stat blocks and items
Writing: Keeps a tight focus on the scenario and dynamic but opens multiple entry points for PCs
Art/design: Use of green helps set the scene while other colors and typefaces keep it anchored in the Mörk-Borg aesthetic
Usability: Design choices are helpful for navigating the document
Tyst Borg
“Metal bands; they compose their own songs of rage and revolt and travel the lands expanding their numbers so they can one day confront the Undying Orchestra itself.”
Ultraviolent Floating Halls
“The father, using his woodcutting axe, massacred his family. He hasn't been seen since.”
Underhill: Blood Queen of the Trow
Concept: “Find children. Kill elves. Profit.”
Content: A subterranean dungeon crawl in pursuit of kidnapped children
Writing: Heavy on descriptions of rooms and creatures/characters; some variable encounters
Art/design: Draws from a wide range of public domain artwork
Usability: Images deployed to help GM navigate rooms and reference creature stats
Unholy Mountain
Concept: “The Falchon ascends, climbing up to the peak. […] The next hing you know, you are falling through the air…”
Content: A 15-room crawl through a twisted frozen dungeon
Writing: Lots of interwoven details, foreshadowing, appropriate atmosphere, and dynamic elements to keep players moving forward; rooms are described in bullet points, helping with fast reference and navigation
Art/design: A relatively dense layout but uses visual cues to connect related components on the page
Usability: Well-designed for GM use; some subtle hazards may trip up players but never lead to dead ends
Content: A 15-room crawl through a twisted frozen dungeon
Writing: Lots of interwoven details, foreshadowing, appropriate atmosphere, and dynamic elements to keep players moving forward; rooms are described in bullet points, helping with fast reference and navigation
Art/design: A relatively dense layout but uses visual cues to connect related components on the page
Usability: Well-designed for GM use; some subtle hazards may trip up players but never lead to dead ends
Unholy Night
“You've wandered in the snow for so long you forgot who you are. But to your luck you see a small hut in the distance, saved. Or are you?”
Unholy Night
Concept: “The house is an old stone and wood structure. Icicles line the eaves – glittering in the firelight from within. The smell of burning oak fills the air and fills you with hope. Shelter. Warmth…..maybe even food.”
Content: A frozen, Yule-themed adventure filled with murderous holiday cheer
Writing: Provides lots of descriptive text for the GM to use and adapt
Art/design: Graphically conservative, but effectively conveys the atmosphere of particular scenes
Usability: Minimal mechanics; emphasizes interaction and narrative-building
UnitSix's Misery's Keep
Concept: “an independent production by UnitSix… hastening the final Misery”
Content: A miserable keep-crawl, redecorated.
Writing: A dastardly villain, a towering castle treasure to steal, and dolls… (the original text has been slightly altered to accommodate the “reframing”)
Art/design: Crisp and spacious layout contrasts with rich inky illustrations, lovingly splattered.
Usability: Easy to reference try-fold layout with strong visual hierarchy.
Content: A miserable keep-crawl, redecorated.
Writing: A dastardly villain, a towering castle treasure to steal, and dolls… (the original text has been slightly altered to accommodate the “reframing”)
Art/design: Crisp and spacious layout contrasts with rich inky illustrations, lovingly splattered.
Usability: Easy to reference try-fold layout with strong visual hierarchy.
Unwanted Fragments #1
Concept: “This micro-zine was an experiment of sorts as I posted most of pages to the TALK MÖRK BORG group on Facebook and asked for votes on the possible content for each page.”
Content: A slew of weird, creative locales, monsters, NPCs, and loot; as the name says, a kit of bits and pieces rather than a unified dungeon
Writing:
Art/design: Great OSR-style interior art; incredibly expressive character portraits
Usability: Lots of background and details; study carefully if you want to use anything verbatim
Utställningslokaler the Showroom
Concept: “An endless dungeon generator of furniture stealing and being lost”
Content: Tools for generating rooms, content, and encounters
Writing: Includes a brief hook; otherwise, pretty direct descriptions and instructions
Art/design: Contains helpful illustrations of room shapes and types; more traditional layout and design; primarily monochrome with but uses thematic colors to emphasize the BBEG
Usability: Good in its own right, but additionally useful as a reskinnable dungeon generator
Content: Tools for generating rooms, content, and encounters
Writing: Includes a brief hook; otherwise, pretty direct descriptions and instructions
Art/design: Contains helpful illustrations of room shapes and types; more traditional layout and design; primarily monochrome with but uses thematic colors to emphasize the BBEG
Usability: Good in its own right, but additionally useful as a reskinnable dungeon generator
Valley of Forbidden Churches
“This sandbox-style adventure presents a series of dangerous areas where players could succeed or fail based on their preparation and cleverness.”
Vanity Bleeder
Concept: “Slick with ichor and desire, the dire hostess, The Golden Masked Miraculous, sits alone atop the ruins of her father's cult. All heirs have been murdered: any drop of blood in the vein, and the sickly bell will whine again.”
Content: A glamorous/decrepit manor crawl full of hospitality/horror.
Writing: Understated and effective horror which carefully unravels and presents itself across both the black/white pages.
Art/design: A duality of black/white denotes the influence of Verhu’s Blind on the perceptions of the inspired. Alterations and reversals of associated imagery enhance the central theme.
Usability: Redundancy and parallel between the black/white versions of each spread allow for ease of reference regardless of your scvm’s sobriety during the adventure.
Content: A glamorous/decrepit manor crawl full of hospitality/horror.
Writing: Understated and effective horror which carefully unravels and presents itself across both the black/white pages.
Art/design: A duality of black/white denotes the influence of Verhu’s Blind on the perceptions of the inspired. Alterations and reversals of associated imagery enhance the central theme.
Usability: Redundancy and parallel between the black/white versions of each spread allow for ease of reference regardless of your scvm’s sobriety during the adventure.
Vaucanson's Tomb
Concept: “‘If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck...’”
Content: A reliquary guarded by duck constructs
Writing: Describes the room, contents, and triggers for the mechan-ducks
Art/design: Conservative 2-column layout with typographical variation for texture; includes a map and illustration
Usability: Includes multiple triggers and outcomes for duck death
Content: A reliquary guarded by duck constructs
Writing: Describes the room, contents, and triggers for the mechan-ducks
Art/design: Conservative 2-column layout with typographical variation for texture; includes a map and illustration
Usability: Includes multiple triggers and outcomes for duck death
Vaults of Unfaith
Concept: “From an underground Sarkash crypt, heretics and cultists terrorized settlers.”
Content: An occult dungeon with random events and escalating enemies
Writing: You may learn some new words; use them to terrify your players
Art/design: Establishes atmosphere; concreteness provides easy navigation
Usability: Very intuitive and efficient layout
Content: An occult dungeon with random events and escalating enemies
Writing: You may learn some new words; use them to terrify your players
Art/design: Establishes atmosphere; concreteness provides easy navigation
Usability: Very intuitive and efficient layout
Venus Red
“The Mothershrooms are pale white fungi that grow in dark places. When picked up they bleed an intoxicating red substance used by the Sarkash druids to reach the metaphysical island of Venus Red. Here they learned how to uncover forgotten dark secrets, but initiates must find the path on their own risking their life.”
Verhu Wants
Concept: “If you don't meet the basilisk's demands, you will die! Survive somehow within 666 seconds!”
Content: A cursed amulet, and a (probably) fatal 666-second errand.
Writing: Clever use of The Basilisks Demand table as a mini-game. With helpful descriptions of the options a scvm could take to avoid almost certain death.
Art/design: An amusingly horrifying sketch of a disappointed (and hungry) basilisk.
Usability: A short solo adventure or introduction to Mörk Borg.
Content: A cursed amulet, and a (probably) fatal 666-second errand.
Writing: Clever use of The Basilisks Demand table as a mini-game. With helpful descriptions of the options a scvm could take to avoid almost certain death.
Art/design: An amusingly horrifying sketch of a disappointed (and hungry) basilisk.
Usability: A short solo adventure or introduction to Mörk Borg.
Vile Bodies
Concept: “Freshly dead corpses are rising and bounding off into the forest. The Arch Prisetess of Galgenbeck wants this heretical necromancy investigated.”
Content: A pointcrawl through the woods after a fresh snowfall … and also freshly risen zombies
Writing: Primarily descriptive of scenario and settings but with some colorful imagery
Art/design: Straightforward block layout with readable body text and unobtrusive illustrations
Usability: Failure is an option for PCs (but not a good one)
Content: A pointcrawl through the woods after a fresh snowfall … and also freshly risen zombies
Writing: Primarily descriptive of scenario and settings but with some colorful imagery
Art/design: Straightforward block layout with readable body text and unobtrusive illustrations
Usability: Failure is an option for PCs (but not a good one)
Vvavvl
Concept: “A castle on a hill in the middle of nowhere unknowingly bringing about THE END.”
Content: A season-skipping, Misery-inducing, gold-grabbing, castle-side family reunion crawl.
Writing: Interesting family dynamics, the dreaded Economicon, and a surprising number of brothers-in-law.
Art/design: Stylized text which combines splashes of high-contrast emphasis with an overall print-friendly design
Usability: Yes, the QR code works.
Content: A season-skipping, Misery-inducing, gold-grabbing, castle-side family reunion crawl.
Writing: Interesting family dynamics, the dreaded Economicon, and a surprising number of brothers-in-law.
Art/design: Stylized text which combines splashes of high-contrast emphasis with an overall print-friendly design
Usability: Yes, the QR code works.
War Flock
Concept: “A fiendish dungeon lair created by a deranged acolyte of the evil duck god”
Content: A puzzle room featuring rabid ducks standing between you and escape
Writing: Includes a short introducktory paragraph, but otherwise focused on delivering details and mechanics
Art/design: Includes a map for reference; primarily textual, but typographic, color, and visual choices add Mörky character
Usability: Multiple solutions to the challenge, both risky
Content: A puzzle room featuring rabid ducks standing between you and escape
Writing: Includes a short introducktory paragraph, but otherwise focused on delivering details and mechanics
Art/design: Includes a map for reference; primarily textual, but typographic, color, and visual choices add Mörky character
Usability: Multiple solutions to the challenge, both risky
Waves to be as Mountains
“Leviathan becomes a hex map where the players start at the bottom and climb to the top. Kaiju movie tropes are built-in.”
We Can’t Stop Here …
Concept: “A wagon filled with magical herbs that would make any occult herbmaster wet their pants from excitement”
Content: A drug-filled wagon and introductory adventure inspired by a masterpiece of American literature
Writing: Includes lore, characters, and tables for the wagon’s contents and effects, hangovers, psychoactive visions, and trips (double entendre!)
Art/design: Includes some Borgy layouts and colors with graphics that reinforce the key motifs; dungeon features clean design and simplified layouts inspired by Rotblack Sludge
Usability: Includes alternate rules for travel different from (but not incompatible with) Overland Travel/Roads to Damnation
Content: A drug-filled wagon and introductory adventure inspired by a masterpiece of American literature
Writing: Includes lore, characters, and tables for the wagon’s contents and effects, hangovers, psychoactive visions, and trips (double entendre!)
Art/design: Includes some Borgy layouts and colors with graphics that reinforce the key motifs; dungeon features clean design and simplified layouts inspired by Rotblack Sludge
Usability: Includes alternate rules for travel different from (but not incompatible with) Overland Travel/Roads to Damnation
Welcome to the Twisted Fairy World
Concept: “A strange and grotesque universe contained in a teapot.”
Content: Steaming hot scroll cleaning services.
Writing: Mechanics that make dry-cleaning services sound tame and reliable by comparison.
Art/design: A calming blue and yellow layout with an amusing case of the surreal.
Usability: For unclean scroll required for entry.
Content: Steaming hot scroll cleaning services.
Writing: Mechanics that make dry-cleaning services sound tame and reliable by comparison.
Art/design: A calming blue and yellow layout with an amusing case of the surreal.
Usability: For unclean scroll required for entry.
What the Duck?
Concept: “Dücktor Doom is using his arcane knowledge to save the ducks who have fallen in battle.”
Content: A muscle duck’s mad science lab
Writing: Relatively light but delivers necessary descriptions and mechanics
Art/design: Includes a map, clever illustration, and a thematic ground that ties the composition together
Usability: A unique balance of horrifying and ridiculous
Content: A muscle duck’s mad science lab
Writing: Relatively light but delivers necessary descriptions and mechanics
Art/design: Includes a map, clever illustration, and a thematic ground that ties the composition together
Usability: A unique balance of horrifying and ridiculous
What’s Black As Night
Concept:
“Pine trees rearranging,
Permafrost crushing,
Colorful berries dot the void,
Bitter winds howl on frozen trees,
Red stain of fresh kill,
Snowfall entombs.”
Content: A frigid, howling, blood-splattered forest crawl.
Writing: A Grimm amalgamation of storybook wolves in all their gory detail.
Art/design: A vivid hybridization of illustration styles splattered in blood and red text.
Usability: Available in full-color gothic and plain text. With a player map and bonus wallpaper.
“Pine trees rearranging,
Permafrost crushing,
Colorful berries dot the void,
Bitter winds howl on frozen trees,
Red stain of fresh kill,
Snowfall entombs.”
Content: A frigid, howling, blood-splattered forest crawl.
Writing: A Grimm amalgamation of storybook wolves in all their gory detail.
Art/design: A vivid hybridization of illustration styles splattered in blood and red text.
Usability: Available in full-color gothic and plain text. With a player map and bonus wallpaper.
Whispers in The Darkness
Concept: “a collection of four dark MÖRK BORG adventures that will take you through a weird lovecraftian trip.”
Content: A transformative four-adventure experience.
Writing: A slightly detached and understated style that slowly ratchets up the tension to a horrifying conclusion.
Art/design: Gorgeously detailed maps in a clear and structured black-and-white design.
Usability: Consistent textual cues and a clean layout are ideal for use at the table.
Content: A transformative four-adventure experience.
Writing: A slightly detached and understated style that slowly ratchets up the tension to a horrifying conclusion.
Art/design: Gorgeously detailed maps in a clear and structured black-and-white design.
Usability: Consistent textual cues and a clean layout are ideal for use at the table.
Whispers of the Dead Saint
Concept: “When Dödz Bringare, a professional killer of the undead, is arrested for public disorder, he finds himself press-ganged into searching for a nobleman's dead wife.”
Content: An undead slaying, mercenary banding, Kergüs crawling, double-crossing, Misery of a novella. Complete with a set-piece dungeon and ghoul slayer class.
Writing: Relatable human foibles beneath healthy piles of loosed viscera.
Art/design: Bloody, jagged, and bleak illustrations match the struggle of a doomed mercenary company blow for blow.
Usability: Available in print, ebook, or audiobook formats.
Content: An undead slaying, mercenary banding, Kergüs crawling, double-crossing, Misery of a novella. Complete with a set-piece dungeon and ghoul slayer class.
Writing: Relatable human foibles beneath healthy piles of loosed viscera.
Art/design: Bloody, jagged, and bleak illustrations match the struggle of a doomed mercenary company blow for blow.
Usability: Available in print, ebook, or audiobook formats.
Wind Fetter
Concept: “In Wästland a foul forgotten lake has suddenly dried up revealing a blasphemous smithy at its bottom.”
Content: A dried-lake-bed crawl that ends in an occult charnel house; wind effect table is particularly of note
Writing: Has pretty comprehensive descriptions with some vivid, detailed imagery
Art/design: Mostly oriented toward ease of use, but contains some cool visual text on the cover
Usability: Straightforward with enough variability to keep it from being completely linear
Content: A dried-lake-bed crawl that ends in an occult charnel house; wind effect table is particularly of note
Writing: Has pretty comprehensive descriptions with some vivid, detailed imagery
Art/design: Mostly oriented toward ease of use, but contains some cool visual text on the cover
Usability: Straightforward with enough variability to keep it from being completely linear
Within a Mile of Home
Concept: “Based on Flogging Molly’s Within A Mile of Home album”
Content: A sailor class, nautical weapons, tattoos, shipbuilding and sailing rules, and a hexcrawl (hexsail?)
Writing: Clear, concise, and descriptive with some dramatic, creepy, and somber imagery
Art/design: Primarily typographical for easy reference with some flavorful illustrations
Usability: Way easier than actually sailing; adventure includes PC- and GM-facing maps as well as links to content incorporated from external sources
This entry was sponsored by Bijan F. Zavareei as part of the Ex Libris RPG crowdfunding campaign.
“An incredibly entertaining hexcrawl that provides easy to use and engaging rules for nautical adventures. Absolutely fantastic content made with lots of love and care.”
Content: A sailor class, nautical weapons, tattoos, shipbuilding and sailing rules, and a hexcrawl (hexsail?)
Writing: Clear, concise, and descriptive with some dramatic, creepy, and somber imagery
Art/design: Primarily typographical for easy reference with some flavorful illustrations
Usability: Way easier than actually sailing; adventure includes PC- and GM-facing maps as well as links to content incorporated from external sources
This entry was sponsored by Bijan F. Zavareei as part of the Ex Libris RPG crowdfunding campaign.
“An incredibly entertaining hexcrawl that provides easy to use and engaging rules for nautical adventures. Absolutely fantastic content made with lots of love and care.”
Word Dungeons
Concept: “Letters appeared in black ashes / Swarming to spell words / Twisting to form shapes / Crawling to draw a map / They showed us the way”
Content: A set of 6 purely textual dungeons
Writing: Efficiently supplies imagery and details of each room
Art/design: Arranges the text as a map of the dungeon, using color, typefaces, and other characteristics to differentiate and characterize rooms
Usability: Requires reference to core rulebook for monster stat blocks
Wrong God
Concept: “A catholic Church in the middle of nowhere. Rumors have it that people keep disappearing around here, and that GOD Himself lives here.”
Content: A severely twisted cathedral crawl
Writing: Violent and visceral. You’ve been warned.
Art/design: Descriptions arranged within the map provide verbal “illustrations”; reading progresses up the page, creating friction and synergizing with the content to parody ascension
Usability: Includes some transgressive iconography; reader discretion advised
Content: A severely twisted cathedral crawl
Writing: Violent and visceral. You’ve been warned.
Art/design: Descriptions arranged within the map provide verbal “illustrations”; reading progresses up the page, creating friction and synergizing with the content to parody ascension
Usability: Includes some transgressive iconography; reader discretion advised
Yahar’Gul
“A Mörk Borg adventure inspired by Bloodborne”
Yellow Cube
Concept: “What are you waiting for, roll a D8 - because there's more than 6 things that can go wrong when you roll a cube...”
Content: One surefire way to stub a toe. D8 ways the Yellow Cube will not be denied.
Writing: Surreal escalations emanate from the crumbling yellow stone.
Art/design: A 148mm x 148mm square of stylized dice faces, arches, philosophers, spoons, war, skeletons, and cube heads.
Usability: Self-contained roll results, loudly telegraphed for easy reference.
Content: One surefire way to stub a toe. D8 ways the Yellow Cube will not be denied.
Writing: Surreal escalations emanate from the crumbling yellow stone.
Art/design: A 148mm x 148mm square of stylized dice faces, arches, philosophers, spoons, war, skeletons, and cube heads.
Usability: Self-contained roll results, loudly telegraphed for easy reference.
You Don’t Yank on the Spine of God
Concept: “An album crawl inspired by Monster Magnet's Spine of God. Of course, it'll be sex & drugs ridden. Uh, and monsters. Ugly ones.”
Content: A drug-fueled, sex-filled, pig boiling trip into the unconscious.
Writing: A hallucinogenic dream sequence.
Art/design: Psychedelic photo mashups of NPCs, hand-drawn map. Glaring yellow text over a drug-addled purple backdrop.
Usability: Designed in a three-column pamphlet format.
Content: A drug-fueled, sex-filled, pig boiling trip into the unconscious.
Writing: A hallucinogenic dream sequence.
Art/design: Psychedelic photo mashups of NPCs, hand-drawn map. Glaring yellow text over a drug-addled purple backdrop.
Usability: Designed in a three-column pamphlet format.
You Nameless SCUM
Concept: “play a quick and brutal adventure for one and, in the process, create characters fully ready to use in your Mörk Borg games... at least if you make the right choices and survive.”
Content: A solo choose-your-own-adventure and character creator.
Writing: A haunting wax-filled replica of Sarkash and Graven-Tosk. A serious and surreal experience.
Art/design: An embellished single-column layout, with abstract illustrations invoking an artificial and constructed reality.
Usability: Stylish and simple, a breeze to navigate. Writing in the book encouraged.
Content: A solo choose-your-own-adventure and character creator.
Writing: A haunting wax-filled replica of Sarkash and Graven-Tosk. A serious and surreal experience.
Art/design: An embellished single-column layout, with abstract illustrations invoking an artificial and constructed reality.
Usability: Stylish and simple, a breeze to navigate. Writing in the book encouraged.
You Won't Get What You Want
Concept: “You've made it to the island. What is it you seek here? Whatever it is, you won't get what you want.”
Content: A hexcrawl exploring the motifs of lack and obstruction
Writing: Concise location descriptions that are primarily concrete but incorporating some abstract imagery
Art/design: Text and map share a stark black-and-white color scheme that emphasizes the central conceptual dichotomy
Usability: Supplies a want at each location but leaves it to the GM to incorporate its relevance to the PCs
Content: A hexcrawl exploring the motifs of lack and obstruction
Writing: Concise location descriptions that are primarily concrete but incorporating some abstract imagery
Art/design: Text and map share a stark black-and-white color scheme that emphasizes the central conceptual dichotomy
Usability: Supplies a want at each location but leaves it to the GM to incorporate its relevance to the PCs
Yuigaron’s Misery’s Keep
Concept: “an independent production by Matthew John… hastening the final Misery”
Content: A miserable keep-crawl, redecorated, again.
Writing: A dastardly villain, a towering castle, treasure to steal, and dolls…
Art/design: Balanced yellow and black, room descriptions framed in the shadow of the keep, a little inverted text, some grit.
Usability: Stylish, condensed, and functional.
Content: A miserable keep-crawl, redecorated, again.
Writing: A dastardly villain, a towering castle, treasure to steal, and dolls…
Art/design: Balanced yellow and black, room descriptions framed in the shadow of the keep, a little inverted text, some grit.
Usability: Stylish, condensed, and functional.
Ziggurat of the Blood God
Concept: “Deep in the jungle, far from civilized lands, lies an ancient temple dedicated to a long forgotten god.”
Content: A “4th level adventure” of alien gods, blood sacrifice, and ziggurats.
Writing: A heavy science fantasy/weird fiction setting with loose references to elements of Preclassic/Classic Mesoamerican civilization.
Art/design: Dark and forbidding page illustrations of strange aliens and ancient machinery highlight an effective single-column layout.
Usability: Organized for reference over multiple sessions. Occasional generalized OSR rules reference.
Content: A “4th level adventure” of alien gods, blood sacrifice, and ziggurats.
Writing: A heavy science fantasy/weird fiction setting with loose references to elements of Preclassic/Classic Mesoamerican civilization.
Art/design: Dark and forbidding page illustrations of strange aliens and ancient machinery highlight an effective single-column layout.
Usability: Organized for reference over multiple sessions. Occasional generalized OSR rules reference.
Zwyntar Pass
Concept: “Hunt a troll at a pass at Graven-Tosk... inspired by a Ukrainian band called Zwyntar.”
Content: A rambling troll hunt between trunks and tombstones, from Grift to Galgenbeck.
Writing: A dynamic point crawl with events that evolve as scvm wander the trails.
Art/design: Bright red trail markings with black text before saturated yellow tombstones and tree trunks.
Usability: Double-sided print layout separates player and gamemaster information.
Content: A rambling troll hunt between trunks and tombstones, from Grift to Galgenbeck.
Writing: A dynamic point crawl with events that evolve as scvm wander the trails.
Art/design: Bright red trail markings with black text before saturated yellow tombstones and tree trunks.
Usability: Double-sided print layout separates player and gamemaster information.
「黒き衣の茶人」他２篇 (“Tea Master in Black Clothes” and 2 others)
Concept: “This scenario is a group of short scenarios for "Nobunaga's Black Castle". You can play three short stories in a row, which begin with the vision of Biwa Hoshi. All of them are momentary and ad hoc, full of death and violence.”
Content: A cinematic adventure to fulfill the prophecy of Biwa Hoshi.
Writing: Story driven and combat heavy with a clear objective. Explores the choices you make to arrive at the black tea ceremony.
Art/design: Long adventure divided into three episodes with textual clues to aid in navigation.
Usability: Balanced for two scvm. NPC stats not included. Written in Japanese.
Content: A cinematic adventure to fulfill the prophecy of Biwa Hoshi.
Writing: Story driven and combat heavy with a clear objective. Explores the choices you make to arrive at the black tea ceremony.
Art/design: Long adventure divided into three episodes with textual clues to aid in navigation.
Usability: Balanced for two scvm. NPC stats not included. Written in Japanese.
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