dungeon
Level Seven: Extreme Violence Engine
Concept: “a series of gratuitously violent encounters that all build the final encounter. You must survive!”
Content: A choose your own meat grinder adventure.
Writing: Focused on the core of role-playing: Decisions that make perfect sense at the time and the inevitable consequences that come later.
Art/design: Alternatingly hilarious and brutal. Text and images packed into the hopper and occasionally fed through the meat processor.
Usability: GM needs to keep track of some moving parts, but they seriously pay off in the end. An excellent option for a funnel adventure.
Content: A choose your own meat grinder adventure.
Writing: Focused on the core of role-playing: Decisions that make perfect sense at the time and the inevitable consequences that come later.
Art/design: Alternatingly hilarious and brutal. Text and images packed into the hopper and occasionally fed through the meat processor.
Usability: GM needs to keep track of some moving parts, but they seriously pay off in the end. An excellent option for a funnel adventure.
Lies Under Flesh
Concept: “In the old tower, a fool disguised as saint drags the desperate into a trap.”
Content: A 23-room dungeon
Writing: No mechanics, only short, descriptive prompts for each room that GMs can interpret as they see fit
Art/design: Dungeon map is presented in profile; variations in text size and color creates an interesting visual texture
Usability: Will require some prep on the GM’s part
Content: A 23-room dungeon
Writing: No mechanics, only short, descriptive prompts for each room that GMs can interpret as they see fit
Art/design: Dungeon map is presented in profile; variations in text size and color creates an interesting visual texture
Usability: Will require some prep on the GM’s part
Lord of Chains
7 contributors
Concept: “Rob a grave. Steal a blade. Kill the Lord of Chains.”
Content: A Graven-Tosk digging, Sarkash roaming, Bastion storming, Shadow King’s prophecy averting point crawl.
Writing: Energetic and near melodramatic plot sets the tone for a truly torturous adventure.
Art/design: Loud when it ought to be, quiet when it counts. Metal throughout.
Usability: Self-contained, shadowed, and bound in iron chains.
Content: A Graven-Tosk digging, Sarkash roaming, Bastion storming, Shadow King’s prophecy averting point crawl.
Writing: Energetic and near melodramatic plot sets the tone for a truly torturous adventure.
Art/design: Loud when it ought to be, quiet when it counts. Metal throughout.
Usability: Self-contained, shadowed, and bound in iron chains.
Manor Most Foul
Concept: “Greed, gore, romance? None of that matters as long as you can get to the hidden vault”
Content: A lovingly macabre manor crawl.
Writing: A tragic love story (of sorts), reenacting its terrible pursuit this night for your voyeuristic pleasure.
Art/design: Full of coarse texture and bright color, a feast for the eyes, with a surprising emphasis on the eyes.
Usability: I'm not joking about the eyes. I may have exaggerated the voyeuristic pleasure.
Content: A lovingly macabre manor crawl.
Writing: A tragic love story (of sorts), reenacting its terrible pursuit this night for your voyeuristic pleasure.
Art/design: Full of coarse texture and bright color, a feast for the eyes, with a surprising emphasis on the eyes.
Usability: I'm not joking about the eyes. I may have exaggerated the voyeuristic pleasure.
Mass Burial
Concept: “Bodies are gone missing, and none are the wiser.”
Content: A one-page dungeon in the key of grave-robbing
Writing: Nice attention to physical and sensory detail, especially smell
Art/design: Efficient layout ordinated on the dungeon map
Usability: Everything you need is right there on the page
Content: A one-page dungeon in the key of grave-robbing
Writing: Nice attention to physical and sensory detail, especially smell
Art/design: Efficient layout ordinated on the dungeon map
Usability: Everything you need is right there on the page
Micheál Reidy’s Misery’s Keep
Concept: “an independent production by Micheál Reidy… 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: Shades of black, red, and gray. Restrained text elements. Humorous emphasis on licensing text.
Usability: There’s a doll spotting mini-game.
Content: A miserable keep-crawl, redecorated, again.
Writing: A dastardly villain, a towering castle, treasure to steal, and dolls…
Art/design: Shades of black, red, and gray. Restrained text elements. Humorous emphasis on licensing text.
Usability: There’s a doll spotting mini-game.
Misery’s Hole
Concept: “an independent production by Philipp Teich… hastening the final Misery”
Content: A miserablekeep hole-crawl, redecorated, again.
Writing: A dastardly villain, a toweringcastle hole, treasure to steal, and dolls… (the original text has been slightly altered to accommodate the “reframing”)
Art/design: A pdf format that’s surprisingly deep, with rich off-whites that lend weight to the tons of stone looming overhead.
Usability: Well-placed, and clearly highlighted room text aids reference.
Content: A miserable
Writing: A dastardly villain, a towering
Art/design: A pdf format that’s surprisingly deep, with rich off-whites that lend weight to the tons of stone looming overhead.
Usability: Well-placed, and clearly highlighted room text aids reference.
Monolith 1: Harvest
8 contributors
Concept: “A quarterly publication that focuses its cyclopean gaze on a single system with every issue”
Content: “A journey through dilapidated townsteads, rejuvenated fields and terrifying dungeons, with all the horrors you meet along the way”
Writing: The pedagogy of planting and population planning, and a forgotten temple to begotten basilisks, all aggressively annotated.
Art/design: Darkly grotesque cultists, disturbed floral prints, cultured public domain illustrations, and colorful marginalia highlight the body text.
Usability: Organized, aside from a few intentionally frustrating almanac charts. But I’m sure you can manage those with a little old-fashioned spit and polish.
Content: “A journey through dilapidated townsteads, rejuvenated fields and terrifying dungeons, with all the horrors you meet along the way”
Writing: The pedagogy of planting and population planning, and a forgotten temple to begotten basilisks, all aggressively annotated.
Art/design: Darkly grotesque cultists, disturbed floral prints, cultured public domain illustrations, and colorful marginalia highlight the body text.
Usability: Organized, aside from a few intentionally frustrating almanac charts. But I’m sure you can manage those with a little old-fashioned spit and polish.
Murkwürst is burning
Concept: “Harsh and bleak, the mining village of Murkwürst is located in a valley of the Wästland... the unfortunate villagers barely survive, barricaded in their unburned house[s].”
Content: A burning village vtt hexcrawl.
Writing: A series of events tables, npcs, and location descriptions to drive the action.
Art/design: Engaging maps and gritty illustrations.
Usability: Integrated with FoundryVTT, references Alles Wird Brennen & Gregor’s Folly.
Content: A burning village vtt hexcrawl.
Writing: A series of events tables, npcs, and location descriptions to drive the action.
Art/design: Engaging maps and gritty illustrations.
Usability: Integrated with FoundryVTT, references Alles Wird Brennen & Gregor’s Folly.
Mycogoblins
Concept: “Goblins have been more aggressive than usual lately... these goblins have strange fungal growths... whoever gets to the bottom of this will be greatly rewarded...”
Content: A goblin swarming, fungus snorting, den crawl.
Writing: Deep absurdity delivered in gloriously understated frankness.
Art/design: Structured design, clear iconography, and magenta highlights stimulate and satisfy the reader.
Usability: Designed with goblins in mind.
Content: A goblin swarming, fungus snorting, den crawl.
Writing: Deep absurdity delivered in gloriously understated frankness.
Art/design: Structured design, clear iconography, and magenta highlights stimulate and satisfy the reader.
Usability: Designed with goblins in mind.
Mycosis
“The Meat Fungus keeps no treasure of its own—but the many adventurers who came before you left some behind…”
Mörk Borg Cult: Heretic
9 contributors
Concept: “A zine full of MÖRK BORG stuff. Most of it is created by our wonderful community and will be (or already is) made available for free download on morkborg.com, but there is also exclusive official material.”
Content: Generators for cults and curses, feats, 2 classes, black-powder weapons, 2 long adventures, a pair of 1-page dungeons, and a quartet of monsters/NPCs
Writing: Varies by author but consistently emphasizes images and concepts that are grim, creepy, and/or outright weird
Art/design: Every entry’s layout, graphic design, and coloration are distinct, creating a lot of visual diversity and easy navigability; sweet foil printing on the cover and first page; fold-out covers just to cram as much content into this zine as possible
Usability: The only obstacle is deciding what to read first.
Content: Generators for cults and curses, feats, 2 classes, black-powder weapons, 2 long adventures, a pair of 1-page dungeons, and a quartet of monsters/NPCs
Writing: Varies by author but consistently emphasizes images and concepts that are grim, creepy, and/or outright weird
Art/design: Every entry’s layout, graphic design, and coloration are distinct, creating a lot of visual diversity and easy navigability; sweet foil printing on the cover and first page; fold-out covers just to cram as much content into this zine as possible
Usability: The only obstacle is deciding what to read first.
Mörk Borg/OSR Mega-Dungeon
11 contributors
Concept: “While the level themes may not be united, we are united in our end goal: to generate financial support for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.”
Content: A Monstrous Mörk Borg Megadungeon – For Suicide Prevention.
Writing: A miserable menagerie of authors and styles.
Art/design: Surreal amalgamations of subject and design.
Usability: Each level is distinct. Your utility may vary.
Content: A Monstrous Mörk Borg Megadungeon – For Suicide Prevention.
Writing: A miserable menagerie of authors and styles.
Art/design: Surreal amalgamations of subject and design.
Usability: Each level is distinct. Your utility may vary.
Mörk Bug
Concept: “Elaborates on the roles of insects in underground gambling in the setting”
Content: Stats for bugs, gear for catching bugs, rules for selling bugs, an entothropic character class, and a sprawling bug-fighting-arena-slash-gambling-parlor
Writing: Clear and readable with Kelly’s characteristic wit
Art/design: Designed and laid out for readability with some buggy, Borgy flair
Usability: Laid out and designed for easy reading and reference
Content: Stats for bugs, gear for catching bugs, rules for selling bugs, an entothropic character class, and a sprawling bug-fighting-arena-slash-gambling-parlor
Writing: Clear and readable with Kelly’s characteristic wit
Art/design: Designed and laid out for readability with some buggy, Borgy flair
Usability: Laid out and designed for easy reading and reference
Mörky Waters
Concept: “In the depths of a seaside cave along the coast of Mûr dwells a horrific entity, a mess of eyes and teeth. A group of outlaws on the run hid in the cave where they encountered the beast and deemed it to be a god.”
Content: A straightforward, multiroom dungeon with human NPCs and an eldritch boss entity
Writing: Short introduction and advice for introducing and running the adventure; the rest is easily accessible gameable content
Art/design: Red and white on black with strategic distressing make this visually interesting and easy to read
Usability: Short paragraphs for NPCs, simple stat blocks; room characteristics are bulleted for easy skimming
Content: A straightforward, multiroom dungeon with human NPCs and an eldritch boss entity
Writing: Short introduction and advice for introducing and running the adventure; the rest is easily accessible gameable content
Art/design: Red and white on black with strategic distressing make this visually interesting and easy to read
Usability: Short paragraphs for NPCs, simple stat blocks; room characteristics are bulleted for easy skimming
Nacnudllah’s Misery’s Keep
Concept: “an independent production by Duncan Hall… 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: Subtle and considered tri-fold that makes excellent use of angle, tone, and profile. Includes a critical visual reinterpretation of “undead doll”.
Usability: Stylized, decorated, legible, and printable.
Content: A miserable keep-crawl, redecorated, again.
Writing: A dastardly villain, a towering castle, treasure to steal, and dolls…
Art/design: Subtle and considered tri-fold that makes excellent use of angle, tone, and profile. Includes a critical visual reinterpretation of “undead doll”.
Usability: Stylized, decorated, legible, and printable.
Nvrsery of the Changeling
Concept: “A spooky nursery that can stand alone (ish) or be added to any Mork Borg dungeon, especially the MORK MEGADUNGEON.”
Content: Not your mama’s nvrsery (I hope).
Writing: A precious story of big mama and her precious little one, and the broken bodies left in their wake.
Art/design: Baby-proofed layout in black, white, and yellow. Complete with a picture of the precious little one and the layout of their humble home.
Usability: Contains a rare modification to existing character classes.
Content: Not your mama’s nvrsery (I hope).
Writing: A precious story of big mama and her precious little one, and the broken bodies left in their wake.
Art/design: Baby-proofed layout in black, white, and yellow. Complete with a picture of the precious little one and the layout of their humble home.
Usability: Contains a rare modification to existing character classes.
On the Slaughterfront
Concept: “The basilisks demand blessings from Prügl … but she’s already been abducted by another cult.”
Content: A twisted, insect-themed dungeon
Writing: Highly descriptive with striking imagery and some clever rimshots
Art/design: Nice balance of color, text, and graphics that keeps it easily readable
Usability: Hollow and full of bugs, just like it should be
Content: A twisted, insect-themed dungeon
Writing: Highly descriptive with striking imagery and some clever rimshots
Art/design: Nice balance of color, text, and graphics that keeps it easily readable
Usability: Hollow and full of bugs, just like it should be
One Night at Castle Ghast
Concept: “...best be gone before the coming of the dawn, lest the castle disappear and drag them with it to the lands of the dead.”
Content: A once in a lifetime castle-crawl.
Writing: A traditional ghost story, an inexorable timer, and the highest stakes.
Art/design: Dark, textured, and occasionally effervescent images of spectral manifestations.
Usability: To prolong the inevitable.
Content: A once in a lifetime castle-crawl.
Writing: A traditional ghost story, an inexorable timer, and the highest stakes.
Art/design: Dark, textured, and occasionally effervescent images of spectral manifestations.
Usability: To prolong the inevitable.
Painflail
Concept: “Ultra low-bar-to-entry skirmish rules for Mörk Borg”
Content: See “Concept”.
Writing: Self-contained procedurally generated Mörk Borg skirmishes, a clever opponent initiative system, and conditions to codify effects.
Art/design: Functional illustrations and clean text organization with the occasional flail for flourish.
Usability: Guided examples provided to assist in learning the rules. Reference cards and materials are provided.
Content: See “Concept”.
Writing: Self-contained procedurally generated Mörk Borg skirmishes, a clever opponent initiative system, and conditions to codify effects.
Art/design: Functional illustrations and clean text organization with the occasional flail for flourish.
Usability: Guided examples provided to assist in learning the rules. Reference cards and materials are provided.
Penuria
Concept: “Uno del los asentamientos que ha sucumbido ahte la brutalidad es Penuria: un desolado y lúgubre paramo habiado por una docena de almas deplorables, al oeste de Schleswig.”
Content: A filthy pointcrawl, a miserable village setting, and the local ziggurat.
Writing: A village in hardship. Potentially some deep shit. Specifically Fathmu’s shit.
Art/design: The classic grimy yellow in a crisp accordion pamphlet design.
Usability: Printable, but hard on your yellow ink. Spanish language.
Content: A filthy pointcrawl, a miserable village setting, and the local ziggurat.
Writing: A village in hardship. Potentially some deep shit. Specifically Fathmu’s shit.
Art/design: The classic grimy yellow in a crisp accordion pamphlet design.
Usability: Printable, but hard on your yellow ink. Spanish language.
Pork Borg
“A small village, which each night receives a vicious attack from an unknown entity”
Purgatory
Concept: “100 travel encounters, six new classes, skills to expand your characters, and three adventure locations”
Content: The encounters encompass a range of people, happenings, and other … things; classes bring some archetypes and novel concepts to the table; skills add additional depth and features to Getting Better; the two shorter adventures work as one-shots, and Purgatory provides a sprawling landscape for scum to explore
Writing: Not terribly text heavy with alternately descriptive and instructive prose
Art/design: Fairly straightforward layouts with a wide range of art; obligatory yellow and pink
Usability: PDF comes in HD and SD versions to accommodate user needs; also include some hex tiles for exploring Purgatory
Content: The encounters encompass a range of people, happenings, and other … things; classes bring some archetypes and novel concepts to the table; skills add additional depth and features to Getting Better; the two shorter adventures work as one-shots, and Purgatory provides a sprawling landscape for scum to explore
Writing: Not terribly text heavy with alternately descriptive and instructive prose
Art/design: Fairly straightforward layouts with a wide range of art; obligatory yellow and pink
Usability: PDF comes in HD and SD versions to accommodate user needs; also include some hex tiles for exploring Purgatory
Queen Hate
Concept: “The Queen was betrayed... Hate kept her alive, warping her body and her prison... those who lost everything bow before her.”
Content: A nauseating, poison shrouded temple to bile and frothing rage.
Writing: Consistent theme and tone throughout. Filled to bursting with literal and symbolic bile.
Art/design: Consistent design cues in a clean practical design. Plus, a disturbingly grainy image of Queen Hate herself.
Usability: Clean map, clear sensory references for crucial elements. Encounters do hop from room to room. Some DM review prior to the session is advisable.
Content: A nauseating, poison shrouded temple to bile and frothing rage.
Writing: Consistent theme and tone throughout. Filled to bursting with literal and symbolic bile.
Art/design: Consistent design cues in a clean practical design. Plus, a disturbingly grainy image of Queen Hate herself.
Usability: Clean map, clear sensory references for crucial elements. Encounters do hop from room to room. Some DM review prior to the session is advisable.
Quest for the Murder Sword
Concept: “Kharkrazh the Dying finally fell, and around his withering bones cultists and cannibals dug […] in search of a blade most foul.”
Content: A system-neutral crawl through a corpse
Writing: Devoted to populating and characterizing the dungeon
Art/design: The larger map is very expressive
Usability: The secondary descriptive map makes navigation fast and efficient
Content: A system-neutral crawl through a corpse
Writing: Devoted to populating and characterizing the dungeon
Art/design: The larger map is very expressive
Usability: The secondary descriptive map makes navigation fast and efficient
*Published under CC BY 3.0; not technically Mörk Borg content, but related in theme, spirit, and authorship
Rattus Norvegicus
Concept: “The base of operation for the fearsome plague-bearing Rätfölk”
Content: A 9-room, ratfolk-infested dungeon with hooks, rumors, random encounters, loot, and shit torches
Writing: Straightforward and clear with well-placed alliterative flourishes and snark
Art/design: Primarily typographical but efficient and easily navigable
Usability: Linearly organized and includes separate GM and player maps
Reclaim Your Corpse
Concept:
“Your mind stews in total darkness
“Your mind stews in total darkness
Your ears listen to a busy bone saw
You wake in a meat cart...”
Content: “A quick meat-punk dungeon crawl”
Writing: A straightforward dungeon complicated by a few missing limbs and a follow-on hex crawl with the opportunity to earn a few more.
Art/design: Art and design reconstituted from constituent parts of varying styles.
Usability: Best not to take for granted the limb-itations of your scvm.
Content: “A quick meat-punk dungeon crawl”
Writing: A straightforward dungeon complicated by a few missing limbs and a follow-on hex crawl with the opportunity to earn a few more.
Art/design: Art and design reconstituted from constituent parts of varying styles.
Usability: Best not to take for granted the limb-itations of your scvm.
Rugose Kohn’s Misery’s Keep
Concept: “an independent production by Rugose Kohn… 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: A efficient, organized, and evocative little book, with well-placed illustrations to inspire theatre of the mind gameplay.
Usability: Kohn made me do crafts. It requires scissors, and glue if you’re into that sort of thing.
Content: A miserable keep-crawl, redecorated, again.
Writing: A dastardly villain, a towering castle, treasure to steal, and dolls…
Art/design: A efficient, organized, and evocative little book, with well-placed illustrations to inspire theatre of the mind gameplay.
Usability: Kohn made me do crafts. It requires scissors, and glue if you’re into that sort of thing.
Scarlet Descent
Concept: “A submission to the Babalonian Jam!”
Content: A no-frills dungeon with plenty of character
Writing: Lean and efficient delivery of information and mechanical elements
Art/design: An isometric map clearly coordinated with well-delineated room descriptions
Usability: Open-ended so GMs can work it into their game however they see fit
Content: A no-frills dungeon with plenty of character
Writing: Lean and efficient delivery of information and mechanical elements
Art/design: An isometric map clearly coordinated with well-delineated room descriptions
Usability: Open-ended so GMs can work it into their game however they see fit
Scarlet Descent: Black Obelisk
Concept: A sequel to the Scarlet Descent dungeon
Content: 8 weird and macabre rooms with unique hazards and challenges
Writing: Vivid descriptions of scenery with a fourth-wall breach and hints at future entries in the series
Art/design: Each room’s points of interest are clearly delineated for easy reference during play; facing-page descriptions and map shows off the latter’s artistic inversion
Usability: Numbering correlate descriptions to map locations (ordered bottom up, right to left)
Content: 8 weird and macabre rooms with unique hazards and challenges
Writing: Vivid descriptions of scenery with a fourth-wall breach and hints at future entries in the series
Art/design: Each room’s points of interest are clearly delineated for easy reference during play; facing-page descriptions and map shows off the latter’s artistic inversion
Usability: Numbering correlate descriptions to map locations (ordered bottom up, right to left)
Schmatzer, Aufhocker und wo man sie findet
Concept: “Two monsters […] some scenario seeds you can roll up and a small dungeon”
Content: See concept
Writing: Monster entries provide sufficient context while the dungeon is clear and concise
Art/design: Monsters are well organized with appropriate illustrations; dungeon is primarily typographical, which guides reading, but includes a map and a creepy crayfish-baby
Usability: A bit of a variety pack; straightforward and easy to navigate
Content: See concept
Writing: Monster entries provide sufficient context while the dungeon is clear and concise
Art/design: Monsters are well organized with appropriate illustrations; dungeon is primarily typographical, which guides reading, but includes a map and a creepy crayfish-baby
Usability: A bit of a variety pack; straightforward and easy to navigate
Seven Hells and a Dead Paradise
Concept: “in this book you will find Seven Hells to inflict upon your players, and one Dead Paradise. Tie them all together with a Hellish table-crawl, the Eightfold Crypt of the King Orzog”
Content: Seven hells, a lost paradise, a tormented class, body parts, and a dread king’s crypt.
Writing: The history and cosmos of dead gods conveyed in 13 spreads worth of tables and dungeon.
Art/design: Excellent use of public domain imagery as inspiration for the various locals. Tortured sketches of divine punishment.
Usability: Enough material here to flesh out many settings. With an index to use them piecemeal or whole.
Content: Seven hells, a lost paradise, a tormented class, body parts, and a dread king’s crypt.
Writing: The history and cosmos of dead gods conveyed in 13 spreads worth of tables and dungeon.
Art/design: Excellent use of public domain imagery as inspiration for the various locals. Tortured sketches of divine punishment.
Usability: Enough material here to flesh out many settings. With an index to use them piecemeal or whole.
ShadowClink
Concept: “Escape the dungeon of the Shadow King!”
Content: An adventure for the Sölitary Defilement solo-play ruleset; includes scenario setup, encounters, NPCs, special rooms, and rules for backtracking
Writing: Well written and easy to read with evocative language that helps build the experience
Art/design: Designed and laid out for clarity and ease of use, but the colors and chain graphics provide some appropriate character
Usability: Requires Sölitary Defilement to play solo, but also makes a pretty good random dungeon generator for standard play as well
Content: An adventure for the Sölitary Defilement solo-play ruleset; includes scenario setup, encounters, NPCs, special rooms, and rules for backtracking
Writing: Well written and easy to read with evocative language that helps build the experience
Art/design: Designed and laid out for clarity and ease of use, but the colors and chain graphics provide some appropriate character
Usability: Requires Sölitary Defilement to play solo, but also makes a pretty good random dungeon generator for standard play as well
Skin Job
Concept: “More scum have disappeared in the Blood Tree Wood in the past year than normal. No bodies have been found in more than a year.”
Content: A desperate search for missing persons in the Blood Tree Wood, destined to uncover more than bargained for.
Writing: Established adventure setting with clear NPC motivation, local economy, and culture. Accessible encounter tables and game aids extend the suffering.
Art/design: Michael Harmon’s signature crisp detailed line art style with some Mörk Borg design sensibilities in a (slightly) more traditional layout.
Usability: Optimized for use both as pdf and print. With conveniently located reference tables at the beginning and end of the text, mini maps with room descriptions, and pdf bookmarks.
Content: A desperate search for missing persons in the Blood Tree Wood, destined to uncover more than bargained for.
Writing: Established adventure setting with clear NPC motivation, local economy, and culture. Accessible encounter tables and game aids extend the suffering.
Art/design: Michael Harmon’s signature crisp detailed line art style with some Mörk Borg design sensibilities in a (slightly) more traditional layout.
Usability: Optimized for use both as pdf and print. With conveniently located reference tables at the beginning and end of the text, mini maps with room descriptions, and pdf bookmarks.
Slasher Zine / Jam Compilation
18 contributors
“Slasher Jam was a jam I ran over the course of October 2021 that got 20 entries. I have compiled those entries into 2 volumes. Volume 1 contains classes, items, and monsters. Volume 2 contains the adventures of Slasher Jam.” – Michael Mars, ed.
Slaughterhouse Citadel
Concept: “Inspired by Death's album Scream Bloody Gore”
Content: Includes 11 rooms, 10 tables for room clutter and wandering monsters (just in case the other hazards and inhabitants weren’t lethal enough)
Writing: Descriptions of rooms and inhabitants are filled with grim, gritty, multi-sensory imagery
Art/design: Features loads of original art; palette is dominated by red and muted yellow, creating a gory and noxious ambience
Usability: Incorporates high-level internal links in ToC and at the bottom of pages for fast navigation; random monster table includes page references for print-inclined GMs
Content: Includes 11 rooms, 10 tables for room clutter and wandering monsters (just in case the other hazards and inhabitants weren’t lethal enough)
Writing: Descriptions of rooms and inhabitants are filled with grim, gritty, multi-sensory imagery
Art/design: Features loads of original art; palette is dominated by red and muted yellow, creating a gory and noxious ambience
Usability: Incorporates high-level internal links in ToC and at the bottom of pages for fast navigation; random monster table includes page references for print-inclined GMs
Stone and Rock
Concept: “Searching for a lost treasure in a cave at the base of a mountain, wrong turns in a maze of tunnels only took you fumbling deeper into the earth.”
Content: An abstract dungeon bursting with content
Writing: Copious instructions for travel, tables for encounters, stat blocks for denizens, and some unique loot
Art/design: Background adds color and character, but mostly devoted to text
Usability: Much enhanced by arrows connecting relevant sections of text
Tajemnice Eterycznej Twierdzy
Concept: “Widoczne w oddali ruiny twierdzy zakrzywiają otaczającą rzeczywistość. Światło wydaje się być wciągane wgłąb czarnych murów. Dlaczego tu przyszliście? To teraz bez znaczenia. Ważniejsze jest czy i jak stąd wyjdziecie.”
Content: A time-frozen, flesh-warping, light-sucking fortress crawl.
Writing: An entertaining mix of motivated factions in a situation that’s ready to spiral out of control. In short, a good night of Mörk Borg.
Art/design: Dark and menacing AI-generated figures haunt a simple map in a tri-fold layout.
Usability: Organized into clear sections, legible, Polish.
Content: A time-frozen, flesh-warping, light-sucking fortress crawl.
Writing: An entertaining mix of motivated factions in a situation that’s ready to spiral out of control. In short, a good night of Mörk Borg.
Art/design: Dark and menacing AI-generated figures haunt a simple map in a tri-fold layout.
Usability: Organized into clear sections, legible, Polish.
Take then thy bond
Concept: “The voice inside your head commands you: Travel to the wastelands and find the wretched peak. Scour its halls. Bring me its heart, the rest of the treasure is yours.”
Content: A putrid pyramid crawl full of heart—and other organs.
Writing: Encounters are lively and responsive, often in unexpected ways. Pregnant with activity.
Art/design: Bold cover art of the titular encounter. Table of contents and mini-map layout aid in navigating this moderately sized adventure.
Usability: Encounter descriptions diminish accidental revelations. Surprises reach player and GM simultaneously.
Content: A putrid pyramid crawl full of heart—and other organs.
Writing: Encounters are lively and responsive, often in unexpected ways. Pregnant with activity.
Art/design: Bold cover art of the titular encounter. Table of contents and mini-map layout aid in navigating this moderately sized adventure.
Usability: Encounter descriptions diminish accidental revelations. Surprises reach player and GM simultaneously.
Tame Your Demons
Concept: “‘Come! Come! Sit with me. Let us bask in the glorious light of the Prescient Flame. Gaze into its depths. The Flame sees all. What do you see?’
—Seskel the Flamekeeper”
Content: A tallow-melting, candle-burning, demon-facing altar crawl.
Writing: An atmospheric and sensory experience suitable to horror and suspense.
Art/design: A single-column adventure with simple spot illustrations and a clear top-down dungeon map.
Usability: Organized and system neutral, with stats for Mörk Borg and 5e D&D.
Content: A tallow-melting, candle-burning, demon-facing altar crawl.
Writing: An atmospheric and sensory experience suitable to horror and suspense.
Art/design: A single-column adventure with simple spot illustrations and a clear top-down dungeon map.
Usability: Organized and system neutral, with stats for Mörk Borg and 5e D&D.
Teind of Álfheim
Concept: “An experimental sonnet, adventure, and bestiary”
Content: A relatively brief but compelling, supernatural dungeon
Writing: Poetic text reinforces the dark, haunted theme and provides DM with inspiration as well as interpretive flexibility
Art/design: Some extremely rich colors with A LOT of creepy baby doll faces, even by Mörk Borg standards
Usability: Paginated by room for easy operation
Content: A relatively brief but compelling, supernatural dungeon
Writing: Poetic text reinforces the dark, haunted theme and provides DM with inspiration as well as interpretive flexibility
Art/design: Some extremely rich colors with A LOT of creepy baby doll faces, even by Mörk Borg standards
Usability: Paginated by room for easy operation
Temple of the Kraken God
Concept: “‘Steer a ship into the unknown, carry our hopes to alien shores, and restore our destiny.’”
Content: An adventure filled with maritime weirdness and cosmic horror; includes a corruption rule
Writing: Sharp and esoteric in descriptive text but clear and efficient when addressing mechanics
Art/design: A variety of layouts and visual styles ranging from brooding to vibrant
Usability: Isolated island setting makes this a good option for anyone seeking a survival-horror adventure
Content: An adventure filled with maritime weirdness and cosmic horror; includes a corruption rule
Writing: Sharp and esoteric in descriptive text but clear and efficient when addressing mechanics
Art/design: A variety of layouts and visual styles ranging from brooding to vibrant
Usability: Isolated island setting makes this a good option for anyone seeking a survival-horror adventure
Temple of Trechery
Concept: “An LSD trip of an adventure for Mörk Borg”
Content: As above (so below).
Writing: A deeply rooted plot that’s sure to decay into a psychedelic trip, whether idylic or hellish is up to your scvm.
Art/design: A collection of print illustrations, and a few tastefully generated portraits which produce that strange hallucinatory feeling.
Usability: Well-organized and flexible. Available in German, with English translation in the works.
Content: As above (so below).
Writing: A deeply rooted plot that’s sure to decay into a psychedelic trip, whether idylic or hellish is up to your scvm.
Art/design: A collection of print illustrations, and a few tastefully generated portraits which produce that strange hallucinatory feeling.
Usability: Well-organized and flexible. Available in German, with English translation in the works.
The Bastard of the Badlands
Concept: “Whoever claims the Bastard will have the power to rule over the land. Or to destroy it.”
Content: A frozen-wasteland-themed dungeon; also includes the badlands ranger character class
Writing: Nice descriptions but not as grimly humorous as Mörk Borg’s standard
Art/design: Also a departure from the standard, but does evoke a sense of place
Usability: Occasionally substitutes D20 terms like “check” and “AC”
Content: A frozen-wasteland-themed dungeon; also includes the badlands ranger character class
Writing: Nice descriptions but not as grimly humorous as Mörk Borg’s standard
Art/design: Also a departure from the standard, but does evoke a sense of place
Usability: Occasionally substitutes D20 terms like “check” and “AC”
The Book of Vile Dungeons
“A collection of one-page, one-shot dungeons”
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 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 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 Samaritan
“There's horror lurking beneath an abandoned church. Walk away and stay alive or interfere and prepare to run for your life!”
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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 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 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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.”
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
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.
Warped Grotto’s Misery’s Keep
Concept: “an independent production by Joonas R… 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: A lightly distressed tri-fold pamphlet design with a clever pastel palette with vibrating blue highlights to draw the eye.
Usability: Available in printer friendly, or lively pastel.
Content: A miserable keep-crawl, redecorated, again.
Writing: A dastardly villain, a towering castle, treasure to steal, and dolls…
Art/design: A lightly distressed tri-fold pamphlet design with a clever pastel palette with vibrating blue highlights to draw the eye.
Usability: Available in printer friendly, or lively pastel.
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