Concept: “One of you dregs is plagued with a maddening itch and not only that – the skin is starting to rot. They say Mausoleum Knutha, on the edge of the graveyard Graven-Tosk, holds the only known cure.” Content: A complex and variable (not to mention twisted) crawl through Sarkash Writing: Efficient but vivid descriptions of locations and inhabitants punctuated by grim wit Art/design: Marvelous maps; type design helps map the connections amongst locations and items Usability: Provides checkboxes to track variables (but if you mark this pamphlet, you’re a heathen and you deserve whatever misery befalls you)
*Backer reward for original Kickstarter campaign; special thanks to Johan for providing a copy of this rare little gem
Concept: “In case you run out of the regular character sheet or just really dislike it for whatever reason” Content: An alternative but still official character sheet to use/burn/etc. Writing: Clearly labeled blocks for stats, gear, etc.; the rest is DIY Art/design: Clean, clear art and typography puzzled together to create a dynamic but cohesive visual whole Usability: Available in English and Svenska
Concept: “The catacomb rogue enters the stage.” Content: A solo dungeon crawler; useful as a generator alongside Mörk Borg’s GM tools Writing: Clear and concise; primarily mechanical but with bits of effective descriptive text Art/design: More traditional than Mörk Borg’s, but still atmospheric Usability: Extremely efficient layout
Concept: A “hyper-linear murder gauntlet of a dungeon crawl” Content: Some nasty creatures and permanent effects (including abrupt deaths) Writing: Concisely creates a strange, ominous atmosphere Art/design: Maps are clear without sacrificing visual style Usability: Color and typography strongly supports easy navigation
Concept: “A massively expanded version of the generator found in the back of the core rulebook” Content: Dungeons both many and varied Writing: On par with what you’d expect from demi-official Mörk Borg content Art/design: Elegantly presented Usability: GMs will have to arrange and map the dungeon, but the key pieces are all there
This entry was sponsored by Davide Cavadini as part of the Ex Libris RPG crowdfunding campaign.
Concept: “Brewed by twice-dead druug monks in dank Grift chambers. Imbibed only at funerals or heretical sacrificial rituals.” Content: A Mörk Borg Smoked Stout as black as Nechrubel’s heart.
Writing: Gritty as Gravöl
Art/design: Dark, bold, graven, heretical.
Usability: Stjørdal and Gotlandsdricka malts, foraged juniper, all run through a traditional Kuurna. Available in Cognition's taproom in Ishpeming, MI. Worth a trip.
Concept: “Two devilish hazards every death-defying dungeon delver must learn to avoid.” Content: A living(ish) doorway trap and a melancholic spirit Writing: Adds dimension and depth to concepts Art/design: Illustrations express the monsters’ ephemerality Usability: It’s hard to screw up a Mörk Borg stat block
Concept: “Six unholy monsters from the wonderful roguelike video game” Content: Fundamentally messed up and right at home in Mörk Borg Writing: Provides inspiring descriptions and dynamics Art/design: The videogame’s graphics adapted to Mörk Borg’s aesthetic Usability: Six clearly delineated stat blocks
Concept: “” Content: A graphics resistant, plain-text, free version of Mörk Borg Writing: Mörk Borg, just the text please. Art/design: Decidedly un-hostile design. Warning—Contains banging cover art. Usability: Can’t complain about legibility anymore. Still flammable when printed.
Concept: “We agreed to make this happen, and things were quickly descending into madness.” Content: “19 MINIATURES + a pile of crap” Writing: Probably needed to occur to make such delicious sculpts happen. Art/Design: Deviously Dynamic.Disturbingly detailed. Usability: Soak in dish-soap overnight. Scrub. Remove any flash. Use instant glue. Misery.
Concept: “This horse sized cadaver-like bird moves soundlessly, sneaking into bed chambers at night to inject the sleeping with paralyzing venom” Content: A bird, who paralyzes, and always wins initiative. Writing: Yet more proof that nice names usually denote horrible creatures. Art/design: Screenshot and discord text. Usability: Probably inspired by someone's Elden Ring nightmares.
Concept: “In the dying world of MÖRK BORG your character will probably not last long, so it might be a good idea to print some of these.” Content: The official Mörk Borg character sheet Writing: Includes handy references for carrying capacity, Powers, and Omens Art/design: Well organized without sacrificing ethos and atmosphere Usability: Very
Official versions available in English, Swedish, Italian, French
Concept: “Targ-Dungel. A festering wound upon a dying world. Time and space warp within the malodorous miasma. … This, cursed walker, is where you must go. Into the blight. Into the cold, damp mire.” Content: A bog crawl and soundtrack filled with sludge, corpses, and brutality; also includes the Gilded Wolf character class Writing: The prose resurrects the core book’s weird imagery and ominous tone; mechanics text is accessible and easy to use Art/design: The Mörk Borg style we know and love, but left to putrefy in a swamp Usability: Places three factions in explicit large-scale conflict, creating a complex backdrop for players to explore and GMs to exploit
Concept: “You should never feel the need to flip through the book while you’re killing PCs.” Content: Mörk Borg’s core rules on a single page Writing: Clear and concise Art/design: The standard version puts emphasis on efficiency without sacrificing the characteristic aesthetics; available in printer-friendly and minimal versions Usability: A model of usability
Concept: “On a 1: Sir Lort’s dreaded head flies off, rolling away..” Content: A sword with a zombie head on it. Writing: Simple, elegant, and effective mechanics. Art/design: A gorgeously filthy incapacitated head on a greatsword. Usability: Gorgeously hand-drawn.