Rules
Optional and alternative rules.
Being Dead
Concept: “A guide to being undead/already dead”
Content: Rules for becoming undead and playing an undead character
Writing: Provides a lot of character and mechanical options for the recently deceased with an undercurrent of sardonic wit
Art/design: Typography and visual elements clearly delineates sections and individual points
Usability: A handy, straightforward way to hang onto a beloved character for a little longer
Content: Rules for becoming undead and playing an undead character
Writing: Provides a lot of character and mechanical options for the recently deceased with an undercurrent of sardonic wit
Art/design: Typography and visual elements clearly delineates sections and individual points
Usability: A handy, straightforward way to hang onto a beloved character for a little longer
Beyond Deep
9 contributors
Concept: “The secluded mining town of Bereleah has been ground down by the exploitation of Thunder Trove Mining, its inhabitants grasping for survival at the treacherous edge...”
Content: A company town atop a Black Rock pit of horrors. 6 locations, 6 side quests, 11 artifacts (14 if you count cursed ones), 7 NPCs, and 10 monsters.
Writing: A moral quagmire inspired by the complex relationships and power imbalances of mining communities.
Art/design: Coarse, gritty, and at times dark illustrations and isometric maps in a rich black and white format. Organized two-column layout.
Usability: Highly legible. Available as a soft cover or pdf.
Content: A company town atop a Black Rock pit of horrors. 6 locations, 6 side quests, 11 artifacts (14 if you count cursed ones), 7 NPCs, and 10 monsters.
Writing: A moral quagmire inspired by the complex relationships and power imbalances of mining communities.
Art/design: Coarse, gritty, and at times dark illustrations and isometric maps in a rich black and white format. Organized two-column layout.
Usability: Highly legible. Available as a soft cover or pdf.
Blackpowder Basics
Concept: “Unleash havoc with this set of rules featuring devastating blackpowder weaponry.”
Content: Includes rules for historic firearms, blackpowder mishaps, and a gun-toting character class
Writing: Clear delivery of more-complicated-than-average weapon mechanics
Art/design: On-brand use of color, type, and visual arrangements
Usability: Well laid out in discrete sections and easy to navigate
Blood to the Flames
Concept: “Some blood themed content”
Content: Tithe for the blood countess.
Writing: Bloody simple, sensuous, and effective.
Art/design: A spacious and symbolic design.
Usability: Uses 5e style advantage mechanics.
Content: Tithe for the blood countess.
Writing: Bloody simple, sensuous, and effective.
Art/design: A spacious and symbolic design.
Usability: Uses 5e style advantage mechanics.
Bloodred Sludge
Concept: “Converting MÖRK BORG (or any other OSR system) to Lichoma doesn’t have to be difficult.”
Content: A walkthrough conversion of Rotblack Sludge for Lichoma.
Writing: A conversational tone that presents both the results and thought processes behind them.
Art/design: A hybrid of the Rotblack Sludge and Lichoma design, with creature illustrations in Lichoma’s visual style.
Usability: Best if treated as a tutorial or exercise. Mark up a copy of Rotblack Sludge.
Content: A walkthrough conversion of Rotblack Sludge for Lichoma.
Writing: A conversational tone that presents both the results and thought processes behind them.
Art/design: A hybrid of the Rotblack Sludge and Lichoma design, with creature illustrations in Lichoma’s visual style.
Usability: Best if treated as a tutorial or exercise. Mark up a copy of Rotblack Sludge.
Bludgeon, Shatter and Pierce
Concept: “A variety of tools to use in combat and to make fights more interesting”
Content: Variant rules for rolling weapons at character creation, a tiered weapons table, weapon characteristics (and restrictions for using them), and mechanics for weapon availability
Writing: Primarily instructional with some creative flourish in categorizing PC types
Art/design: Readable body text with more stylistic typefaces for the headers; traditional and grunge highlighting help draw attention to section headings
Usability: Adds some complexity to weapons and combat but at a manageable level; good for groups seeking a little more tactical crunch
Content: Variant rules for rolling weapons at character creation, a tiered weapons table, weapon characteristics (and restrictions for using them), and mechanics for weapon availability
Writing: Primarily instructional with some creative flourish in categorizing PC types
Art/design: Readable body text with more stylistic typefaces for the headers; traditional and grunge highlighting help draw attention to section headings
Usability: Adds some complexity to weapons and combat but at a manageable level; good for groups seeking a little more tactical crunch
Bogfolk’s Teeth
Concept: “We’ll be bringing new molars- er, morsels, of accursed content...”
Content: Tooth extraction made easy.
Writing: Purposefully perilous dental operations for some twisted new teeth.
Art/design: Got that classic child skull look for extra tooth action.
Usability: Please don’t bite your dentist, it causes infection.
Content: Tooth extraction made easy.
Writing: Purposefully perilous dental operations for some twisted new teeth.
Art/design: Got that classic child skull look for extra tooth action.
Usability: Please don’t bite your dentist, it causes infection.
Bonfire Bound
Concept: “Night has fallen in this once great land. Where eternal fires illuminated the great reign of the Lords, now only ashes and glowing embers remain.”
Content: A souls-like setting with “undead player characters, dodging, parrying, backstabbing, invading phantoms and the looming threat of going hollow.”
Writing: Rules that place emphasis on equipment attributes and a risk-reward reaction system to abstract strategic gameplay.
Art/design: A two-columned structure with dark and opulently recolored prints.
Usability: A functional but ongoing work in progress. Still in development.
Content: A souls-like setting with “undead player characters, dodging, parrying, backstabbing, invading phantoms and the looming threat of going hollow.”
Writing: Rules that place emphasis on equipment attributes and a risk-reward reaction system to abstract strategic gameplay.
Art/design: A two-columned structure with dark and opulently recolored prints.
Usability: A functional but ongoing work in progress. Still in development.
Book of Misery
“50+ pages of despair and misery, including more classes, weapons, monsters and adventures”
Boring & Useless
“You loot the corpse of your fallen foe. Searching frantically through its pockets, pouches and bags you find...”
Bork Borg
Concept: “Drastically increases the quantity and variety of dog options”
Content: Dog breeds, dog-related items, an optional dog-based class, rules for dog PCs (with their own optional classes), and a dog-centered adventure
Writing: Clearly and affectionately written with a clever shift to the dog’s POV in the dog-PC section
Art/design: Designed for easy reading and navigation with graphic touches like a dog-head border and pawprints across pages
Usability: Sit. Stay. Good.
Content: Dog breeds, dog-related items, an optional dog-based class, rules for dog PCs (with their own optional classes), and a dog-centered adventure
Writing: Clearly and affectionately written with a clever shift to the dog’s POV in the dog-PC section
Art/design: Designed for easy reading and navigation with graphic touches like a dog-head border and pawprints across pages
Usability: Sit. Stay. Good.
Box of Shadows
Concept: “The dry cracked earth of the city now spews a scentless dark black fog. … Rumors of this substance taking form and hunting down those that travel without a lamp or torch have become ever more prevalent.”
Content: A sprawling sandbox-style adventure set amidst a sinister miasma emerging in Grift
Writing: Incorporates copious descriptions, in-game documents, and random tables to add flavor to play; also includes numerous monsters, NPCs, and items
Art/design: Incorporates original and found art into exuberant designs and diverse layouts
Usability: Includes copious reference sheets, handouts, and topic-specific indices for GMs and players to use during play; GM-eyes-only material is segregated to facilitate more exciting solo play
Content: A sprawling sandbox-style adventure set amidst a sinister miasma emerging in Grift
Writing: Incorporates copious descriptions, in-game documents, and random tables to add flavor to play; also includes numerous monsters, NPCs, and items
Art/design: Incorporates original and found art into exuberant designs and diverse layouts
Usability: Includes copious reference sheets, handouts, and topic-specific indices for GMs and players to use during play; GM-eyes-only material is segregated to facilitate more exciting solo play
Bunker Busters
Concept: “journey through the irradiated wasteland, scavenging for supplies and fighting off hoardes of ravenous mutant and blood-thirsty raiders.”
Content: An irradiated wasteland of careening cars, bloody bunkers, scavengers, and survivors. Complete with standalone rules, a character sheet, and a starter adventure.
Writing: Understated, clear, and economical style that conserves its limited resources.
Art/design: Wasteland weapons and vehicles punctuate a plain text experience
Usability: Legible, organized, and printer-friendly design.
Content: An irradiated wasteland of careening cars, bloody bunkers, scavengers, and survivors. Complete with standalone rules, a character sheet, and a starter adventure.
Writing: Understated, clear, and economical style that conserves its limited resources.
Art/design: Wasteland weapons and vehicles punctuate a plain text experience
Usability: Legible, organized, and printer-friendly design.
Buy Low, Sell, DIE
“Keep your finances up to date with d40 financial headlines in a messed up future city.”
Börk Morgue #666
Concept: “An unofficial zine for a Dying World with words and design”
Content: Random tables, optional rules for dice & powers & armor/weapons/combat, pointy teeth, monsters & NPCs … and a Börk Morgue & a Maus Borg
Writing: Presented with a personable tone with plenty of wry wit
Art/design: Loaded with Mörk Borg aesthetic elements, color, and some creative layouts
Usability: Adds some deeper complexity in some areas (especially complex) and some irreverent variety all around
Content: Random tables, optional rules for dice & powers & armor/weapons/combat, pointy teeth, monsters & NPCs … and a Börk Morgue & a Maus Borg
Writing: Presented with a personable tone with plenty of wry wit
Art/design: Loaded with Mörk Borg aesthetic elements, color, and some creative layouts
Usability: Adds some deeper complexity in some areas (especially complex) and some irreverent variety all around
Böwhoss’ handbook: notes on internal ignition
Concept: “In this volume you will find the most noteworthy, dangerous and strange encounters of my recent voyages.”
Content: A variety of NPCs, monsters, and other hazards as well as a new scroll, a malevolent mushroom, an optional Misery-related madness, a relatively benign tavern, and a much less benign inn
Writing: The first-person POV and travelogue style have a folksy and often irreverent tone
Art/design: Typefaces, engravings, and paintings reinforce the concept while other graphic elements lend some insidious and esoteric atmosphere
Usability: Includes player-facing handouts that include lore but no mechanics or GM-specific information
Content: A variety of NPCs, monsters, and other hazards as well as a new scroll, a malevolent mushroom, an optional Misery-related madness, a relatively benign tavern, and a much less benign inn
Writing: The first-person POV and travelogue style have a folksy and often irreverent tone
Art/design: Typefaces, engravings, and paintings reinforce the concept while other graphic elements lend some insidious and esoteric atmosphere
Usability: Includes player-facing handouts that include lore but no mechanics or GM-specific information
Carousing in the Dying World
Concept: “A PC can ‘get better’ […] by carousing.”
Content: Spend money and time to increase attributes and gain traits, items, recruits, etc.; clever use of simultaneous dice rolls
Writing: Clear and thoroughly entertaining
Art/design: Subdued but easy on the eyes
Usability: GM may need to consult additional supplements; in itself, perfectly usable
This entry was sponsored by the creator as part of the Ex Libris RPG crowdfunding campaign.
“I paid $50 just to tell you that I made this in Microsoft PowerPoint. Also, in hindsight, it is sorely lacking in pulsating anuses. Ani? Eh. You get it.”
Content: Spend money and time to increase attributes and gain traits, items, recruits, etc.; clever use of simultaneous dice rolls
Writing: Clear and thoroughly entertaining
Art/design: Subdued but easy on the eyes
Usability: GM may need to consult additional supplements; in itself, perfectly usable
This entry was sponsored by the creator as part of the Ex Libris RPG crowdfunding campaign.
“I paid $50 just to tell you that I made this in Microsoft PowerPoint. Also, in hindsight, it is sorely lacking in pulsating anuses. Ani? Eh. You get it.”
Cast Away
Concept: “Souls will grow and wither as the ages pass, joining the sand that welcomes new, desperate Castaways to its shores.”
Content: Standalone island survival horror. Full of mysteries, afflictions, and terrors both supernatural and mercilessly mundane.
Writing: A gorgeous set of core mechanics to keep your Castaways tired, injured, hungry, and desperate. With a whimsically brooding setting that will leave them feeling haunted and curious.
Art/design: A collection of soft and vibrant illustrations (often recontextualized) with haunting marginalia builds the sense of wonder and suspense matching the setting's tone.
Usability: Pragmatically organized for reference and play.
Content: Standalone island survival horror. Full of mysteries, afflictions, and terrors both supernatural and mercilessly mundane.
Writing: A gorgeous set of core mechanics to keep your Castaways tired, injured, hungry, and desperate. With a whimsically brooding setting that will leave them feeling haunted and curious.
Art/design: A collection of soft and vibrant illustrations (often recontextualized) with haunting marginalia builds the sense of wonder and suspense matching the setting's tone.
Usability: Pragmatically organized for reference and play.
Castaway - Stranded
Concept: “Wash up alone or with other castaways to suffer cooperatively and make your own way with our unique Paths system for GM-less play.”
Content: A solo-play supplement for Castaway, with oracles and tools for daily life and strange encounters on a desolate island.
Writing: New mechanics for solo play that capture the grinding and haunting decline of the original.
Art/design: A desolate, ink-splattered, pastel hellscapes of desperate and wild beauty.
Usability: Castaway – now playable on your own deserted island.
Content: A solo-play supplement for Castaway, with oracles and tools for daily life and strange encounters on a desolate island.
Writing: New mechanics for solo play that capture the grinding and haunting decline of the original.
Art/design: A desolate, ink-splattered, pastel hellscapes of desperate and wild beauty.
Usability: Castaway – now playable on your own deserted island.
Challengers of Vanth
Concept: “Challengers of Vanth is renting a VHS from the sci-fi rack at the neighborhood video rental shop after midnight.”
Content: A parody of 70s science-fiction/fantasy pop culture, seen through adolescence, writ Mörk Borg.
Writing: Restructures Mörk Borg to better incorporate TRUE SCIENTIFIC REALISM, with significantly expanded abilities, and interactions between scientific and primitive technologies.
Art/design: Retains the character of early RPG illustration and design.
Usability: A substantial core rulebook, bestiary, starter adventure, and excel character generator as separate files.
Content: A parody of 70s science-fiction/fantasy pop culture, seen through adolescence, writ Mörk Borg.
Writing: Restructures Mörk Borg to better incorporate TRUE SCIENTIFIC REALISM, with significantly expanded abilities, and interactions between scientific and primitive technologies.
Art/design: Retains the character of early RPG illustration and design.
Usability: A substantial core rulebook, bestiary, starter adventure, and excel character generator as separate files.
Cities of the Dying Land
Concept: “A city generator”
Content: Two dozen tables to create a living, breathing settlement
Writing: Tons of little details to add real personality to locations
Art/design: Good use of Mörk-Borgy colors while being easy on the eyes; physical version glows under a black light (awesome)
Usability: Keep a notepad handy; there are too many characteristics to remember unaided
Content: Two dozen tables to create a living, breathing settlement
Writing: Tons of little details to add real personality to locations
Art/design: Good use of Mörk-Borgy colors while being easy on the eyes; physical version glows under a black light (awesome)
Usability: Keep a notepad handy; there are too many characteristics to remember unaided
Convoke What Doom Ye Angels Hath Wrought!
Concept: “A wild ride through desolation and back again.”
Content: Hellish machinations and their pilots, Angels of Sin and sigils carved in flesh, adventures in “the broken earth”.
Writing: Apocalyptic in both scope and tone. Sweeping. Violent. Occasionally biblical.
Art/design: A frenetic collage style recontextualizes public domain imagery into a tortured reality. Rules organized in a distressed newspaper layout.
Usability: Stylized language may require the occasional divine inspiration.
Content: Hellish machinations and their pilots, Angels of Sin and sigils carved in flesh, adventures in “the broken earth”.
Writing: Apocalyptic in both scope and tone. Sweeping. Violent. Occasionally biblical.
Art/design: A frenetic collage style recontextualizes public domain imagery into a tortured reality. Rules organized in a distressed newspaper layout.
Usability: Stylized language may require the occasional divine inspiration.
Corpse Collective
Concept: “They say the world is dying, but we at the corpse collective know the truth. It just needs to be remade. Ground down to bone dust, kneaded into meat dough, and baked to perfection.”
Content: Your friendly local cult of corpse grinders and soul stealers.
Writing: A discursive introduction to a resurrection cult for scvm with discontinuity issues.
Art/design: Robed figures tend to corpse grinding over plain text.
Usability: Written in setting, but easy to adapt to simple rules.
Content: Your friendly local cult of corpse grinders and soul stealers.
Writing: A discursive introduction to a resurrection cult for scvm with discontinuity issues.
Art/design: Robed figures tend to corpse grinding over plain text.
Usability: Written in setting, but easy to adapt to simple rules.
Creatures of the Dying World 3
Concept: “...in which he mines the alien world of insects to produce Lovecraftian Things that Should Not Be.”
Content: 19 sanity-shaking creatures. d66 delusional prompts to manage the fallout.
Writing: A thorough mix of indescribable humor and horror. With a fantastical sanity system that won’t take your players out of the game.
Art/design: Impressionistic and inked illustrations capture both the silly and the strange.
Usability: Text which balances between utility and style from passage to passage.
Content: 19 sanity-shaking creatures. d66 delusional prompts to manage the fallout.
Writing: A thorough mix of indescribable humor and horror. With a fantastical sanity system that won’t take your players out of the game.
Art/design: Impressionistic and inked illustrations capture both the silly and the strange.
Usability: Text which balances between utility and style from passage to passage.
Cthork Borg
Concept: “Gloomy gilded age struggles against cosmic horror”
Content: A full adaptation of the Mörk Borg core system for weird, investigative horror in the early 20th century
Writing: An appropriate mix of clear instructional text with more evocative descriptions
Art/design: More traditional layout and design than some releases, but the colors and illustrations establish the setting and tone well
Usability: At 120 pages, a bit heftier than the norm
Additional supplements for this conversion are available on the creator's itch page.
Content: A full adaptation of the Mörk Borg core system for weird, investigative horror in the early 20th century
Writing: An appropriate mix of clear instructional text with more evocative descriptions
Art/design: More traditional layout and design than some releases, but the colors and illustrations establish the setting and tone well
Usability: At 120 pages, a bit heftier than the norm
Additional supplements for this conversion are available on the creator's itch page.
Cultists of Dying Gods
Concept: “Many of those in the dying world still cling to dying gods—ironically, inquisitors most of all. Most of these dying gods need you to torture or be tortured.”
Content: Includes stats for various cultists and rules for torture and trauma; some interesting rules interactions
Writing: Clear and concise with entertaining cultural and metagame references
Art/design: Nice public domain art (some color-enhanced) sets the tone for individual cults
Usability: Pstress rules are a bit complex but robust rather than complicated
Content: Includes stats for various cultists and rules for torture and trauma; some interesting rules interactions
Writing: Clear and concise with entertaining cultural and metagame references
Art/design: Nice public domain art (some color-enhanced) sets the tone for individual cults
Usability: Pstress rules are a bit complex but robust rather than complicated
Cursed Immortality
Concept: “You’ve been cursed with immortality.” Bummer.
Content: 6 ways characters can survive death (albeit not entirely unscathed)
Writing: Descriptive and punctuated wry comments and mechanics to match
Art/design: Typographical and color choices create a dynamic gestalt while aiding navigation
Usability: Step 1: Get cursed. Step 2: Die. Step 3: See what happens.
D is for Dungeon
Concept: “This Mork Borg Compatible alphabet book is both a functioning children's book (it's been Beta tested by my own sordid progeny) and a collection of useful randomizers.”
Content: “1 Dungeon, 1 Character Class, 1 Magic Omnoculous, 23 Tables to roll on, 26 Flies (or more), 489 Monsters and Beasts to fight, and 1 Voracious Vegetable”
Writing: Maintains a very Mörk Borg tone while still being suitable for children (though they may need some help with the bigger words)
Art/design: Uses a variety of visual styles and has a Mörk Borg aesthetic but avoids subject matter that may upset young readers
Usability: Includes a search-and-find game as well as serving as an alphabet book and a MÖRK BORG
Content: “1 Dungeon, 1 Character Class, 1 Magic Omnoculous, 23 Tables to roll on, 26 Flies (or more), 489 Monsters and Beasts to fight, and 1 Voracious Vegetable”
Writing: Maintains a very Mörk Borg tone while still being suitable for children (though they may need some help with the bigger words)
Art/design: Uses a variety of visual styles and has a Mörk Borg aesthetic but avoids subject matter that may upset young readers
Usability: Includes a search-and-find game as well as serving as an alphabet book and a MÖRK BORG
d666 Names for the Dying World
Concept: “Whenever a PC asks a NPC what the Dying World is called, roll 3d6 and consult this chart. That’s what that NPC thinks the Dying World is called.”
Content: A trio of 6-point tables
Writing: Tongue firmly in cheek
Art/design: Yellow. Pink. Black. Old Newspaper Type. Copperplate Gothic. Good to go.
Usability: Get ready for Die Nohrland
Content: A trio of 6-point tables
Writing: Tongue firmly in cheek
Art/design: Yellow. Pink. Black. Old Newspaper Type. Copperplate Gothic. Good to go.
Usability: Get ready for Die Nohrland
DARK FISH BLADE FORT
Concept: “For an authentic experience, get a fish and a blade, and listen to Murmaider by Dethklok. On repeat.”
Content: A standalone fishblade hack of DARK FORT, with optional co-op rules.
Writing: Puns that are succulently fishy. Mechanics that are seriously blade-y.
Art/design: Awkward man-fish, and fish-saws flop between pages of aquamarine and white.
Usability: Available in full size, A4, and letter format. Included character sheet.
Content: A standalone fishblade hack of DARK FORT, with optional co-op rules.
Writing: Puns that are succulently fishy. Mechanics that are seriously blade-y.
Art/design: Awkward man-fish, and fish-saws flop between pages of aquamarine and white.
Usability: Available in full size, A4, and letter format. Included character sheet.
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