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MÖRK BORG

You’ve most likely seen the artwork and the T-shirts, or maybe you have heard the name. There’s something compelling about Mörk Borg. This acclaimed tabletop role-playing game offers brutal combat, eerie atmosphere, apocalyptic setting, and breathtaking design. Created by Pelle Nilsson and Johan Nohr, Mörk Borg is a unique experience that has created a cult following among players. MÖRK BORG is concise, brutal, humorous, beautiful. And it’s one of the best RPG books we’ve ever read.

At its core, MÖRK BORG is a dungeon dive into grimdark settings from which you may never return. It’s an RPG about darkness, brutal combat, and METAL. Drums hitting so hard that the sludge is splashing up into the artwork kind of metal. It feels like a love letter to the heaviest days of RPGs and Heavy Metal combined, mirroring the artwork you might see on T-shirts from metal and hardcore bands across the decades.

As a game, MÖRK BORG is tight, quick, brutal, and sometimes funny. As you explore the dying world of Mörk Borg, you’ll encounter a variety of deadly creatures, cursed artifacts, and other strange and terrifying phenomena. But what I might like best about this game is the speed at which it moves. Character creation is fast. Battles are quick. Improv is light.

As a book, MÖRK BORG is worth owning as a art piece. It’s gorgeous and deeply thematic, weaving the mechanics and narrative ideas into the palette and layout. You can feel this book was a labor of love for illustrator / designer Johan Nohr. It’s also worth noting that the book is sometimes a bit hard to read due to typeface and color choices. As a side note the book also looks gorgeous under a blacklight (just like your old school metal posters).

The game experience of MÖRK BORG blends horror, nihilism, and black humor with dice mechanics and brutal combat. The game is essentially an old school dungeon crawl set in a bleak and desolate world. To begin the game, players take on the roles of twisted characters like”Fanged Deserter,” “Esoteric Hermit,” or “Occult Herbmaster.” You roll different dice to flesh out your character with equipment, armor, abilities, hit points, and a name – all by way of random tables. Tables are a bit part of this game and the flavors of text that you roll are often funny, gross, or delightful.

MÖRK BORG Dice

From here the game is a combination of more random tables combined with monsters, dungeons, loot, and most likely some death. Mörk Borg uses a variety of dice for its gameplay, including the standard set (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20) and a couple of unique ones: the d66 and the d2. The d66 is actually just two d6s rolled together, with one representing the tens digit and the other the ones digit. This gives you a result between 11 and 66. The d2 is as simple as it gets: just flip a coin or roll a die and call odds or evens. Combat in Mörk Borg is straightforward, utilizing a d20-based system with modifiers based on your character’s abilities and equipment.

Random Tables

Did I mention the random tables? Mörk Borg is full of them. And that’s a compliment as they’re a vital part of the game’s design, allowing for unpredictable and wild outcomes. From generating bizarre and twisted monsters to determining the gruesome fates of fallen characters, random tables inject an element of chaos that’s thematically perfect for this doomed world.

How easy is MÖRK BORG to play?

This is a game of grim atmosphere, dice rolling, tongue-in-cheek darkness, and improvisation. Compared to other role playing games, Mörk Borg is on the lighter end of the spectrum and aligned with other OSR (old school renaissance) books. These types of adventures are usually lighter on rules than modern RPG games.

Download MÖRK BORG PDF Free

Free? That’s right, you can download a text-only version of MÖRK BORG right now, for free, from the official website. You’ll want to grab this PDF because it’s much easier to read than the official book. I grok’d the rules more quickly with this version of the book. On the other hand, you will absolutely want to buy the official book in print or PDF form because it’s gorgeous. One of the nicest RPG books we’ve ever seen – a real work of art.

What Kind of Dice Do I Need for MÖRK BORG?

Mork Borg uses a standard set of (7 or 10) polyhedral dice. You will need an extra d6 die if you use a set of seven RPG dice. The game may mention a d2 to be used in play. For a d2 you can use a coin or you can use any die and pick even or odd. The game also mentions d66. For this roll you will use two d6 dice and use one die for each number in the 66 part of the table.

MÖRK BORG CULT (MBC)

One veryappealing aspect of this game is the collaboration between creators and fans to create supplement adventures, playbooks, maps, music, and media for game experiences. Most of this material is free to download and use. “MÖRK BORG CULT (MBC) is our sub-label for selected, approved and curated MÖRK BORG content written by fans and laid out and illustrated by us. Digital MBC modules will always be free to download here.” You can also find collections of this material in print in the volumes MÖRK BORG CULT: FERETORY and in MÖRK BORG CULT: HERETIC

MÖRK BORG FAQ

What does MÖRK BORG mean?

It’s a Swedish term that can be translated to “Dark Castle” in English. It reflects the game’s dark and foreboding atmosphere, which is characterized by themes of horror, decay, and impending doom. The phrase also reflects the game’s focus on exploration and survival in a hostile and dangerous environment, where players must navigate treacherous dungeons and confront terrifying monsters in order to survive.

Who Created MÖRK BORG?

Pelle Nilsson and Johan Nohr are the creators. They are both game designers and writers based in Sweden.

Pelle Nilsson is a freelance writer and game designer who has worked on several projects in the tabletop gaming industry. He has contributed to games such as Forbidden Lands, Coriolis, and Tales from the Loop. Nilsson is known for his ability to create immersive and engaging game worlds that are rich in detail and atmosphere.

Johan Nohr is a game designer, writer, and illustrator who has worked on a number of role-playing games and other tabletop games. He has contributed to games such as Symbaroum, Tales from the Loop, and Forbidden Lands. Nohr is known for his distinctive visual style, which is characterized by bold linework, intricate details, and a dark sensibility.

Is MÖRK BORG good?

Deliciously so. If you like OSR style RPG games, brutal combat, and doom metal vibes you’ll probably dig it too.

Is MÖRK BORG OSR compatible?

Yes, it is considered OSR (Old-School Revival) compatible. OSR is a movement in tabletop gaming that seeks to recapture the spirit and style of early RPGs, such as Dungeons & Dragons, while incorporating modern design elements and innovations. The game draws inspiration from both the aesthetics and mechanics of these early RPGs, while also incorporating its own unique style and approach to gameplay.

While not a direct emulation of any specific OSR system, it is compatible with many OSR rulesets and supplements. The game’s minimalist approach to mechanics and emphasis on improvisation and creativity make it a natural fit for the OSR style of play, which values player agency and storytelling over complex rules and mechanics.

What does OSR stand for in RPG?

OSR stands for “Old School Revival” or “Old School Renaissance” in the context of tabletop RPGs. It refers to a movement within the RPG community that seeks to recapture the style and feel of RPGs from the 1970s and 1980s, particularly the early editions of Dungeons & Dragons. OSR games typically emphasize player creativity, challenge, and exploration, and often incorporate simpler mechanics and rulesets than more modern RPGs.