MÖRK BORG, a revolution for tabletop RPGs

The tabletop RPG is generally represented in culture by Dungeons & Dragons, but in these 50 years since the concept of RPGs came into existence, there has been room for all tastes. So much so that they resemble music genres, where the influences of one another keep creating new sounds. Or, in this case, systems and settings.

We were coming out of an indie spring, with the repositioning of some more narrative-driven games like Fiasco, and experiments with new settings and rulings like Numenera. But in the back of the class, some slackers in denim vests and metal patches were preparing something, aiming to revive games with an old school flavor. And like King Diamond's scream in Evil, one day MÖRK BORG showed up to kick some things around in the RPG scene.

What the hell is MÖRK BORG

The game published in 2020 by Swedish publisher Free League Publishing throws a first punch with its art and design. Johan Nohr's work is impeccable; every page is a new dark adventure where colors and artistic choices stand out. As a book-object, you can look at it, read it, and play (without playing) with it for hours. Every detail in every section is fascinating.

MÖRK BORG blends all kinds of styles and references, but the main one is clear: a heavy, dark fantasy concept that is ridiculously metal. This pursuit earned it several ENNIE Awards (the most important awards for tabletop RPGs), including best design, best game, best writing, and product of the year.

The setting, crafted by the other creator, Pelle Nilsson, places our characters in a struggle to survive in the rotting lands of Tveland, where the two-headed basilisk Verhu -- who gives meaning to the region's most important religion -- announces the early arrival of the End Times. Since Verhu has never been wrong with a prophecy, every being in Tveland lives with the anguish of an imminent apocalypse.

Behind that dark beauty, some difficulties hide. The game has a simple system. So simple that it is one of the main criticisms. But on the other hand, the design -- which we still praise and love -- takes priority over everything, making it a complex quest to follow the book's thread, for example when creating a character. In fact, the creators themselves made a text-only, well-organized manual available for free download.

How to play MÖRK BORG

MÖRK BORG is an old school RPG with an easy-to-learn system, few stats, and it is made to be played in its original format, without classes. Although we can also play it with one of the classes it includes, which are clearly not the classic ones but rather more twisted reinterpretations.

The foundation is its setting, but it has another strong point in character creation through rolls on different tables. Building your PC is fun and usually produces strange protagonists who must solve whatever problems come their way with whatever they have on them. Their weapon might be a sword or a femur; they might start with flasks to play alchemist, have a scroll of dark powers, or adopt a pet monkey (which, as the book says, "ignores you but loves you").

Mechanically, it has four stats to resolve everything and a difficulty system to be resolved with d20 dice, adding the bonuses from stats, items, and passive abilities, in that order. There is not much more: the rest is noise. And while the criticisms are understandable, it is also enjoyable to have a basic system with plenty of tables for the Game Master and a focus on narrative.

As part of MÖRK BORG's gimmick, there is an End of the World table where we can choose how close we are to the end and roll on the Miseries Table to see how the universe is doing.

The end of the dungeon

At the beginning I said that MÖRK BORG came to kick some things around, and while it might seem merely superficial, like a good metal album it arrived to influence many. And I mean MANY other games from 2020 onward.

Upon its release, the creators established that the community could create content supported by a Third Party License that allows not only the publication but also the sale of anything you want under the MÖRK BORG brand. From adventures or modules to entirely new titles like Forbidden Psalm, a wargame version with miniatures.

All the info for building your own manuals based on MÖRK BORG's lore or system is available on their website, which is also worth checking out because it has tons of content for the original game, like a dungeon creator or new character archetypes.

MÖRK BORG is not for everyone. If its aesthetic does not grab you, you will find little in its game system to make you want to go deeper. But if metal, dark fantasy in the vein of Dark Souls or Berserk is your thing, you might find your place in a simple yet very rich game full of possibilities and with a massive cult following of people who keep pouring love into this horrible world awaiting the End.