Ex Libris Mörk Borg: Monsters & NPCs

Monsters Based on The Binding of Isaac [official web content]
Edmund McMillan, Johan Nohr

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

The Merchant [MBC]
Johnny Carhat, Joakim Hanner, Johan Nohr

Concept: “Eternally he wanders the dying world, bearing a grudge that too will never die.”
Content: A unique NPC hawking curios on the road to wherever
Writing: Descriptive and engaging
Art/design: Extremely characterful
Usability: Linear and efficient

Monster Generator [MBC: Feretory]†
Pelle Nilsson, Johan Nohr

Concept: A random monster generator oozing Mörk Borg’s style and flair
Content: Ingenious dice mechanics lead to bizarre creatures
Writing: “Save the dice. […] Now burn the dice.”
Art/design: Mörk Borg aesthetics in full effect
Usability: Streamlines a slightly complex mechanic; excellent flow

d66 Wretched Travellers to Murder on the Road
Frankenstein Bee

Concept: “Obscene and revolting reasons to never take to the road”
Content: A host of horrifying, revolting, and/or pathetic new friends
Writing: Veritably dripping with gore, viscera, and tears of woe
Art/design: Typographical variation adds variety to the pages
Usability: An easy way to add a lot of grim atmosphere to any journey

Afanc [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Kevin Rahman, Studio D.A.

Concept: “A great beast, part beaver, crocodile, and demon”
Content: A vengefpugotul amphibious behemoth
Writing: A straightforward stat block with artfully composed lore
Art/design: Well laid out with detailed art that leverages stark contrast and organic lines to strong effect
Usability: Straightforward

Aggrieved Village Guardian [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Damien Villa

Concept: “These totems were erected to protect the village from demons and evil spirits. After centuries of thankless service […] They became the very things they were meant to defend against.”
Content: A supernatural guardian turned on its wards—and everyone else
Writing: Some quick background and mechanics
Art/design: Text cant and illustrations convey a sense of how the monsters move in
Usability: Mechanics are split by descriptive text but still distinct and easy to reference

The Ash Peddler [THE END IS NEAR jam]
@skelejam

Concept: “A harbinger of fire & purveyor of potions”
Content: An ostensibly benign NPC peddling 8 fire-themed concoctions
Writing: Brimming with conflagratory character
Art/design: An intuitive layout with Mörk Borg colors and typographical flourishes
Usability: Some more elaborate rules but nothing particularly cumbersome

Basilisks Hate Grundel Fims [Bad-Basilisk Berg-Borg jam]
Karl Druid

Concept: “The heretical bard spewing optimism in the inns of the Dying World”
Content: The all-singing, all-dancing crap of the crappy world
Writing: Includes lore, a stat block, a little ditty, and stats for the patrons it inspires
Art/design: Typographically differentiates the various components, plus a whole lot of basilisks crawling all over everything
Usability: He’ll hit you with his lute, apparently

The Beast of Bremen [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Brian Binh

Concept: “A tangled mass of darkness and flesh—a cock on a cat on a cur on an ass—united by stitches and witches.”
Content: A strange, tenebrous monster based on a 12^th-century German folktale
Writing: Descriptive text is playful and clever; mechanics are clear and concise
Art/design: Silhouette illustrates the concept while contrasting nicely with pink and yellow
Usability: Requires a few rolls each turn—but what GM doesn’t love playing with dice?

Betty Blackteeth [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Harkenstone

Concept: “Her decaying skin, stringy hair, nails and teeth are stained by the peat-blackened waters where she prowls.”
Content: Jenny Greenteeth adapted to the swamps of the Greater Galgenbeck area
Writing: Descriptive text provides character and tactics; stat block includes a chain of nasty Specials
Art/design: Builds the isolated, suffocating atmosphere that defines the monster
Usability: Straightforward and clear

The Birdmen of Mount King [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Jegs

Concept: “Their king obsessed with making his mountains touch the very skies, he invented a new species of creature, obsessed with construction and architecture.”
Content: A race of labyrinth-building bird-people
Writing: Includes a description of their history and purpose alongside stats
Art/design: Appropriately creepy depictions of the subject and their lair
Usability: Easy to use, and its monster-summoning Special makes for difficult, escalating encounters

The Bishop [One Möre Day jam]
Rugose Kohn

Concept: “Devotee of Yesu an de facto leader of the other inquisitors on the island.” For use with The Island of the Dying Gods [30 Days of MÖRK BORG]
Content: A crazed sectarian zealot of an NPC
Writing: A good balance of exposition and in-game mechanics
Art/design: Color and subject evoke an appropriately decaying, apocalyptic tone
Usability: Intuitive

Black Adder [Babalonian jam]
Stein Hansen

Concept: “A submission to the Babalonian jam!”
Content: Danger noodle (sometimes called a nope rope)
Writing: Stat block and a mechanically straightforward but still twisted special ability
Art/design: An object lesson in pictures being worth a thousand words
Usability: Special damage adds more nuance to an already sturdy monster

Black Shuck [Babalonian jam]
Stein Hansen

Concept: “An aphotic fur that almost seems invisible to the naked eye.”
Content: A formidable four-legged opponent
Writing: Quick, concise stat block
Art/design: Relatively conservative but with an expressive illustration
Usability: A challenge for lower- and even mid-level scvm; dog biscuits probably won’t improve its reaction

Blaze Marches East [THE END IS NEAR jam]
@hamildong

Concept: “A fire-breathing, Colchis-complected horse homunculus; a flock of crows strung to it by a cacophony of clanging cables.”
Content: This composite monster doesn’t start fights but will most definitely end them
Writing: Some verse and a paragraph describing behavior; no stats other than damage
Art/design: An excellent illustration and color-coordinated text blocks
Usability: A strong motivator to resolve conflicts without violence

The Bleeding Knight
skree_skree

Concept: “The Bleeding Knight has lost his eyes to a cruel sword stroke in battle. He seeks replacements …”
Content: A heavily armed and armored opponent (but at least he doesn’t have a zweihänder)
Writing: Simple stat block with a dash of flavor
Art/design: Hits the high points of knighthood without being overwhelming
Usability: A simple way to give your players a big combat challenge

Böbö [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Anders Björkelid

Concept: “Small, miserable and desperate to fulfill its purpose, it sneaks around […] hoping at last to see fear in the face of the dying”
Content: A minor bogeyman in a world far more terrifying than it is
Writing: Evokes a sense of pity alongside a simmering undercurrent of malice
Art/design: It’d be cute if it wasn’t so freakin’ creepy
Usability: Not a significant adversary but an interesting opportunity for mischief

BOG [Babalonian jam]
Stein Hansen

Concept: “Submission for Babalonian Jam!”
Content: A handy horror
Writing: A stat block with a pair of Specials
Art/design: Integration of title with illustration is wonderfully creepy and fitting for the concept
Usability: May give PCs the munchies (for hand meat)

Boni, your bone companion [Occult Ossuary]
Owen McGauley

Concept: “A disembodied skull with a penchant for rambling stories of old exploits and griping about how things were better in the good old days.”
Content: Some descriptive text, simple mechanic, and sample commentary
Writing: Straightforward with humor as dry as an old bone
Art/design: Text laid out intuitively around the central image
Usability: Somewhere between an NPC and a magic item; works well as both

Börk Morgue #666 †
Greyson Yandt

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 combat) and some irreverent variety all around

Bovid Sentinel [Babalonian jam]
Raptor Shadow, Jeremy Hart

Concept: “Flesh-forged by a master unknown, destined to stand vigil over a decrepit and abandoned tower”
Content: A beefy guardian monster
Writing: Stat block with descriptions of the monster’s nature and behavior
Art/design: Stats are presented in larger type for quick GM reference
Usability: Simple to run; will probably pose a moderate challenge to melee combatants

Brazierisle Bestiary [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Tragos Games

Concept: “A new territory and six creatures inspired by the Brazilian folklore”
Content: In addition to creatures, includes tables for weather, treasures, natural hazards, corpse plundering, events and hooks, and additional inhabitants
Writing: Provides plenty of descriptive text alongside stat blocks and some tables that add variability to encounters
Art/design: Backgrounds definitely create the sensation of exploring dense, tropical jungles
Usability: The only challenge is deciding which monster to kill your players with

Brimnes™ Beast [IKILLYA jam]
Alex K. Barton

Concept: “Based on the Ikea Brimnes line of beds”
Content: An ambush monster with options for customization, sure to fit any domestic need
Writing: Uses a sterile commercial style to great humorous effect
Art/design: Brilliantly stylized as an advertising brochure
Usability: “Some assembly required”

Burning Vengeance [THE END IS NEAR jam]
SticksToSnakes

Concept: “The kingdom burns. A horde rises from the west to wipe away all. Your hated foes are vulnerable. Seize vengeance before the world is turned to ash!”
Content: 8 targets of revenge and a table of encounters to use when stalking them
Writing: Extremely entertaining
Art/design: Clean, easy-to-use layouts with some expressive artwork
Usability: Straightforward and full of humor; everyone needs a good laugh in the midst of the apocalypse

Buster Bone-Gnawer, Börker of Shadows [Occult Ossuary]
Michael Mars, McKenzie Lee Sprague

Concept: “An ageless hound protects the Dying World from succumbing to Psalm 6:1.”
Content: Stats and abilities for, and boons granted by, scvm’s best friend
Writing: Mostly mechanics but includes some descriptive text to add character
Art/design: Conventional Mörk Borg layout and design with some trippy artwork and an obligatory femur
Usability: This good boi is eager to please

The Butcher of Wästland [Babalonian jam]
Stein Hansen

Concept: “Death is coming, the darkness that will swallow the dawn.”
Content: A spiked meteor hammer to the face
Writing: Descriptive text establishes the tone, and the special ability description provides a concrete image of combat
Art/design: Illustration is gritty and impressionistic but very expressive within a fairly limited palette
Usability: High HP, medium armor, and the potential to do lots of damage make this a challenging opponent

Calo’s Book of Monsters†
Philip Reed, kostiukart

Concept: “Many a scholar, after spending a day with the book, finds that sleep escapes them that night as the haunting vision of the many monsters described in the book consume their imagination.”
Content: 20 monsters as well as a region for them to inhabit and local rumors for PCs to overhear
Writing: Provides lots of exposition on each monster as well as multiple adventure hooks and detailed stat blocks
Art/design: Features detailed black-and-white illustrations against a stylized Mörk Borg-yellow ground
Usability: GMs would be well-advised to read each entry carefully and take note of the copious details

Candyman [FÖLK-LORE jam]
mghoneybee

Concept: “The mere doubt of his existence is enough to draw him forth.”
Content: An undying patron with a malicious streak
Writing: Primarily devotes attention to interaction (rather than combat) mechanics
Art/design: Choices make the document easy to navigate
Usability: May be difficult to read at size or enlarged

Checkmörk
Jacob Marks

Concept: “Deep in chambers beneath Galgenbeck, two armies fight eternally.”
Content: Stats and context for chess-pieces-as-monsters
Writing: Bizarre descriptions, interesting abilities, and lots options for profit
Art/design: Marvelous illustrations; multiple versions, including print-and-fold zine format
Usability: Very good in both grid and paginated forms

Chimera
Olivier Delattre

Concept: “A terrible monster you can use as a starting point for an adventure, or if you think your PCs are way too cool with their lives…”
Content: This amalgamated pile of monster parts got off its magical leash and now everyone’s screwed
Writing: Some quick lore, a stat block with table for multiple attacks, and some vicious specials
Art/design: Repetition of hues and typefaces in different arrangements unifies the document while making each text segment distinct and easy to navigate
Usability: More complex than basic monsters, but the mechanics and rules are simple and intuitive

The Choir of the Dead Gods
Matthias Platzer

Concept: “The eyes were burned out. The ears and nose were cut off. Hands bound for eternal prayer. But singing, yes, they can still sing. Can you hear it?”
Content: The Galgenbeck Boys Choir performs the New Mörk Borg Hymnal
Writing: Mostly stats and Special with some flavor text
Art/design: Original art with an on-brand design
Usability: Pretty straightforward and comprehensible

Creature Feature Quarterly vol. 1
Jeremy Hart

Concept: “17 new monsters for your Mork Borg games”
Content: Entries include stats, descriptions, lore, hooks, tactics, and loot
Writing: Concise stat blocks and lots of elaboration in additional sections
Art/design: Original illustrations of each creature and clearly, consistently delineated text components
Usability: Includes paper minis and VTT tokens; copious layers in the PDF may impede browsing on lower-powered devices

Cü-Síth [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Derek Mayne

Concept: “A large spectral Fey hound”
Content: A folkloric fairy dogs and some hooks for encountering them
Writing: Provides lots of background on behavior and intricate rules for its howl ability
Art/design: Relatively conservative layout and design with enough visual flair to be distinctively Mörky
Usability: Fairly simple mechanics, lots of lore for the GM to play with

Dancing Zweihander
Michal Gottkowski

Concept: “A massive blade, flying effortlessly, leaving behind a silent swoosh and a trail of dismembered corpses.”
Content: A malicious, relentless take on the dancing sword
Writing: Some introductory color text with elaborate Special and table of random actions
Art/design: Vivid colors highlight an abstract vivisection
Usability: Some combat caveats for the DM to keep in mind, but nothing overly complex

Dark Emissary
skree_skree

Concept: “All tithes must be collected and all debts and oaths fulfilled. There will be no deferrals.”
Content: A truly brutal bill collector
Writing: Nicely written, compelling flavor text and Special
Art/design: Atmospheric depiction of the monsters, good use of more subtle colors
Usability: Straightforward description and stat block

Death Rope
Stein Hansen

Concept: “Submission for Babalonian Jam!”
Content: A sneaky centipede that mimics rope and then kills you (hence the name)
Writing: Stats and Special, straight and to the point
Art/design: Skullipede front and center
Usability: A good “gotcha!” hazard for malicious GMs

Deck of Scoundrels†
Philip Reed

Announced

Backer reward for Calo’s Book of Monsters

Demon Dogrider / Hellhound [Babalonian jam]
Michael Mars

Concept: “Your growth has been stunted by a dark pact that binds you to a canid companion and feeds its fury.”
Content: A lance-wielding goblin class with a beastly mount
Writing: Includes standard class profile (the mount, not rider, benefit from class features) and a stat block for the hellhound
Art/design: Text heavy, but uses color to organize sections and highlight important information
Usability: As a composite character, poses certain risks but also provides particular benefits

Discrepants [Babalonian jam]
Ashley Kronebusch

Concept: “Wretched creatures from some far away place, they desire nothing more than to return home. If you help, they promise a great reward.”
Content: Noxious metallic beings from elsewhere
Writing: Contains a stat block and a table of needs and promises
Art/design: Leans into Mörk Borg yellow to establish a toxic sense; abstracted figures create a sense of appearance but leaves room for GM interpretation
Usability: Could serve as an unusual hook for a quest

Dogo and Dream [Babalonian jam]
vil

Concept: “Two new monsters for Mörk Borg.”
Content: The Doomsayer Dogo and the Eternal Dreamer in Metal Husk
Writing: Tone and imagery are pretty grim even by Mörk Borg standards
Art/design: Economical layouts and design with evocatively brooding illustrations
Usability: Highly lethal with a significant chance of Misery

Dö’Vinc
Philipp Teich

Concept: “Mad scientists, performing cruel experiments on strange creatures”
Content: A mysterious humanoid that wants to give you a big ol’ hug
Writing: Includes a stat block and some brief description
Art/design: Creepy gas masks are severely underused in Mörk Borg
Usability: Leaves plenty of room for GMs to play with motive and behavior

Draugen, the Drowned
Justyn Newman

Concept: “The drowned shamble aimlessly along shorelines seeking to steal the life-breath they so desperately desire.”
Content: An undead denizen for coastal settings
Writing: Sets the tone for encounters
Art/design: Relatively subtle and intrusive
Usability: Well-demarcated sections and stats

Dream Stalker
skree_skree

Concept: “Should a dreamer encounter the Dream Stalker […] it will try to bring them back to the realm of nightmares.”
Content: A monster that licks you to sleep, permanently
Writing: Provides a brief synopsis and stat block
Art/design: The illustration will definitely haunt some nightmares
Usability: A clever way to mess with PCs when and where they least expect it

Drowned Kobieta [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Reighnty

Concept: “Sharp claws cuth through flesh and drag you down to the bottomless pit.”
Content: A drowning-based monster derived from Slavic myth
Writing: Provides some inspiration for hooks and haunts
Art/design: Reinforces the theme with heavy chiaroscuro and cool spot colors
Usability: Initiative is influenced by PC class; otherwise, straightforward

The Dyer Lich [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Ian Long

Concept: “One hand frozen to the rock face, the other raised in defiance of her own death, Moll Dyer was blessed by Nechrubel with the undying spark of anti-life.”
Content: A persecuted witch bent on vengeance
Writing: Includes a prose-poetic description in addition to stats for lich and her rock
Art/design: Layout creates a strong visual flow, and the colors reinforce the integral sensatiosn of heat and cold
Usability: Not only very useable but also very compelling

Every God Will Fall [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Sasha De’ath, Thomas Hanusek

Concept: “d8 Supernatural Hirelings Fallen From Grace”
Content: An varied assortment of divine (presumably) entities
Writing: Backstories and descriptions contribute genuine (often sympathetic) character
Art/design: Illustrations and other design elements equally contribute to characterization
Usability: Yes, please

The Eye Mages
Jegs

Concept: “The mages glance to a paradise that was never made for the mortals of this world, so they have to adapt for it.”
Content: Lore and stats for eye mages and the bizarre wares they peddle
Writing: Overtones of alien and body horror
Art/design: Tons of twisted eyeball-based and beholder-inspired artwork
Usability: For PCs, potentially beneficial friends and potentially dangerous enemies

Falbärr (drop bear) [FÖLK-LORE jam]
RaptorShadow

Concept: “A widely held belief is that the ‘bears’ that live in the trees are harmless watchers, but in reality they are monsters that will murder hapless and unwary travelers.”
Content: Murder koalas
Writing: Provides general context and specific mechanics for encounters
Art/design: Efficient use of color; clever text arrangement simultaneously reveals and obscures the monster portrait in keeping with the lore
Usability: Does the sneaking for you

The Falgänder
RaptorShadow

Concept: “Lurking at the edge of your perception, a primal hatred made manifest.”
Content: Worse than your standard-issue goose, this one has a paralyzing stare
Writing: Truly expresses the sentient malice in the heart of every goose
Art/design: Portrait and cool colors emphasize the fowl-beast’s the soulless frigidity
Usability: Geese are jerks

False Stronghold [Bad-Basilisk Berg-Borg jam]
Alex K. Barton

Concept: “Every 100 years under a blood moon the False Stronghold rises in the south. It feeds for three days.”
Content: A titanic monster that will probably ruin your day (if not 3 of them)
Writing: Concise and extremely descriptive in both the flavor text and mechanics
Art/design: Solid typographical and color choices, intuitive layout, and a truly heinous illustration
Usability: Presents interesting options for murderhoboing on a colossal scale

The Fireman [THE END IS NEAR jam]
Ryan Smith

Concept: “As fires spread from the west,a figure is seen on the precipice of the flame. Nobody knows what he hides under his helmet.”
Content: A straightforward but challenging foe
Writing: Concise description and equally concise stat block
Art/design: Design efficiently splits layout into lore and mechanics for easy use
Usability: Straightforward and simple

The Flaming Mongols of Pyro Khan
McGlintlock

Concept: “A cataclysmic event after the Misery 4:3.”
Content: Lore and stats for the riders along with options for campaigns and hex crawls
Writing: Menacingly apocalyptic tone with a solid rimshot
Art/design: Usesthe rule of threes to good comedic effect
Usability: Includes a helpful map for reference

Flayed Face Collector
skree_skree

Concept: “The Holy Sect of the Flayed Visage sends its acolytes out into the doomed world to hear the confessions of the damned and collect their flayed faces.”
Content: Mechanically simple with colorful lore
Writing: A study in the motifs of flaying faces and confessing sins
Art/design: Crazed scvm with a morning star and a face shield—what more could you want?
Usability: Simple in itself; a potential kernel for GMs to build out from

Flerjordhög Filip [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Rugose Kohn

Concept: “If Filip rises from the loamy hillside and sees his shadow, the townsfolk believe they have averted the end.”
Content: A blasphemous monster and rites that defy the Unnamed Scripture
Writing: Provides a broad hook and mechanics for a small rodent that averts and invokes Miseries
Art/design: Well organized and visually delineated; surprisingly sunny and fluffy for Mörk Borg
Usability: Heretical and should be punished. Burn the vermin.

Fox-Imps (Pages Torn from Manuscripts)
Gregorius21778

Concept: “Two year old children with the head of a fox, the tail of a fox and fox fur growing on the whole of the backside.”
Content: A minor, mischievous monster with potential for long-term story arcs
Writing: Covers copious details about behavior and ecology
Art/design: Easy to read and reference thanks to paragraphing and typographic choices
Usability: Easy for GMs to introduce and bring into conflict with PCs

Frostweans [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Harkenstone

Concept: “The blued, frost bitten corpses appear when the winter winds howl and the snow falls heavily … seeking their revenge.”
Content: An undead scourge that gains power by wreaking vengeance
Writing: Provides 4 stat blocks alongside plenty of background for inspiration
Art/design: Text heavy, but colors aid quick navigation
Usability: Gives GMs carte blanche to make it even meaner and nastier

A Gallery of Oozes (Perfidious Protoplasma)
Richard Kelly

Concept: “A small sampling of some of the most common oozes”
Content: A set of common traits and 20 distinct oozes adapted to various environments
Writing: Includes brief descriptions and stat blocks for each type
Art/design: Subtle and relatively traditional but still effective in visually reinforcing the concept
Usability: Also a good starting point for devising oozes to fit other environments

Gallowag Prowlers [Bablonian jam]
Liva Jensen

Concept: “They blend into the muck, crawl along walls and quietly stalk unsuspecting PCs.”
Content: A stealthy ambush enemy
Writing: Some brief lore and a simple stat block with a sneak attack special ability; also includes lair and loot
Art/design: Minimal text arranged on a detailed and characterful illustration
Usability: Simple and straightforward to use but with potential to add some extra color to a particularly slimy, nasty dungeon

Gargantuan Ectoparasite [Babalonian jam]
Stein Hansen

Concept: “The size of a castle.”
Content: A monstrous, scavenging vermin
Writing: Direct and to the point
Art/design: Giant and ugly.
Usability: Seriously lethal—but you can ride it

Gashadokuro, the Starving Skeleton [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Greyson Yandt

Concept: “A fifteen-soldier-tall indestructible spirit, the gashadokuro should provide decent challenge for scvm that have survived a bit too long.”
Content: An enraged murder machine that uses a Morale pool for attacks and damage
Writing: Clear explanations of special abilities
Art/design: Simply but skillfully adapts layout to the source image
Usability: A bit more complex than most monsters, but in a fun and tactical way

Ghost Lights [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Olivier Delattre

Concept: “Lights burning over cemeteries, old mass graves and dead corpses.”
Content: An adaptation of the will-o’-the-wisp that lures PCs toward hazards
Writing: Efficiently conveys mechanics and lore
Art/design: Cool colors and establish an appropriately haunted character
Usability:  May be frustrating for PCs but entertaining for GMs

Giant Moth Demon [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Hillbilly Games

Concept: “It is rarely seen until it is too late, after it has grabbed livestock or a hapless human.”
Content: It’s a giant moth.
Writing: Sketches behavior and provides a concise stat block
Art/design: Embraces Mörk Borg’s penchant for public domain art and violent pinkness
Usability: Simple and easy to use

Glimpses of a Dying World
Feral Wizard

Concept: “Savage creatures lurk in the depths of forgotten crypts, incomprehensible relics lie waiting in the shadows of crumbling tombs, mystics argue incessantly trying to find a escape to the impending doom, and the powerful occupy themselves with vengeance.”
Content: A sprawling offering of all things Mörk Borg
Writing: Captures the tone and atmosphere of the Dying World through the descriptive text as well as the character of the mechanics
Art/design: Adapts the aesthetics and tactics of the core book with extensive use of modified public domain art
Usability: There’s something here for everyone

Grå Häst [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Dave Winter

Concept: “To hear the cursed utterences from it’s skeletal frame is said to be a claim for your very life.”
Content: An undead horse spirit with a penchant for making friends
Writing: Provides a description for roleplaying the encounter and mechanics for rolling it as well
Art/design: Compelling illustrations; typographic design creates a visual hierarchy of information
Usability: Some of the nonessential flavor text is small and difficult to read but worth the extra effort

Granny
Sasha De’ath, Alex Obernigg, Johan Nohr

Concept: “This dread creature is sure to haunt your players right where they’re safest: In their own homes. During the holidays. Sneering with judgment.”
Content: A bitter, cheer-killing wight; includes description, stats, special mechanics, and scathing remarks
Writing: Captures the spirit (maybe literally) of an overly-critical matriarch
Art/design: Overall, horribly festive with progressively creepy grandmas
Usability: Plenty of flavor to really help the GM get into character

Grave Matters †
Rinaldo Agostini

Concept: “New uses for dry corpses”
Content: Undeath-themed classes, gear/weapons/scrolls, optional rules, monsters/NPCs, encounters, and an adventure site
Writing: Loads of creative concepts presented through expressive, inspiring, and witty prose
Art/design: Modified public domain images and original art support the theme along with layouts, typography, and colors that make this undeniably Borgy
Usability: References amongst entries create a sense of cohesion and interconnection; an excellent resource for a game or arc themed around skeletons, zombies, and corpses

The Green Knight [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Sam/HauntingOfTheWicked

Concept: “The titular knight of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the dying world”
Content: A suitable grimdark adaptation that retains the legend’s dynamic and spirit
Writing: Concise and clear without sacrificing character
Art/design: Primarily textual with conventional typography; medieval graphics against a Borgy background on the cover is an appropriate visual representation of the concept
Usability: Straightforward and provides a compelling long-term, impending threat

Grylla [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Anders Björkelid

Concept: “Grown from putrefaction in stagnant lakes, hungry for living creatures’ last breath”
Content: A drowning-based spirit that’s as deadly after defeat as it is un-alive
Writing: Mechanics and description are succinct but effective
Art/design: Cool colors and sinuous lines reinforce the monster concept
Usability: Simple but still potentially lethal

Guenna [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Anders Björkelid

Concept: “Once a beautiful seductive spirit of the forest. Now a festering, empty husk.”
Content: A notably tenacious parasitic forest spirit
Writing: Mechanics and flavor are concise and evocative
Art/design: Conveys desolation and hollowness in a visually interesting way
Usability: Good for a recurring, hazardous adversary

Head Eater [Babalonian jam]
Stein Hansen

Concept: “A submission to the Babalonian jam!”
Content: A monster that cuts your head off and then uses it as armor. Awesome.
Writing: Stat block and special ability description deliver necessary information with diction and imagery that support the creature concept
Art/design: Stylized title and unobtrusive text place due emphasis on the illustration
Usability: Potentially lethal for any PC who relies on keeping their head attached

Hellequin [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Ghee Dodlinger

Concept: “An emissary from hell, sent by the devil to hunt humans and take them back to hell”
Content: Includes the title character and its infernal entourage
Writing: Provides a general overview of the concept and covers stats for 4 types of demons
Art/design: Colors and typographical choices convey that fire-and-brimstone character
Usability: Some more complex morale rules require a bit of extra arithmetic

Hellmouth Nemertean [THE END IS NEAR jam]
Andrew Lanier

Concept: “From the craters crawl forth gigantic beasts of blazing, crackling stone forms.”
Content: The ribbon worm from hell (literally)
Writing: Blends descriptive and mechanical text in focused segments to facilitate usability
Art/design: Text is laid out to maximize readability against the hellscape background
Usability: As a game component, elaborate without being unnecessarily complex

Herald of Incineration [THE END IS NEAR jam]
Tabletop Anthologies

Concept: “Surrounded by a haze of steam and heat wearing gleaming armor, the towering figure trudges forward, dragging a charred zweihander which cleaves the ground in twain.”
Content: The titular nemesis, ancillary fireflies, and a cursed sword
Writing: An even split between lore and stats blocks
Art/design: Graphic and typographic elements reinforce a knightly demeanor
Usability: More complex than average but fully manageable

Hollow Saint [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Giuliano Roverato, Bruno Sabino

Concept: “The wooden cocoon of the saint burst open to reveal a horrible half human, half moth creature of godly compusure.”
Content: Includes all three phases of the monster’s lifecycle
Writing: Descriptive text serves as a legend and hook; mechanical text is simple and easy to use
Art/design: Some very cool, inspiring artwork
Usability: A big “yes” both mechanically and conceptually

The Holocaust Baby [THE END IS NEAR jam]
Arnaud F. Lambert

Concept: “Born in the center of the worst conflagrations in the West, its touch incinerates the righteous and the innocent.”
Content: What appears to be a sentient, enraged explosion
Writing: A quick sketch of lore and a standard stat block
Art/design: The collage definitely communicates the concept
Usability: Straightforward to use, and can provide a recurring enemy for bomb-inclined parties

Horrendous and Corrupted Growth
Feral Wizard

Concept: “Born out of an Arcane Catastrophe, this creature grows large by feeding on the flesh of its prey.”
Content: Includes an encounter table and randomized attacks
Writing: Descriptive enough to convey the concept but still leave room for creative interpretation
Art/design: Great balance of old woodcut aesthetic and Mörk Borg color and sensibility
Usability: Mechanics add variability without upping the complexity

Hound of Yth and Cath [Babalonian jam]
Ricardo ‘Akuma’ Outis

Concept: “Brave  the canine barbarian’s omnicidal feast for flesh and grant it the death it demands – For every second the hound lives without another corpse in its mouth the more drastic its mean to do so grow.”
Content: A three-headed homicide hound who gets stronger as it gets hangrier
Writing: Word choice and syntax create a lofty but menacing character
Art/design: Text balances with and directs attention to the image; stats and rewards are color coordinated for quick reference
Usability: High HP, escalating armor and damage, and 3+ attacks per round—freakin’ brutal.

House [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Thomas Novosel

Concept: “Haunted possessed manor”
Content: Is it a monster? Is it a location? Either way, it wants to exploit or extinguish some PCs.
Writing: Folds the house’s characterization and behavior into the Special
Art/design: Stylized, atmospheric depiction of a mörkt hus
Usability: As written, very straightforward, but leaves lots of options for the GM to play with

The Hull House Devil Baby [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Jim Gies

Concept: “You’ve heard that everyone abandoned the house except for the baby. Or was it because of the baby?”
Content: A floating, telekinetic devil baby replete with horns and hooves
Writing: Provides concrete mechanics but leaves the lore and details ambiguous
Art/design: Easy-to-navigate layout, colors add emphasis and facilitate quick reference, and damn if that isn’t one seriously evil devil-baby head
Usability: Lots of room for GMs to adapt situation to their needs

The Ignited
Caelin Araven

Concept: “The Ignited are a secret society of nobles, clerics of secret knowledge and mad wizards who […] want to reach godhood by infusing their bodies with magical energy.”
Content: Profiles, means, motives, and magics of an apocalypse cult
Writing: Straightforward descriptions and mechanics
Art/design: Mörk Borg defies standard design conventions, and this defies Mörk Borg design conventions. Meta-punk.
Usability: Straightforward lists and descriptions

Inhabitant of the Nameless City
Rodrigo Giesta Figueirido, Angela Sprecher

Concept: “Monstrosities with protuberant foreheads, horns and reptile-like jaws”
Content: A Lovecraft-inspired middleweight monster
Writing: A standard stat block with an HPL quotation for flavor
Art/design: Alternating pink and yellow splits text sections alongside an appropriately tenebrous illustration
Usability: Forthright and readable

Inte Rådjur [FÖLK-LORE jam]
B Halliday

Concept: “Clearly not a deer; it is not from here.”
Content: An anti-magic anti-deer
Writing: Descriptive and mechanical text both serve to establish a compelling character
Art/design: Likewise, depiction in silhouette establishes a form but allows the GM to customize the details
Usability: Straightforward and relatively simple

Jack in Irons [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Christopher Annandale

Concept: “Covered in chains from which his victim’s heads dangle”
Content: A powerful, elusive enemy
Writing: Descriptive text definitely paints a picture, and the mechanics back it up with strength and maneuverability
Art/design: Metonymic; let your imagination run wild
Usability: Pretty much point-and-shoot

Jagande Död
Derek Gustafson

Concept: “Jagande Död, the creeping death, is relentless in stalking those who are fated to die.”
Content: A reaper whose attacks do worse things than simply cause damage
Writing: One-sentence summary and one stat block; sharp and concise
Art/design: Judicious use of color adds variety and emphasis to the illustration and to the text
Usability: A creative catalyst for a nasty fight (in tandem with other monsters) or for upping any adventure’s difficulty

Jinn [Babalonian jam]
Stein Hansen

Concept: “A creature for the Babalonian jam!”
Content: An anti-wish granting monster
Writing: A modest stat block and a qualitative special ability
Art/design: Shrouded, horned-monster-headed dude—not scary at all
Usability: Not to be confused with gin, but both will leave you unhappy

Jólakötturinn / Yule Cat
Bracken MacLeod

Concept: “The Jólakötturinn stalks the Dying World devouring anyone caught wearing old and tattered clothes at Jól.”
Content: A seriously beastly monster
Writing: Straightforward but with plenty of character
Art/design: Nice adaptation of Le Chat Noir design
Usability: This cat hates your holiday sweater—it’s as simple as that

Kh’akh’Awin [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Paskål Jansson

Concept: “Bad tempered wisdom seeker bipolar Sea-wolf of Lake Onda”
Content: Includes lore, narrative for Reaction temperament, and a random loot table
Writing: Delivers the lore in an engaging second-person narrative
Art/design: Designs capture the petroglyphic inspiration highlighted with plenty of Borgy colors
Usability: Simple to use as a monster but has lots of narrative potential

The King Under the Mountain [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Ricardo ‘Akuma’ Outis

Concept: “A one way descent into facing the divine destruction that sleeps deep in the planet.”
Content: A massive subterranean monster that can kill PCs directly or indirectly after it is defeated
Writing: Conveys the sense of eldritch, ineffable horror that surrounds this being
Art/design: The semi-obscured subject of the illustration supports the concept’s nature, and use of color helps to add emphasis and visually organize information
Usability: GMs will need to track dead things encountered prior to the battle

Kistkastare [IKILLYA jam]
Arnaud F. Lambert

Concept: “It’s dead.  It drags a coffin with a chain and spins it around until it hits PCs.  No assembly required!”
Content: skeleton x1; chain x1; coffin x1
Writing: Concise and highly functional
Art/design: Laid out for accessibility and easy use
Usability: Attack-randomization table balances the monster’s heftiness and is a novel way to add some chaos to your fights

Knight Mannequin [Babalonian jam]
Stein Hansen

Concept: “Even trying on your new armor in this dying world can be deadly.”
Content: A monster mimicking a suit of armor
Writing: A short paragraph of flavor text, stat block, and a rule for retail ambush
Art/design: Juxtaposes text and image against an interesting multi-textured ground
Usability: Handy for GMs who really want to catch PCs with their guards down

Krampus
Philip Reed, Jef Thompson, pashabo

Concept: “The Christmas rumors are true. The Krampus does exist.”
Content: Stats and a hook for the race of kidnapping, meat-hungry krampi
Writing: A balance of mechanics and descriptive text
Art/design: Fits lots of text onto the page alongside some nice art
Usability: Straightforward but certain aspects may be off-putting to some players

Lambert Wörm [FÖLK-LORE jam]
F. Killian

Concept: “A devious and completely unfair beast to feast on greedy (or merely unlucky) characters.”
Content: A resilient, implacable monster that will almost certainly incur at least one fatality
Writing: Well composed and dryly witty
Art/design: Also well composed with effective design and layout choices
Usability: Highly lethal

Leprechaun [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Latt Vines (AKA Tartle Wizard)

Concept: “The fool that steals from the leprechaun is cursed to be haunted by immortal wrath.”
Content: An undying, unrelenting adaptation
Writing: A straightforward stat block with matching descriptive text
Art/design: An especially Mörk Borgy illustration with effective use of color
Usability: Ability to return from death make this a good recurring antagonist

Likho [FÖLK-LORE jam]
irrifuk

Concept: “‘Likho-one-eyed’ appears in the form of a one-eyed skinny ogress.”
Content: A beefy combat monster that feeds on negative emotions or flesh—whichever’s handy
Writing: A concise stat block and a full description of behavior, including non-mechanical features and effects
Art/design: Graphic and stats presented on a single page with additional lore and information on subsequent pages
Usability: GMs will need to implement mechanics for special abilities as they see fit; blackletter text may slow reading a bit

The Living Flame [THE END IS NEAR jam]
Bannerless Games

Concept: “Some incinerated by it see their skin, organs and bones fall away – all except for the skull.”
Content: Tables for generating ignis fatuus NPCs
Writing: No stats, but lore and tables for defining characters
Art/design: Intuitively laid out for easy use
Usability: Much more creatively oriented rather than formal

The Lost Endless Sea Sailors [Babalonian jam]
Jegs

Concept: “Hexed bounty hunters slowly turning amphibious”
Content: A trio of semi-aquatic abominations
Writing: Provides background, stats, and some particularly punishing special abilities
Art/design: Prominently features freaky, visceral portraits of each character
Usability: Implied to be pretty tasty

The Mad Haberdasher [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Fred David

Concept: “He will excitedly attach himself to the group, providing spiritual guidance and herbal expertise as a pretence to spread his heretical, pacifistic gospel.”
Content: A supporting NPC who will probably do more harm than good in the long run
Writing: Tone and diction establish a character at odds with the off-kilter images associated with the haberdasher
Art/design: Jaunty hats contrast with the dead-eyed depiction of the haberdasher, visually emphasizing his cheery but deranged character
Usability: Mechanically straightforward and a fun way for GMs to mess with their parties

The Magic Table, the Golden Donkey, and the Club in the Sack [FÖLK-LORE jam]
hamildong

Concept: “A loose sequel to ‘The Magic Table, the Golden Donkey, and the Club in the Sack’”
Content: A versatile encounter carrying potential benefit or detriment to PCs
Writing: Includes some poetic lore, stats, and table for random outcomes
Art/design: Appropriately Mörky art and layout
Usability: Easy to insert and deploy in an ongoing adventure or campaign

Mandagor [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Andrew Lanier

Concept: “Black or nebulous forms, they gaze upon mortals with piercing red eyes filled with mischief and wickedness.”
Content: An multiform creature and potential companion to generous scvm
Writing: Provides copious lore pertaining to behavior and ecology alongside stat blocks for various forms
Art/design: Predominantly textual, leveraging color to differentiate certain blocks; includes some cleverly placed depictions
Usability: Contains a fair number of behavioral details for GMs to keep track of

Margoth [Babalonian jam]
Stein Hansen

Concept: “Submission for Babalonian Jam!”
Content: A corruption-based monster
Writing: Quick, concise stat block
Art/design: Illustration’s reticulations reinforce the Special’s effects
Usability: May cause abrupt character death through damage or transformation

Maust
Michał Gotkowski

Concept: “… forever hiding in the dark, more rodent than a man.”
Content: A demi-human hireling
Writing: Includes some flavor text as well as stats, traits, specialties, and values
Art/design: Nicely balanced layout with art suggestive of sentiment and violence
Usability: Straightforward

Mbói Tu’i [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Misha Panarin

Concept: “Second son of Kerana and Tau. It patrols the swamps and wetlands, protecting amphibians and waterdwellers.”
Content: A middleweight monster fit for amphibious adventures
Writing: Efficient stats and a dash of flavor text (with more on the product page)
Art/design: Color choices and arrangement make text easily readable without obscuring the gritty, Borgy illustration
Usability: Includes an ongoing fear effect; take note, GMs

Mljacko (Schmatzer, Aufhocker und wo man sie findet) [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Kitty B

Concept: “Huge shambling mound of wet fur, emitting a truly blasphemous stench […] causing fishers to flee”
Content: A monster that smells so bad it hurts
Writing: Provides context and a stat block
Art/design: Provides an appropriate, only-half-seen portrait
Usability: Hold your breath and light a match

Mörky Mycology
I. McClung

Concept: “A world in decline is a veritable paradise for fungi of all kind.”
Content: Fungi, environs filled with fungi, fungus-based class and items, and some mushroom monsters
Writing: Efficient but with enough detail to spur interest and imagination
Art/design: Relatively sparse but still under development
Usability: Very efficient layout for a lot of content

The Mothman [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Ryan Sigler

Concept: “A nocturnal wanderer of the shattered world, a vile thing, seeking to snuff out any light that may be remaining.”
Content: A malicious take on the mothman of Point Pleasant
Writing: Clear stat block with concise bits of flavor text
Art/design: Layout & aesthetic capture the dynamic of moths flitting around a flame
Usability: The functional mechanics are split on the page and not well differentiated from the descriptive text, but it’s a small concession to the overall excellence of the visual design

Mutant Drifter
skree_skree

Concept: “Warped in body and mind by the attentions of dark gods”
Content: Has tentacle-arm, will travel
Writing: A straightforward stat block and some background and motivation for the NP
Art/design: Clearly delineated text sections and some visceral line art
Usability: Simple mechanics with some options for GMs to play with

Mutt Errant [Babalonian jam]
Michal Gotkowski

Concept: “Bound by an everlasting curse to collect all of the written knowledge, this damned dog of a man will ask for a tribute of three books or scrolls.”
Content: A dog-knight with a passion for print—plus a beefy suit of armor, sword, and special
Writing: A concise stat block and a pair of paragraphs detailing character and behavior
Art/design: A proficient, clean layout with some really impressive art
Usability: Mutt Errant may just chew on the books and scrolls instead of reading them, but either way, he’s coming back for more

Mygga, Flying Head
Maciej Sznurkowski

Concept: “Bloodsuckers known for silently feeding on sleeping people”
Content: A versatile monster/pet
Writing: Plenty of inspiration for GMs
Art/design: Practical but still expressive
Usability: Mechanics embedded in flavor text, but not difficult to locate quickly

Myling, shadow child
Justyn Newman

Concept: “These spirits hunger for a life lost, love stolen.”
Content: A persistent undead pest
Writing: Efficiently conveys special mechanics and hooks
Art/design: Relatively lean but effective
Usability: Intuitive

Myling [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Anders Björkelid

Concept: “Undead vengeful infant”
Content: A dead child seeking retribution from its murderous mother
Writing: Quick and concise with a touch of humor
Art/design: Color contrasts the cold descriptor but complements the monster’s attitude
Usability: Mechanically straightforward

Nameless Pilgrim [Babalonian jam]
Stein Hansen

Concept: “Explorers in the further regions of experience. Demons to some, angels to others.”
Content: A name-themed monster/person who steals letters instead of dealing damage
Writing: The descriptive text handles its nontraditional content well and maintains a strong tone
Art/design: Flat ground and simple typography bring out the illustration’s contours and details
Usability: Especially lethal against PCs with short names

Necrotic Children of SHE
Rodrigo Giesta Figueirido

Concept: “The necrotic children crawl out of the filthy uterus of SHE, wandering the dark places of the Bergen Chrypt.”
Content: An undead creeper carrying a fairly high chance of infection
Writing: Word-light but concept-heavy lore
Art/design: Straightforward presentation of text with some Mörky flair and an illustration to match the lore
Usability: Straightforward and readable

Niklaus
Philip Reed, Alvaro Cabrera Jimenez

Concept: “As snow falls on the city, the people whisper of a murderer who has recently taken to the streets.”
Content: A murderous pseudo-Santa possessed by an alien entity known only as the Christmas Spirit
Writing: Twists St. Nick to fit right into the Dying World
Art/design: Exactly what you’d expect of a Mörk Borg murderhobo Santa
Usability:  More elaborate than some monsters but not overly complex

Nökken, bog thing
Justyn Newman

Concept: “The rotting flesh of the long-dead forms together into an obscene facsimiles of life.”
Content: A patchwork bog-beast
Writing: A balance of mechanics and flavor
Art/design: Nice color and typographical choices
Usability: Clean and intuitive

The Occult Ossuary
I. McClung (ed.), Pablo Dapena, et al

Concept: “27 pieces exhumed from the depths of lavish graves, themed around skeletons, bones and skulls.”
Content: “Classes, items, companions, monsters and encounters created by sacrilegious mind.”
Writing: A variety of styles, all appropriate to their content
Art/design: Worth downloading just to check out the range of art and layouts
Usability: Complexity varies by entry but consistently easy to use

The Ogre [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Goatman’s Goblet

Concept: “The fear made manifest of all the cruelty a man might do while society watches”
Content: A Mörk-Borgy take (with a fatal twist) on a classic monster
Writing: Poetic and very evocative
Art/design: Illustration nicely conveys a sense of heaviness and oppressiveness
Usability: GMs should take care to remember the consequences of PCs’ actions after the confrontation

Omnivorous Slime Mold [Babalonian jam]
Ra Press

Concept: “The Omnivorous Slime Mold might start off as an innocent-looking mold, but if it’s not kept in check, it will keep expanding, devouring everything in its path!”
Content: A voracious, amorphous devourer
Writing: Stat block and additional, relevant mechanics along with a paragraph discussing behavior and ecology
Art/design: Text arranged in the illustration’s void spaces to preserve readability without sacrificing visual character
Usability: Unrelenting and highly corrosive; may pose significant challenges for PCs

Pair Of Skeletal Legs and A Thrashing Spine With A Skull That Makes Fun Of You When You Miss
Sasha De’ath

Concept: “Pair Of Skeletal Legs and A Thrashing Spine With A Skull That Makes Fun Of You When You Miss”
Content: A cheeky, comedic horror
Writing: Fits the material; subtly clever dialog table
Art/design: Digital primitivism economized
Usability: Larger text would improve stat and instructional text’s readability

Pandafeche [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Rinaldo Agostini

Concept: “Never sleep like the dead do or you’ll attract malevolent spirits.”
Content: A malicious entity that targets characters at their most vulnerable
Writing: Split between descriptive and mechanical text
Art/design: Perfectly illustrated by Fuseli’s Nightmare
Usability: Complex enough to have depth without being complicated or difficult to use

Pantomath [Babalonian jam]
Stein Hansen

Concept: “He will grant false knowledge for a price.”
Content: An anti-soothsayer on a tuffet of pus
Writing: Sharp and concise with ominous tone and imagery
Art/design: Well delineated text sections and symbolic integration of the title with the illustration
Usability: Particularly detrimental to murderhobos; ties in with other Babalonian Jam content

Paralysis Demon
Mark Stanley

Concept: “As it moves towards you out of the darkness, you turn to flee, only realizing you are glued to your position.”
Content: A predatory, persistent night terror
Writing: Includes stat block and extended special plus a well written, evocative narrative
Art/design: Very expressive illustrations that capture the sensations of nighttime paralysis
Usability: References suicide; be mindful of your players

Perytion [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Andrew Cutler

Concept: “These half-stag, half-eagle abominations fly above the fell trees of Graven-Tosk, swooping down to kill unwary travelers below.”
Content: A Borged-derived monster with a strange, supernatural motive
Writing: Concise and to the point
Art/design: A sensible layout oriented around the illustration
Usability: Straightforward

The Phoenix King [THE END IS NEAR jam]
Vikugna Vikugna

Concept: “And forth he comes from beyond the Endless Sea an usurper clad in fiery robes.”
Content: A mighty foe leading an army of minions (with the ability to create more them and itself)
Writing: A good balance of stats and mechanics with stylized, inspiring descriptions
Art/design: An intentionally hectic and well laid-out mix of expressive illustrations and typography
Usability: A challenge for PCs but not for GMs

The Pope Lick Monster
Arnaud F. Lambert

Concept: “Trolls in MÖRK BORG are too big to live under bridges, opening a perfect habitat for the Pope Lick Monster.”
Content: A unfortunate half-human half-goat
Writing: Includes a simple stat block and some backstory for the beast
Art/design: Use of color helps differentiate key bits of information from surrounding text
Usability: The lore open up some interesting options for GMs and players

Psyber Devangelist and other Psi-Sci-Fi
Greyson Yandt

Concept: “Strange monstrous beings like a shard of a psyktoplasmic god”
Content: 6 cosmic creatures to accompany the titular character class
Writing: Combines sci-fi alienness with Mörk Borg grimness and humor
Art/design: Lots of color but not on the illustrations, which is extremely effective
Usability: A little crowded but well laid out

Ratstabber
skree_skree

Concept: “Scurrying beneath the streets of crumbling cities. The Ratstabber’s beady eyes blaze with hatred.”
Content: One of the nastiest rats you’ll find in Mörk Borg
Writing: Devoted to stats and Specials
Art/design: Distinctive collage work with some evocative original art
Usability: Infection rules depart somewhat from the standard

Ravaging Plague I: Rusted Iron, Words of Power †
R., M., N.B., G.H., Droll Meadow, N.B.

Concept: “Ravaging Plague aims to bring Mörk Borg and its extreme metal influences into further conversation.”
Content: Extreme metal-inspired offerings across the board
Writing: Laden with metal-inspired imagery and themes
Art/design: Brutalist text layouts balanced with organic, gritty graphics all presented in stark black & white
Usability: No table of contents or index, but layouts and different deployments of positive and negative space are good visual aids for navigation

Riders of the Apocalypse
I. McClung

Concept: “As the death of the world approaches, harbingers ride out, embodying all of its woes.”
Content: Stat blocks for avatars of misery and mechanics for introducing them into your game
Writing: Clear, concise, and characterful
Art/design: A mix of artists and styles embedded in Mörk Borg’s aesthetic
Usability: Straightforward layout; tables add variety without being overwhelming

Roc of Ages
Arnaud F. Lambert

Concept: “The Great Bird of Doom”
Content: A rather large, rather tough, rather valuable bird-beast
Writing: Some brief background and stats with 3 attack options
Art/design: The faces hidden in the plumage are a neat, subtle, evocative touch
Usability: Beware of falling rocks

A Selection of Beetles, Popular Spiders, Profitable Moths, Other Valuable Terrors (Mörk Bug)
Richard Kelly

Concept: “4d6 bugs that skitter, drone, and creep”
Content: Two dozen critters for hunting and/or fighting
Writing: Includes stat blocks and descriptions of creative and clever traits
Art/design: Designed for reading and reference with some graphics for variety and character
Usability: Categorized by type for easier navigation

The Servant Girl Annihilator [FÖLK-LORE jam]
mcglintlock

Concept: “Murderous and conniving, the Servant Girl Annihilator preys upon the weak.”
Content: A covert, nocturnal axe-wielding demi-monster
Writing: Deftly describes appearance and behavior with touches of humor
Art/design: Color serves to hierarchize and emphasize text segments while integrating them and the illustration into the gestalt
Usability: Straightforward mechanics that may prove challenging for unprepared (and even prepared) PCs

Seven Palms for Seven Pslams
Greyson Yandt

Concept: “A strange Misery-stopping friend”
Content: An esoteric NPC with fun metagame mechanics and flair
Writing: Well-crafted flavor text, stat block and abilities, and a pair of games
Art/design: Absurdly appropriate graphics and smart division of text blocks
Usability: Text-heavy but with few moving parts

Siege Goat-Demon
Mateusz Hupert

Concept: “Unspeakable is the malice that brought the siege goat-demon to life. Stranger still is the purpose of strapping a siege ballista to its forearm.”
Content: An adaptation of DOOM’s Cyberdemon
Writing: Predominantly deals with elaborating on attacks and Special
Art/design: Linear, easy-to-use layout with splashes of red to unify the image and text
Usability: Particularly lethal if you put it at the end of a narrow hallway beside a stack of ammunition

Sin-Broken Waif
James Pianka

Concept: “Ruins of innocence draining joy from the world”
Content: A puny monster whose defeat carries large-scale repercussions
Writing: Simple and straightforward
Art/design: Conservative but effective
Usability: Straightforward

Sisters of Hate
Stuart (DogNutBoy)

Concept: “Once their words were meant to spread the truth of SHE but now they brandish the power to turn brother against brother, self against self.”
Content: Nihilistic nuns
Writing: Provides backstory and flavor alongside stats and a subversive Special ability
Art/design: A neat depiction of the character and overall design that conveys raggedness and despair
Usability: Usable? Sure. More importantly, entertaining for GMs.

Skaurkalln [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Anders Björkelid

Concept: “Rider of lightning”
Content: A personification of a lightning storm. Also, he’s drunk.
Writing: A simple stat block but a robust table of circumstances under which you meet him
Art/design: Fosters the figure’s folkloric feel; includes a fun visual reference to a certain metal band
Usability: Don’t forget: he’s drunk. (There are plenty of reminders.)

Slaughter Dog
Cody Faulk

Concept: “Equal parts hyena, wolf, and corpse-eating nightmare.”
Content: Stats, flavor text, and more payouts than your average beast
Writing: Concise, inspiring, and darkly funny
Art/design: Color and layout make an easily navigable page; bottom-right text block is a personal favorite
Usability: Yes

Sleep Now in the Fire [THE END IS NEAR jam]
C.A. Berlitz

Concept: “Although they went down, the fire of their spirits still raged on. And they came to burn it all and make you sleep in a fire.”
Content: Contains stats and lore for fire-based undead and items
Writing: A balance of descriptive and technical text, with the two folded together for the items
Art/design: Relatively traditional layouts with illustrations that support the entries’ concepts
Usability: Straightforward on all counts

Snowman
Philip Reed, Alvaro Cabrera Jimenez

Concept: “A snowman makes for a powerful guardian in frosty dungeons and snow-covered towers.”
Content: Contains a stat block, descriptive text, and adventure hook
Writing: Puts a sadistic twist on a classic holiday icon
Art/design: Fits well with the creature concept
Usability: For optimal efficiency, set thermostat below 30° Fahrenheit

Stone Assassins
Arnaud F. Lambert

Concept: “Animated stone statues that make the perfect assassins.”
Content: Covert constructs easily camouflaged in most dungeons
Writing: Includes some lore alongside a basic stat block
Art/design: Good use of color to designate mechanical text
Usability: Simple to use with potential for messing with PCs

Strange Citizens of the City†
Phillip Reed, Barandash Karandashich

Concept: “Roll 2d6 and meet a stranger”
Content: A throng of bizarre personalities, hirelings, bystanders (some with personal connections to each other); also includes some locales and rumors
Writing: Suitably dark and disturbing with plenty of rimshots
Art/design: Fairly straightforward layouts with art that brings a strong arcane-mechanical flavor to the table
Usability: Very useable, and motivates you to do so

Strange Visitors to the City†
Phillip Reed, Barandash Karandashich, Slava Gerj

Concept: “Let us return to the city where we may meet visitors from other places … and kill a few of them.”
Content: More NPCs, hirelings, rumors, and sites to populate the city
Writing: Descriptive text provides motivations and hooks, with many unique special abilities
Art/design: A mix of colorful weirdness for major NPCs and more subtle, baroque art for the rest
Usability: Will often refer you to Strange Citizens, so make sure you keep that volume handy

Strange Inhabitants of the Forest†
Phillip Reed, Warm_Tail

Concept: “There is an infinite number of unusual, dangerous characters in the forests that surround the city. This book details a handful of them.”
Content: A variety of adversaries, encounters, travelers, and items to loot from their corpses
Writing: Includes copious backstories and adventure hooks
Art/design: A wide, evocative variety
Usability: Straightforward and simple to navigate

Street Spider
skree_skree

Concept: “Fat swollen spider the size of a dog.”
Content: A fat swollen spider the size of a dog. Also poisonous.
Writing: Provides a paragraph-long scenario/hooks with stat block and infection conditions
Art/design: Psychedelic tarantula invasion
Usability: Unusual stat arrangement but not obstructive

Tantrabobus of the Southern Wells [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Alex K. Barton

Concept: “These creatures take up residence in wells throughout the dying land.”
Content: Includes stats, random well generator, real-world lore, and tactics for fighting one
Writing: Delivers the necessary information but stays scant to spotlight the art
Art/design: Features plenty of visceral, gritty depictions
Usability: Content is spread cross several pages but well organized for easy use

Tenacious Helmets [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Jean Verne

Concept: “A monster based on unfinished business, misplaced trust and faulty armour”
Content: A trap/monster/item targeting unwary and acquisitive adventurers
Writing: Includes background, behavior, effects, and a stat block (of course)
Art/design: The illustrations will make you want one despite the adverse effects
Usability: Multivalent but ergonomic in any capacity

The Tenacious Tupilaq [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Vikugna Vikugna

Concept: “Mismatched effigies made out of animal and human parts given life by shamans of Kergüs, heretics, who seek revenge against the ones who wronged them.”
Content: A highly variable monster type
Writing: Includes a general description of origin and motives along with 4 tables for generation head, legs, arms, and torso types
Art/design: Achieves expressive visual character without sacrificing efficiency
Usability: More rolling than your average monster, but not prohibitive

There Is One Goat
Brian Binh

Concept: “This one-page MÖRK BORG creature is an attempt to exorcise the demon goat from my mind. Now it’s your problem.”
Content: A goat best avoided—but where’s the fun in that?
Writing: Establishes a strange, surreal tone to match the image
Art/design: When you gaze too long into the goat, the goat gazes also into you
Usability: Simple and easy to use. It’s just a goat, after all…

There Was an Old Lady [FÖLK-LORE jam]
1d10+5

Concept: “Bilious beasts from a rotten maw!”
Content: A fun inversion of the classic nursery rhyme
Writing: Contains stats for the title character and all the animals she’s swallowed/vomits at PCs
Art/design: On-brand layout and graphics with some distinctive, noxious green for extra character
Usability: A potentially gross, absurd, and diverse challenge for players

Throat Singer [Babalonian jam]
Liva Jensen

Concept: “A feral not-quite-naimal with the voice of an angel”
Content: A fairly light-weight monster that’s heavy on character
Writing: A straightforward stat block with descriptive text that adds depth and detail to the concept
Art/design: The full-page illustration reinforces the tone and adds to the atmosphere
Usability: Larger groups may pose more significant challenges to PCs

Toon Horde [THE END IS NEAR jam]
Bannerless Games

Concept: “Few things are more terrifying to a world of ash, metal and blood than plastic, laughter and assimilation.”
Content: Proof that there is no God in the world of Mörk Borg
Writing: Outstanding. You have to read it for yourself.
Art/design: A perfect blend of Mörk Borg and cartoon aesthetics
Usability: Your game will never be the same after this. Fair warning.

The Travelling Cigar Cart of the Spurious Basilisk [Bad-Basilisk Berg-Borg jam]
Vikugna Vikugna

Concept: “A relatively friendly cigar selling npc(s) and their cigars which may or may not have some secret magical effects”
Content: A more lighthearted encounter with lots of potential for short- and long-term hijinks
Writing: Full of character and entertaining to read and interpret for play
Art/design: Diverse typography and patchwork layout creates a dynamic (but still readable) gestalt
Usability: This product contains nicotine.

Utbörding [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Anders Björkelid

Concept: “Undead vengeful placenta”
Content: It wants to know if you’re its mommy
Writing: Quick and concise with a touch of humor
Art/design: Some seriously monstrous afterbirth
Usability: Mechanically straightforward

Vile Bile-Rider [FÖLK-LORE jam]
DogNutBoy aka Stuart Holmes

Concept: “Glorious FILTH~! Is there no greater feeling than to bathe in the aftermath of LIFE”
Content: A filth-wallowing composite monster
Writing: Gets the point across without being overly graphic
Art/design: Colors are spot-on for the concept; a weirdly ingenious collage illustrates the concept described in the mechanics and paratext
Usability: An interesting tool for tactically minded GMs

Vidvittra [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Nina Morgan Olsson

Concept: “They are cruel and fierce, always in search of prey.”
Content: A haryp-esque monster
Writing: Includes a brief description of behavior and ecology
Art/design: Mörk bird
Usability: Don’t let your PCs get carried away. (That joke will make sense when you read the Special.)

VVil-boar, the Soul Eater [Babalonian jam]
Astrolich, Stein

Concept: “The soul-sucking body of some pig”
Content: No head but filled with rage
Writing: Includes stats, lore, and an extended adventure seed
Art/design: Type, color, and layout differentiate textual components for easy use
Usability: Has the potential to kill or maim PCs merely by encountering (not even fighting) them

Wandering Master
Good Rogue

Concept: “Tired of pursuing enlightenment, instead waiting patiently for the challenge to come to him”
Content: A samurai-inspired enemy warrior
Writing: Primarily devoted to mechanics but with details that establish character
Art/design: A split layout balancing text and image; illustration conveys cultural flavor in a Borgy fashion
Usability: Variable behavior and attacks based on the battle’s progress; a little complex, but not overly so

A Weasel’s Funeral [FÖLK-LORE jam]
John Casey

Concept: “Travelling down the road, you come against a procession of weasels in mourning.”
Content: A funerary procession of weasels. Best not to disrupt their mourning.
Writing: A short description of the scene and stats for the weasels
Art/design: Relatively minimalist but presented well for use at the table
Usability: Intuitive

The Welwa [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Dylan “Bambu” Foster

Concept: “A cursed creature, transformed from some other beast to take on traits of all that is ferocious”
Content: A heavyweight bricolage of beasts
Writing: Even split between background and stats
Art/design: Illustration dominates the page without hindering readability
Usability: Durable and dangerous

Weregoat
R and M

Concept: “Weregoats gather in black woods and haunted wildernesses where they build crude idols to their petty gods.”
Content: Hideous man-goat amalgamations to haunt your games and dreams
Writing: Includes an overview of the monster with some short tables for armor, weapons, and numbers

What Is Emerging from the Chrysalis?
Arnaud F. Lambert

Concept: “You encounter a giant pale cocoon. And it has started to split open.”
Content: 30 horrible things to blindside your players with
Writing: Includes basic stat blocks for all entries
Art/design: Textually dense but a distinct visual character
Usability: None of the monsters are particularly vicious; a good way to catch PCs off guard when they think they’ve cleared a room

The Wicker God [FÖLK-LORE jam]
Bracken MacLeod

Concept: “From the forest it emerges, taller than the trees, its body a writhing, shifting mass of woven roots and branches. […] Faintly, you hear screams from behind its prison of living branches.”
Content: An enormous monster that eats characters and monsters alive before immolating itself
Writing: Concise but descriptive with well-placed humor
Art/design: Typography and purely graphic components all contribute to an overall woven, vegetable texture
Usability: Selective regeneration makes a bit more math for the GM; defeating it without killing consumed allies creates a tactical challenge for the PCs

The Wound Wizards
Jegs

Concept: “Religious greedy flagellants”
Content: Heretical disciples of Tergol with wound-based abilities; includes 8 items that grant flesh-based Powers
Writing: Provides history and overview of the cult; bursting with body -horror imagery but balanced with grim humor
Art/design: Easy-to-use layouts; illustrations are full of weird mouths and ragged flesh
Usability: Not especially hefty, but not super-lean either; GMs who want to get the most out of this may want to review the details a time or two before bringing it to the table