Cthork Borg
A downloadable game
Now Available In Print! Cthork Borg Softcover And Hardcover
Now Available In Braille! Simply download the .BRF file and use it with a Braille reader or Brailler.
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Cthork Borg is a full conversion hack that adapts MÖRK BORG to a jazz age cosmic horror setting.
With it, you get 120 pages of game, including:
- Lightly overhauled core rules, emphasizing resources and decision-making
- d6 new classes: Socialite, Crook, Academic, Innocent, Accursed, and Complicit
- New weapons, armor, tools, vehicles, and allies, updated for the 1920s
- Stability and Social Standing systems
- A new magic system and two new spell lists
- Occult artifacts that slowly reveal their secrets as you cling to them
- A full bestiary, complete with 9 gods and their terrestrial servants
- And a starter scenario, Whispers In The Mountains
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CW - The usual MÖRK BORG grimness, plus references to 1920s medicine, crime, and mental health issues.
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Other Cthork Borg Material:
- Rumrunner's Arsenal adds new weapons, tools, armor, spells, investments, and more.
- Seven Strangers adds eight new Classes.
- Seven Strangers II adds another eight Classes.
- Seven Strangers III does the same thing a third time.
- Miserere Mei Deus adds Miseries to the game, slowly advancing the timeline towards the end of the world.
- Fascinations And Aversions adds Malices, complications for Breaking or losing Stability.
- Simulacrum Of The Soul adds Beliefs, a second self, a country between dreaming and death, and new Classes and gods.
- Sense And Stability adds new Classes, new equipment, and a series of optional calibrations to adjust the game to your tastes.
- Bork Cthorg expands the rules to allow PCs that are animals, and adds an animal-centric investigation.
- Ragged Cuts adds new rules for injury, taming and exhibiting animals, and a lot of beasts.
- Dreary And Isolated adds support for solo play.
- Faces In The Crowd is a loose guide to the Jazz Age, plus some convenient tables.
- Tombs Of Our Ancestors is a starter or early career investigation for the PCs.
- Signs In The Entrails is an early career investigation for the PCs.
- Moonlight And Tide is a starter or early career investigation for the PCs.
- A Quiet Country Home is a starter or early career investigation for the PCs.
- All's Well At The Macallen Farm is a starter or early career investigation for the PCs.
- Five Nasty Little Homes is a collection of five investigations themed around houses.
- Cthonversion Kit is a quick set of rules for converting d100 content to run in Cthork Borg.
- Cthopen Cthource is a short guide for publishing your own Cthork Borg content.
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What People Are Saying About Cthork Borg:
- "A full adaptation of the Mörk Borg core system for weird, investigative horror in the early 20th century." Ex Libris Mork Borg
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And Check Out These Cthork Borg Actual Plays:
- Red Smile by RPG Reanimators (oneshot, includes character creation, same CWs as the book)
- Late To Dinner by RPG Reanimators (part of a campaign, CWs: fire, poverty, harm to innocents, harm to children, plus the same CWs as the book)
- Errands For Grandpa by RPG Reanimators (oneshot, CWs: plague)
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Making Your Own Cthork Borg Content:
- Cthork Content has to abide by the overarching Mork Borg License (which is very creator-friendly!) but I'm happy to provide support for making Cthork-specific things.
- If anyone wants to work with the same color palette, the black pages are RGB 0, 0, 0, the gray pages are RGB 231, 232, 233, and the green is RGB 0, 167, 53
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For My Other Mork Borg Full Conversion Hack, See Pharmagothica:
- Pharmagothica, survival horror in a retro future
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Updates:
- As of 8.23.21, Cthork Borg now has a character sheet!
- As of 9.9.21, Nerve Tonic, Cough Syrup, and Household Pesticide have been slightly tweaked. Fleeing has been clarified.
- As of 9.10.21, Stability tests re: monsters have been clarified.
- As of 9.11.21, Starting Hit Points now rolled or flat, language clarified.
- As of 9.20.21, the most embarrassing possible historical error has been fixed.
- As of 9.25.21, fixed a typo, added clothing and matches to starting gear, added light sources to several tool kits, and significantly improved the Complicit's benefits for choosing the King In Yellow.
- As of 10.16.21, credited more playtesters, made minor cosmetic edits.
- As of 10.21.21, clarified the rules on the Getting Better page.
- As of 10.31.21, fixed a typo, clarified interaction between armor and bleed, and changed Stability loss to panic at two instances in the scenario in keeping with the clarified Stability rules.
- As of 11.13.21, swapped the places of Academic's Well-Read and Field Of Study, giving the Academic more flexibility as a class.
- As of 12.16.21, clarified rules for dodging and resisting spells.
- As of 12.26.21, cosmetic edits, nerve tonic nerf tonic, cough syrup now worth drinking.
- As of 1/8/22, clarified Carrying Capacity re: infinite backpacks
- As of 2/21/22, added more hyperlinks, fixed minor typo, players can no longer sell Ability points into the negatives during character creation
- As of 11/19/22, properly bookmarked the PDF, re-linked all hyperlinks
- As of 9/4/24, now available in Braille (.BRF format)
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MÖRK BORG Third Party License - Cthork Borg is an independent production by Richard Kelly and is not affiliated with Ockult Örtmästare Games or Stockholm Kartell. It is published under the MÖRK BORG Third Party License. MÖRK BORG is copyright Ockult Örtmästare Games and Stockholm Kartell. For further details about the MÖRK BORG Third Party License, see https://morkborg.com/license/
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Comments
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I feel like the Heirloom Ring is a little bit underpowered, it's a one time use that can't be brought back so I think it should either recover all Omen or gain 4 Omen (not recover). Because there is now so many other way to reover Omen.
Yeah. The nature of designing this game over a long period of time has made it so that some Specialties lag behind others, and also made it difficult to patch older books due to the layout software.
You could lean into this by making it so that when you gain a Specialty, you roll randomly on that Class's Specialties chart, but it's also perfectly fine to issue spot buffs if a Specialty doesn't feel interesting. I think the ring giving a small damage bonus on spells could be good, and also having it teach you a spell when it breaks.
Hey, Supermamao, can I use your idea, they sound really cool, and it would get my creative juice really running if I could make these idea into a book.
Sure, and I prefer when I don't have to write the stuff I want myself.
What exactly is a Court? And what are the Courtier, and the Lords of Court? and how are they different from Conspiracy, Gods, and regular Monster?
A Court is a collection of supernatural being that are greater than most, but aren't truly gods. The Courtier are those supernatural being, there're 3 tier of Courtier, Low Courtier are supernatural recently invited to the Court, Courtier are supernatural who been in the Court for sometime now, and the High Courtier are those who devote themselves to one of the Lord of the Courts. Lord of the Courts are greatest of the Court, whether that be physical, mental, social, or supernatural. While a Lord of the Court can potentially destroy a Gods, they only have 10% chance of it, most Court have atleast 4 Lords, some have 5 or 6 and very few have 7 or 8 Lords. The Court are different from Conspiracy because Conspiracy are made of human or atleast mortal being, not supernatural immortal creature. And they're different from Gods in that they don't have a single powerful being.
I have 6 idea for Cthork Borg supplment, I want know of these 6, which one would you actually consider writing in the future so I won't be stepping on your toes when I write them.
Idea number #1
Name: Age of Mythic Twilight.
Premise: Before the known history, there was an age of mankind full of magic and wonder, but also horror and mystery. It's the Age of Mythic Twilight, where civilization prosper by the help of both science and magic, where the people perform various ritual to put the gods in balance, and where the wilderness hide treasure and monstrosity. But this age is coming to an end, as mankind continue to prosper, nature start to fight back, climate changing as the world grow hotter, but that isn't all, as the various nation start war to claim control over the world, famine, plague, and rumor of rebellion fill the street, and the shadow of ancient gods threated to influence the Wheel of Ages, and destroy the balance of creation.
Content Include
● 2 Alternative to spell: Ritual, and Alchemy. With "Alchemical Recipe of Sumptuousness Madness" and "Ritual of Ancient Mysteries" witht the accompanying tomes.
● Guide on the Age of Mythic Twilight, it history, the important location, their culture, and the people there. The unique wonders of the age, and the mystery surrounding them.
● 3 New classes, The Brutal who use to survive in tough condition and tougher enemies, the agent of destruction and courage. The Poet who tell tale of all thing from the real to the imaginary and beyond, the agent of change and legend. The Royal who is in line for the throne, but still so far from power they deserve, the agent of order and justice. And list of class best suited for Age of Mythic Twilight.
● New tools, armors, weapons, and vehicle fitting for the Age of Mythic Twilight. As well as new beasts and animals type for the animal invesitgators.
● New mythic artifact both for human and animal. Rule on how the investigators can create their own aritfacts, ritual, spell, and alchemical recipe.
● 3 Ancient divinites, forgotten even by other Gods. The Princess of Frozen Flame, who embody the concept of change and justice. The Chief of the High Mountain, who embody the concept of destruction and legend. The Jade Dragon and The Golden Quail, who respectively embody order and courage.
● Rule for legacy play. How to create legacies for your character and close allies. How action taken in Age of Mythic Twilight could affect the various Ages after it. And the Wheel of Age which detail the 4 Light Age, 4 Dark Age, and 6 Twilight Age. What each Age entail, how it begin and how it end.
● Advice and tip on how to run a game set within the horror fantasy world of Age of Mythic Twilight.
Inspiration: Conan the Barbarian, Lord of the Ring, and various mythology about ancient civilization.
Whoah. So the expansions I'm currently considering are one that adds to the Artifacts list a bit, Seven Strangers 3, something that goes into a bit more detail on some of the cults, and then a couple more scenarios.
Mythic Twilight sounds really cool. The idea for legacy play is excellent, and I really like it as a counterweight to how Miseries work. I don't currently have any plans to write anything like it.
Idea number 2#
Name: Age of Dying Light.
Premise: Welcome to the Age of Dying Light, or what you might call the modern age, where the supernatural struggle to hide themselves in an age where the light intrude every corner of the globe, and human science advance at rapid pace, and humanity prosper in their tall cities. But this light is dying, as cult blend in with the mass by exploting their belief, monster that survive hide in plain sight, and humanity is slowly destroying itself and everything around it. This is the last Age of Light, savor it while it still around, you never know when the light will finally go out.
Content Include
● New character type: The Artificial, which have 4 subtype. Cyborg who were once human, now mostly machine, but still hold to the little humanity inside them. Android who are humanoid robot created for assisting humanity, but could never truly feel human. Program who real self is within the server room, but can assume form of simple robotic, living thousands of lives. And Hologram who exist only within the AR and VR space, but can affect heart and mind of people to do their bidding. As well as guide on how to run an Artificial game, how Artificial and other character type meet.
● New sci-fi artifact for Age of Dying Light, and artificial only artifact. And new Combat Maneuvers to manipulate the technology.
● Tools, weapons, armors, and vehicles for the Age of Dying Light, and allies fit for the modern age. Currency update, as well as new investment for the modern age.
● 2 New classes: The Corporate those who dedicate their life to a company, trading their life for stability. And The Virtual those who online persona matter more than their own life, and have fan all over the world.
● A new god recently created by humanity: The Collective Imago the living personafication of the internet, it only wish is to assimilate all life form into it will.
● A Conspiracy for the player to join or fight against: Utopia: Neo Project a group manipulating scientist and politician to create a new Light Age where humanity become as gods in the Virtual World.
● Guide on how the supernatural operate within the Age of Dying Light, and how to run a game in Age of Dying Light. And general advice for Urban Horror game.
Inspiration: Delta Green, The Laundry, and Black Mirror.
This sounds really neat as well! I don't currently have plans to make anything like this, and the closest in what I've already published is Pharmagothica.
Idea Number 3#
Name: Wild and Wylder Thing
● Table for local folklore, wild animal, material from gathering, material from scavenging, and type of settlement found.
● Rule for expedition, and survival in the wild. And 2 investment related to it.
● New "Spell of Arcadian Horror" and tomes to go along with it.
● Rule for crafting tool, weapon, and armor in the wild. And new tools, and vehicles fit for wild expedition.
● 8 New artifact, 4 for human, and 4 for animal. And 6 new animal type both playable and as beast.
● 2 New classes for human: The Changeling are those who were raise as human, but their true nature lie within the Court and it intrigue. The Wild Child are those who were raise in the wilderness, forming deep bond with the animal, and the land. 1 New class for animal: The Beast are animal who legend about them, make them become something more than natural.
● 5 Court for player to ally with or oppose: Court of Changing Season given birth by the Wyld, these courtier encourage certain emotion depend on the season, but alway wanting to see a world where fate absolute but is ever changing. Court of Heavenly Beast are the manifestation of various virtue, represented by certain animal, such as wisdom for owl, cunning for fox, and courage for lion, wanting to see a world where virtue guide the human soul. Court of Devil Will are the manifestation of humanity vice, represented by demon and devil of various mythology, wanting to see a world where humanity accept vice as part of themselves. Court of Forever After are a group of ghost who manage to become more than psychic remnant, guiding other soul into their chthonic cities, wanting to see a world where the dead are respected as much as the living. Court of Ephemeral Shadow are a group of ancient spirit who often ride human and animal to become part flesh and spirit, wanting to see a world where everything is part spirit.
● 5 Conspiracy for the player to join or destroy: The Society of the Great Hunt, is a group hunter who hunt monster as sport, they belive that they can guide humanity to a New Light Age, by becoming the greatest hunter in all of creation. The Atlantis Initiative, is a group of architect and historian, dedicated to rebuilding and rediscovering atlantis, beliving that the civilization hold the secret to a New Light Age. Adam Children, is a religious group who belive that humanity is above God, they belive that they can guide humanity into a New Light Age by spreading belief in putting humanity first before the divine. Centeōtl Foundation is a organization that is developing various GMO, they belive that by creating the ultimate GMO, they can cure world hunger, and create a New Light Age. Lilith Research Center, is a group who belive that humanity should have total control of the natural world, for that is the key for a New Light Age.
● Guide on how to run expedition type game, and advice on how to run wilderness and folkloric horror.
● New allies to help you survive both in the wild and the wyld.
Inspiration: Curious Expedition, Renowed Explorer, Folklore around the world.
This is a really interesting concept! I do have some plans to do supplements that focus on wilderness exploration, but nothing this comprehensive, nor anything that focuses on the fae. And I really like the idea of integrating animal PCs more into the game.
Does fire damage stack? Especially on big enemy from All Well At The Macllen Farm?
As written, this is up to GM interpretation. I'm generally fine with fire damage stacking to an extent, but there's only so much fire that someone can be on. The Meat Seam is also not particularly flammable---molotovs thrown on it will burn for a bit, but it won't take stacking d4 damage per Round forever.
Now, if the players excavate the Meat Seam and pour gallons of gasoline on it and set it on fire, that's different. That would do more significant damage, as would methodically dynamiting it. An organized and determined military could kill the Meat in a day, with some casualties.
I think the best way to think of the Meat Seam is to think of it like a rpg boss fight in early Final Fantasy game, sure it have lot of health, but if you just keep on attacking the boss with your spell and weapon, it will go down eventurally.
You can definitely use that mindset to kill it, as long as it runs out of summons.
It summon isn't that powerful, maybe for early invesitgators.
Can you take the core Specialty of another class during getting better (the Specialty that you don't need to roll for) and is Fortune Fool effect only happen during character creation, or does it extend to every other hit point you gain later?
Yep! You can take any one Specialty when Getting Better, including one of the two core Specialties for a different Class.
Rules as written, Fortune's Fool can be taken later when you have more Hit Points to convert. However, it's possible this might be disruptive to normal play. I am very okay with GMs putting a cap on the number of Omens it can give, or ruling that it is available during character creation only.
You can choose not to take Fortune Fool during character creation? and is the Skinflint +1 Omen every 1000$ save permanent or is that apply if you still have that 1000$ per Omen?
As a Fool, you have to take Fortune's Fool during creation. I think I'm going to try and patch this, since currently it's better for non-Fools than for Fools.
For the Skinflint, Pinch Pennies causes your max Omens to change as your savings change. So if you gain $1,000, +1 Omens. If you then lose that $1,000, -1 Omens.
Will you ever make Seven Stranger 3? I think there're several class missing from the game. Such missing class inculde.
● The Psychic: Those gifted with the power to incredible power coming from the psyche, using it to influence both the physical and the spiritual.
● Reason for the class: It's a common archetype in pulp fiction, and in supernatural media that is still human. The art shown on page 69, a person is using psychokinesis on multiple knives. The Academic enigma number 1, detailing a psychic who can actually talk with spirit.
● The Thaumaturgist: Those who studied occult and esoteric texts, learning a few trick on how to manipulate the natural force of the universe.
● Reason for the class: It's a common character type you see in call of cthulhu and other more classical work of horror. It's a more benigh dabbler of supernatural than those of the Accursed or the Complicit. More way for player to have supernatural power that aren't spell. It's a playable Fascinated Occultist.
● The Explorer: Those seeking renowned, glory and fortune, by seeking out mythical beasts, rumor treasures, and lost cities, in the most dangerous and exotic of environment.
● Reason for the class: The Explorer is a classic pulp archetype that haven't been fully explore in Cthork Borg. Add more interaction to artifacts and expedition investigation. Add interesting plot hook to get the investigators out of the city and into the wilderness.
● The Martial Artist: Those who train their body, mind, and soul to withstand incredible amount of suffering, using ancient technique to take down modern enemies.
● Reason for the class: The Martial Aritst focus on traditional weaponry in way no other class have. They add more interaction to combat system and maneuver. Add bonus to using non-firearm such as bow, staff, and unarmed.
I'm definitely interested in releasing more Classes, and the ones you've suggested all fit the genre. I've also got some other ideas for Classes that bring in more supernatural elements or that fold in the works of other writers (Poe, Howard, etc.)
There's a lot of Cthork content in general that I want to write, I just need a scheduling window in which to cook on things. I'll try to aim for later this month.
In the meantime, if you're interested in writing your own Classes, I'd be happy to link from this page to anything you create. There haven't been any third party Cthork supplements yet, but I'd love to see the visions other creators have.
Seven Stranger 3 could introduce more tarot inspired class like it did in Seven Stranger 1, here are some of my idea.
●The Star: Those who sparkle hope onto the world, idealist who touch the heart and soul of everyone who seen or heard of them, but all the fame might start to corrupt the star, and the attention aren't always benigh.
● Reason for the class: It continue the tarot theme from Seven Stranger 1. It introduce drama and horror from all the fame and attention the class bring. The character type is common in psychological horror/thriller.
● The Moon: Those who seek comfort within the darkness, seeing it as a place of safetly, to hide away from all the regret and mistake they make, but within the darkness are horror they know all too well.
● Reason for the class: It continue the tarot theme from Seven Stranger 1. It introduce drama and horror from place of comfort and haunting of the past. The character type is common in gothic horror/thriller.
● The Sun: Those who shrine against the darkness of the world, doing anything to make the world a better place, but with every light there is a shadow, as doubt creeping in the Sun head on how much they could really change.
● Reason for the class: It continue the tarot theme from Seven Stranger 1. It introduce drama and horror from self doubt even from the most pure soul. A character type found rarely in horror, but would make the game mood more hopeful than most.
● The World: Those who travel the world in search of enlightment, constantly changing, and renewed themselves, but at the end of every journey is death, and then rebirth.
● Reason for the class: It continue the tarot theme from Seven Stranger 1. It introduce unique perspective of a worldly traveller into the game that is different from the Drifter. The character type is common in religion with reincarnation.
These sound cool! I didn't have plans to do the full tarot, but I definitely like the idea!
Can the +1 to Abilities that you get from Spell, Specialty, and Artifact go over the normal +6? And can Beliver Faith Healer Specialty cure Malice?
By default Abilities can't be increased over +6 from any source. You can stack lots of modifiers apart from Abilities, though. So you can have +6 Ability and -5 DR from specific bonuses and that's functionally a +11 on a roll.
For Faith Healer and Malices, I'm inclined to say yes, with the caveat that Malices generally count as life-threatening/life-changing, and so Breaking is required to treat them. Also Faith Healer may not work on all Malices---it's the GM's call as to whether things like curses and psychological issues fall under the purview of the Specialty.
I think most table would allow for Faith Healer to heal Curse and Psychological issue, since most Faith Healing in real life is about soothing the mind, and a lot of Faith Healer in the past also remove curse and misfortune. And the Archetype of Martyr healing other by taking the pain onto themselves fit really well.
How does Artifact Revalation Advancement work? Is it an automatic thing that just happen as you complete more investigation? Or do you have to actively use it in a investigation to advance it? And it is said that only the most recent Revalation applies, does this mean the bonus and penalty to your Ability and DR are also gone? What about change to Hit Point and Social Standing? Or stuff like Neglected Jeweler's Loupe power at 0 Investigation? And Can you stack multiple Artifact power together?
With artifacts, they work like this. Say you have the Battered Packet Of Spiced Cigarettes. At 0 Investigations, its Revelation is -1 DR to Stability tests. If you trade it to your buddy at the end of the investigation, you lose that benefit and they gain it instead. If your buddy carries the packet around for a whole investigation, they advance to the next Revelation (+1 Stability) but lose the benefits of the 0 Investigations Revelation (-1 DR to Stability tests.)
Basically, permanent effects like changes to Abilities and Hit Points and money stay with you even if you lose the artifact, but temporary effects like bonuses or penalties to DR or Social Standing or the Jeweler's Loupe's 0 Investigations Revelation don't.
Also you can definitely stack effects from artifacts.
The only thing you can't really do is indefinitely preserve a 0 Investigations Revelation by constantly swapping an artifact between owners. The investigator that used the artifact always advances to the next Revelation at the end of the investigation.
(This means that an investigator who carries the Battered Packet Of Spiced Cigarettes *will* get the +1 Stability Revelation, and this Stability increase will be permanent, even if they trade the cigarettes away at the end of the investigation. Also if they carry the packet around for *another* investigation, they'll get the -1 Stability Revelation, which will also be permanent, making their net Stability gain across all Revelations 0.)
Am I asking too many question?
No, you're good! I'm happy to answer any questions.
Regarding whether Revelation advancement is automatic or you have to use the artifact, it's automatic. Just keeping the artifact in your home or in a vault you own will still advance its Revelations.
Optionally the GM might rule that picking an artifact up and then immediately throwing it away is safe, or that storing an artifact in some kind of spiritual containment / salt circle nullifies its current benefit and keeps it from advancing in Revelations---although the feeling with artifacts is that they're supposed to be dangerous, so I think I would probably make the players work to keep one contained.
When the Heirloom Ring break, can you get it back by choosing this Specialty again during Getting Better? And Does Miraculous Escape suffer from Malice?
How do you actually kill Gods in this? Like not their Manifestation, but in a way that would stop their misery effect and advancement from happening.
This is one of those things that's going to be up to the GM, and very much dependent on whether you're running a more pulp or more purist game. By default, the gods are all somewhere on a spectrum between rational independent entities and innate cosmic forces. And killing a cosmic force (even the personified expression of a cosmic force) might be a bad idea to begin with. However, engaging a god in its home (where it isn't manifested and has full power,) or finding a way to bind it, or pulling it into a fight with another god could all work.
In purist cosmic horror, winning against the gods---even in the short term---is generally treated as impossible. I tend to lean more pulp, with the gods as impossibly powerful and uncaring monsters, but still capable of being outplayed sometimes. In cosmic horror stuff I've run, players *have* worked out ways to kill gods---usually at great cost, and with immense risk.
Again, this is ultimately going to be up to the GM. For me personally, if the players come up with a means of attack that I can't imagine the god has sufficient defenses against, and they deliver it in a way that the god can't distance itself from, it'll work. And if a god falls, its Miseries are repealed---although they might be replaced with other ramifications from killing it.
How would I go about engaging the gods in their own home? Where is the gods home? Especially the Outer God and King in Yellow.
The Flutist is difficult. You could reach it at the edge of the universe, or maybe through the Pale Country.
The King is easier. You can reach it in Carcosa. One of the investigations in Five Nasty Little Homes has a way there, and the King's cult has ways of getting there as well. The trick is in doing so without racking up a ton of The Play's The Thing tokens and turning into fiction.
I've been devouring Cthork Borg and it's plentiful supplements lately and am so impressed by the wealth of ideas you have, both in tweaking/suiting the Mork Borg core system and in making it something unique and your own. That you continue to deepen this well with expansions continues to surprise and delight me, there's so much great stuff there to learn from and have the most immersive game possible. Always impressed by a Richard TTRPG but this (and pharmagothica) are at the top of my list.
Whoah, thank you! Glad you've been enjoying it!
What is this!? Now also on GoodReads!??
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123848984-cthork-borg
Thank you for your work!
Hello! Question/thought about Omens in Cthork Borg: if the player-characters get around 4 or 5 Omens each, and you've got four players at the table...isn't that roughly 16 to 20 re-rolls or Difficulty Number reductions, etc. per scenario? Is there a concern that so many Omens being available to the party per investigation/scenario that the player-characters will steamroll the opposition with that many 'bennies' available to the group? Thus lessening the horror feeling of it all? Would be eager to hear your thoughts...thank you!
Yep! More players means more Omens, more Actions in combat, more equipment, etc.
It also means you have more room to play a bit mean as the GM. You can throw more dangerous situations at them, include enemies with strong attacks or nasty gimmicks, use cults that are tactical and smart, etc.
You can definitely reduce Omens if you want to, but my experience is that this makes the game feel a little more random. The fewer Omens the players have, the easier it is for them to get picked off by a couple bad rolls.
Also, some of this will depend on the tone you want to go for. If you like tense, desperate, anyone-can-die style scenarios, you might want to reduce everyone's starting Omens by -3. The current starting Omens is a little bit more geared towards adventure pulp.
I haven't experimented with this specifically, but if you really want Omens to scale with group size, you might try -1 Omen for all players per group member over 3. That'll give bigger groups an advantage in numbers, but anyone who gets isolated will be in more danger.
This is great - thank you! I was thinking about the Omens overnight, and am reminded by way of your response about Luck Points in Call of Cthulhu. In that game, investigators get to cannibalize their Luck scores to directly influence dice rolls, thus working in intent and manner very akin to Omen spending in Cthork Borg. And your point about playing the opposition as craftily and mean as possible is well taken, since Cthork Borg players can attempt to mitigate disaster with Omen spends. In my last Cthork Borg game, my players were slinging a bunch of Omens around to defeat the opposition at the finale of the adventure and keep their own fat out of the fryer. Thank you sir for a) a great game like Cthork Borg; and b) a speedy and thoughtful reply to my observation. I love this game!
Currently playing through "Whispers in the Mountains" and having a blast! Cthork Borg is terrific!!! We have two players as investigators and myself as keeper of the mysteries. One investigator is an Innocent class character from the main book, whose occupation is a veterinarian. The other investigator is Hanged Man class character from the Seven Strangers sourcebook, whose concept is something of a drifter seeking eventual retribution. Both investigators are friends, and both have been haunted by dreams of their mutual friend Agatha in desperate trouble. Our heroes have traveled to a little mountain town in hopes of finding her. Things are starting to get weird, and it's delicious. Great stuff!!! Wonderful game!!!
That sounds like a great combo of characters!
Hello! In regular Mork Borg, Omens can be used to neutralize a crit or a fumble. But that bit of text is missing in Cthork Borg (other uses for Omens are the same as in regular Mork Borg). Is leaving out neutralizing crits & fumbles intentional here in Cthork Borg? Thanks!
Ah, this falls under rerolling a die. You can reroll crits and fumbles just as you would any other die---although if you want to rule as the GM that crits and fumbles are immune to omen'd rerolls, that's totally okay too!
The wording for 'neutralize' felt a little unclear when I was reading Mork (is a neutralized crit fail a regular fail? does it get rerolled? can more omens be spent on a neutralized roll?) so I removed the bit about neutralizing and just left the bit about rerolling dice.
Ah...I understand now...the 'neutralize' a crit or fumble is essentially already included under the 'reroll a die' provision...meaning that a player can set down an Omen and declare that the crit or fumble they just rolled is to be re-rolled (neatly side-stepping the whole 'neutralize' question). Thank you for helping me process this information - very helpful!
No worries!
Hello! Quick rules question: can multiple Omens be spent on a single dice action? For example, can I spend an Omen to reduce the DR of a rolled task, and if I fail the task, immediately spend another Omen to re-roll? And if the re-roll fails, assuming I have remaining Omens, can I drop a third Omen on that same task to re-roll yet again? In a releated vein, can a player ally spend an Omen to drop the DR of a task, and then my own character spends an Omen on a re-roll on that same task? Can Omens pile on to a single task so that characters "can't fail" when they really need to succeed? Or is it only "one Omen per turn" for any given task? Thanks!
Rules as written, anyone can spend an Omen at any time to influence the dice. So you can spend multiple Omens back to back to try to pass an essential roll, and you can use an Omen to reroll a friend's failure.
You can also theoretically use Omens to influence the results of roll tables and stuff like that.
Of course, groups can absolutely change this. And individual modules can specify stuff like "you can only use one Omen per test."
This is very helpful - thank you!
Dear Kumda1,
Is it permissible to create and publicly share our own Cthork Borg material?
Absolutely!
You do still need to comply with the Mork Borg license (https://morkborg.com/license/), since Cthork is based on Mork, but their license is super permissive. Basically, there's some text you need to put on your rights page, and you can't claim to be their company, but that's the bulk of it.
For Cthork stuff specifically, if your thing is non-commercial, you can just make it, no need to ask me. If it's commercial, ask me first, but I'm not going to say no or ask for a cut unless you're like a giant corporation or something.
Also whatever it is, I'm happy to link it on this page and/or shout it out on social media.
Terrific - thank you!!! It’s a wonderful game!
This game is so excellent. Kumadal, have you considered working with Free League (the producers of Mork Borg and the upcoming CYBorg) to produce a hardback book like Mork Borg? I'd LOVE to see Cthork Borg sitting on my bookshelf in a nifty little hardback alongside my Mork Borg book. Maybe get Cthork Borg on the radar of Johan Norr and Pelle Nilsson (the Mork Borg creators), if you haven't already? I bet they'd be thrilled to see this Lovecraftian iteration of the Mork Borg core. And with Free League behind it, it would take Cthork Borg to a whole new level (new audience, hardback book, etc.). I'm just so impressed with this game...what you've done here...that I want to see it go the full distance, in terms of production capabilities. Just my two cents, and of course it's your game so it's totally up to you what happens...I'm just a fan who would love to see it get the 'full book treatment' like we see with Mork Borg. Cheers and thanks again for such a dark gem of a game!
Thanks!
I've been thinking about the logistics of doing a print version, and the enthusiasm for the game definitely helps that feel more feasible!
Print version now exists!
Purchased a print copy from DriveThru!
I appreciate the support!
Hello! Quick rules question: after investigations are completed, when a character Gets Better, if they choose to raise their Toughness by one point, do their maximum hit points also increase by one point as a result? Or are maximum hit points tied to the Toughness score only at initial character creation?
Rules as written, changes to Toughness don't affect max Hit Points after character creation. I also checked Mork Borg core, and it seems to be that way there as well.
That said, I'm completely okay with Toughness changes affecting max HP.
There *is* the possibility of a weird edge case where someone with very low max HP but moderate Toughness could lose a point of Toughness and hit max HP zero before they even reach negative Toughness, but I'm not sure how often that's likely to come up.
Thank you for this information…much appreciated!
Just bought. Looks amazing
Thank you!
May I suggest a minor tweak to the Academic character class?
On page 25, as part of the 'Academic Specialties' package...suggest making the 'Field of Study' ability +3 on Presence tests to understand information related to that field, instead of the current +2 as listed in the text.
Rationale: making 'Field of Study' a +3 ability brings it in line with the 'Well-Read' ability that all Academics receive to decipher tomes or translate languages.
For example, a medical doctor Academic would likely have a +3 in the field of medicine, at least equal to (not lesser than) their ability to decipher tomes or translate languages. Similarly, an astronomer Academic would have at least the same skill rating (+3) to identify a star cluster as to decipher tomes or translate languages.
Thank you for considering!
Ah, okay. This is an interesting one, and I apologize if the system handles it a little weirdly.
The Academic should be at least a good at their profession as they are at reading.
However, gameplay-wise, Field Of Study is a broad, moderately powerful bonus and Well-Read is a strong niche bonus.
Boosting Field Of Study might make it a little too powerful, and nerfing Well-Read kind of destroys it.
My intention in making Well Read a core Specialty is that frantically reading things is usually what the academic character does in a cosmic horror game.
However, in the current build, 5 out of 6 academics don't have a Field Of Study at all. And you're right, that does feel a little weird verisimilitude-wise.
I think what I want to do is make Field Of Study a core Specialty, and make Well-Read an optional Specialty. That way every academic has a field that they're familiar with, and some are additionally really good at languages and books.
I'll spend a day or two looking this over, and I'll aim to have a patch plugged in by the end of sunday.
Yes, what you propose - making Field Of Study a core Specialty, and making Well-Read an optional Specialty - would handle it very well!
Perfect! I'll apply the change before the end of Sunday.
All set!
Terrific! I love this game!
I love that this exists. Any Lovecraftian angle to the light-touch rules of Mörk Borg would be in my wheelhouse, but your spin away from strictly Lovecraft into a wider Weird Fiction mythos makes this irresistible.
For one thing nobody is going to do double takes at monster x and go “Er, is this a coded minority stereotype?” But also, the pantheon you devised would go equally well as a (almost) plug’n’play replacement for the stock deities and monsters in CoC. Captivating work!
I can’t wait to run a bunch of Cthork Borg scenarios with my group!
I'm glad you like it!
It's been a lot of fun to write and test, and I'm glad the monsters have walked that tight line between being their own thing, and being easy to drop into converted scenarios.
I hope it plays well, and if there's any kind of content you'd like added, just let me know. There's a few more small expansions in development.
Another note of appreciation for this game...reading through the Monsters and Gods...the descriptive writing is superb. The whole game is redolent with implied setting and theme through the masterful use of language to convey the genre. It's one of those rare game books that is a joy to read, as one can savor the words while digesting the rules and mechanical data. No bloat, all lean and satisfying. A feast for the imagination. Well done!
Thank you!
Lovely to see you keep updating and expanding this wonderful thing !
Thanks!
Would you be able to inform what you are actually changing with your version updates ? small errors or actual small additions ?
Yep! Currently the Updates section on this page gives an overview of each change. If that doesn't feel precise enough, I can go into more detail for each item, but I was worried that would take up a lot of space on the page.
Most of the changes have been pretty minor, and the closest to a game balance problem was the former Nerve Tonic, which people could just drink all day by RAW.
Just want to cheer you on: Cthork Borg is fantastic and I'm delighted to see additional material being produced to support the line. Bravo, sir! And thank you for this great game!
Thank you! It's a lot of fun to write for, and I'm glad people are enjoying it!
maybe keep the updates free from ads ? like just changelogs instead of putting other works in there
All set! I've sorted the links to other Cthork stuff into a different heading.
thanks ! also nice to see so many updates , would not mind paying in the future for expansions in the form of more monsters/mechanics/items cause your stuff is as usual really good :) , do you plan to make adventures or stuff for vast grimm ? it's mork borg in space and also super cool:)
This is the first I've heard of Vast Grimm, but it sounds rad. I'll check it out.
More monsters and items are planned for Cthork Borg, although I'm aiming to do one or two more investigations first.
Will there be a print version of this for sale?
If not, do you mind if I have one made for my personal use?
I don't currently have any plans to print, although I do keep thinking about it.
Home-printed copies for personal use are totally fine.
I'm not sure what your print process is like or if this'll be helpful information, but the PDF is layed out in 8.5 x 11 inches, 1 inch margins, .125 inch bleeds.
There is now a print version available!
Do investigators lose Stability for seeing monsters or is it just when learning/casting magic spells?
Some monsters can inflict Stability loss, but it's not universal.
Monsters that are particularly shocking, or that exude some kind of psychic pressure, can definitely force the investigators to test against Stability loss.
However, the main use for Stability as a stat is that you can call for the investigators to test it to keep a cool head in terrifying situations. Even if a monster can't lower the investigators' Stability, you can still call for Stability tests when it's around. Investigators that fail might run, or call attention to themselves, or accidentally safety their gun/release the magazine, or otherwise make a bad judgement call due to nerves.
You can definitely do more traditional rules and have all supernatural monsters and situations cause the players to test or lose Stability, but it's optional.
This is great information - thank you! Perhaps a line or two to this effect in the book’s section on Stability, or perhaps at the start of the monsters section. Many veteran Cthulhu gamers are used to taking sanity losses when seeing monsters, so maybe a few words such as you have written here in response to my query would be a helpful addition to the text. Thanks for considering! (And great game! Cthork Borg is fantastic!) - Brian C.
Thanks!
The layout's a bit precarious, but I'll squeeze an explanation into the top of the monsters section. You're absolutely right, it's a little different from the standard, and a lot of folks will expect routine san loss otherwise.
I should have a patched version up by end of day.
All set!
Great stuff! Thanks for the edit! What you've done is a remarkable, creative piece of work...bravo and hats off to you, sir!
Is this a standalone replacement or could you use this in more fantasy settings to give them a occult vibe , asking because of your new weapon additions , vehicles and classes , as this sounds cool but if all other content feels out of place compared to this then it's no good imo
It was written as a full conversion hack. I wanted to run some 1920s occult horror, so I sort of overhauled the whole ruleset.
With some adjustment, you can port any parts you like back to standard Mork Borg, but it isn't plug-and-play. There's a new attribute (Stability) which in turn affects magic, social standing, and a number of other small things.
Equipment and vehicles are probably the easiest things to convert, but they come with a new mechanic (bleed) and are more lethal than normal Mork Borg gear.
If you're looking for regular Mork Borg expansions, I do have a few of those (Bork Borg, Fisk Borg, Perfidious Protoplasma) and there's mountains of cool stuff by other creators on itch.
If you're specifically looking for 1920s occult horror items/vehicles/spells for regular Mork Borg, I can write a Mork Borg expansion for that, but it'll take a couple weeks to spin up.
It's still kinda tempting just that this would be incompatible with lots of other material as it would feel out of place , might get this to run cthulhu content tho as this is probably still very minimal compared to the real cthulhu games , really interesting work you are putting out
Thanks!
Cthork Borg's content will definitely feel a little out of place in Mork Borg's Dying World (unless modded to add cars, firearms, etc,) but it should fit a lot of cthulhu content like a glove.
would definitely use it as a bridge ye , on the list for next pickup for sure , also fisk borg looks cool , nice work
Thank you!
You should have something analogous to The Miseries in the game to promote tension and immersion in the game world.
Good call!
I do like the idea of the gamestate becoming more complicated as the various gods advance their objectives. I'll do some brainstorming on how to implement this, and I'll aim to get something out next week.
Miseries have been added via an expansion, Miserere Mei Deus, which is here: https://kumada1.itch.io/miserere-mei-deus
They're a little different from the Mork Borg Miseries in tone and effect, but they should provide that same sense of overarching high stakes.
Any chance of custom character sheet? :-)
I am very bad at graphic design, so I haven't tried making one yet, but I'll add it to my schedule. I should be able to have something ready by end of day tomorrow (8/25.)
Wish I had a schedule like yours!
Thanks
All set!
It's got some limitations. I really do not have a background in graphic design. Let me know if there's anything that feels like it's missing.