Ahoy, Mateys! Pirate Borg TTRPG Returns with Down Among the Dead

Me: Down Among the Dead is live on Kickstarter!
The Internet: What is Down Among the Dead?
Me: Oh, it’s the new expansion from the makers of the Pirate Borg TTRPG!
The Internet: Sweet! What’s Pirate Borg?

Pirate Borg is a macabre, rules-lite, old-school TTRPG designed by Limithron that uses the Mork Borg System (created by Free League Publishing). PIRATE BORG was released on September 19, 2023, coinciding with International Talk Like A Pirate Day. The game has generated excitement among tabletop gaming enthusiasts, with some expressing eagerness to set sail on grand adventures.

MORK BORG Connection

PIRATE BORG is part of the larger MORK BORG family of games. MORK BORG, the original artpunk RPG, was introduced in 2020 and has since spawned several expansions and spinoffs. The success of MÖRK BORG has led to the creation of various related products, including PIRATE BORG, which adapts the core system to a pirate-themed setting.

The Pirate Borg setting is a combo of Pirates of the Caribbean, Underworld, Zombie Apocalypse, and the old Universal Monster movies.

Following the successful Kickstarter that launched the system, Limithron is back with a new expansion. It includes a starter set, player options, new naval combat rules, a purgatory-like new realm called The Locker, and the big centerpiece: an adventure anthology.

YARRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Pirate Borg TTRPG Starter Set

The starter set includes game system basics, tables for loot, NPCs, and environments. I think this is a smart move, as any new eyes on the TTRPG won’t feel the need for the core book that’s already been released. You can back this project and get right to gaming!

The player’s supplement has everything needed to build a PC, combat specifics, and what to do when you die. Being based on the Mork Borg TTRPG, expect to die A LOT. Rules-lite systems tend to be deadlier, and the setting invites living on that edge.

I PILLAGE AND PLUNDER JUST SO I CAN FEEEEEEEEEL SOMETHING!!!! NOW WHERE’S THE LITERALLY BLOODY RUM!!!!!!!!!

Pirate Borg’s Unique Features

Magic, while a thing in this game, is very different from what your typical D&D group may be used to. This setting isn’t chock full of bookworm wizards flinging spells all over the place. Magic in this world is more ritualistic, secretive, and uncomfortable. I would think a Sun Cleric would be VERY out of place in this environment…….

The naval combat system is comprehensive yet easy to grasp. That is something lacking in traditional D&D, so GMs might find this useful regardless of their interest in the game or setting itself. In this post-OSR scandal world, with new systems popping up everywhere, making your products useful for ANY GM is a smart move. Kudos to Limithron for finding a way for their particular niche to appeal to a broader audience. Come for the ship combat, stay for the gloom!!!!

OL’ BLOODBEARD IS THE NICEST DEAD MAN YOU’LL EVER SAIL WITH! NOW WHERE’S THAT RUM!

Rum, Reefs, and Random Islands: Down Among the Dead’s TTRPG Toolkit

Down Among the Dead’s adventure anthology (the aforementioned centerpiece) is chock full of content. It includes adventures AND additional tools to enrich your group’s dark version of the Caribbean.

The “House Rules” section is filled with suggestions that both make sense within the base system AND from a “let’s make this more fun” perspective.

Guys, there’s a stretch goal called “The Jolly Rancher Flag Generator.” I don’t know what that is, but I want it.

The Island Generator tables have a fun hook, and the tables themselves work! I tested them myself and was in equal part interested and terrified of the island I put together.

The Coral Reef Generator is another unique addition that, just like with the naval combat, appeals to any DM who wants to set their adventures on the high seas.

DON’T SAIL TO RANDO ISLAND, BOY! TIS A PLACE OF HORROR SO TWISTED, IT’S AS IF THE GODS JUST, I DON’T KNOW, ROLLED SOME DICE AND THREW A BUNCH OF ELEMENTS TOGETHER WITH NO THOUGHT TO THE ABOMINATION IT WOULD SET UPON THIS WORLD!!!!!!! MORE RUM DAMMIT!

The Locker: A Dark Purgatory

My favorite section of the book is “The Locker,” a dark, twisted purgatory of the dark, twisted seas of Pirate Borg. So, it’s basically Hell for people who died in Hell? Yep! Blackened waters, Great Old Ones-style monsters from the deep, gray, and depressed semi-undead people, everything you need to show your players “the TPK is only the BEGINNING of your suffering!”.

This supplement includes locations, effects, enemies, and ways to get in OR out, depending on the party’s desire. Want to plunder the Underworld for riches? Check. Want to return to the land of the living because you have unfinished business? Check.

ALRIGHT MATEYS, JUST CUZ WE ALL DIED DOESN’T MEAN THERE AIN’T PLUNDER TO BE STOLEN!!! BUT LET’S GET TO PORT FIRST; WE’RE OUT OF RUM!

Atmospheric Adventures and Pirate Borg Pirate Paraphernalia

Reading through the adventures, I see the creators really put effort into building the atmosphere, not just “places to loot.” Each comes chock full of history and lore of the respective locations, making these rule-lite adventures dense and interesting. One of these adventures, “Venom in the Veins,” wins the name game FOR SURE.

I also must mention that even in the Down Among the Dead preview pages I was lucky enough to look through, the old-school art is spooky as Hell.

The Kickstarter is live now and includes options to purchase older content (like the core book and other adventures) in some of the tiers and VTT options for the major platforms. There’s also a GM screen (with some tasty stretch goals for glow-in-the-dark elements!), dice, doubloon-style coins, and a new digital-only supplement for even MORE content for your buck.

LISTEN HERE SCALLYWAGS! THESE FINE GAMERS COULD HAVE BATTLED A DRAGON, VENTURED INTO A SUPER DUNGEON, FLOWN THROUGH SPACE, OR KILLED THE DEVIL WITH SICK GUITAR RIFFS. BUT NO, THEY CHOSE TO SAIL THESE HERE SCURVY-INFESTED WATERS WITH US!!!!!!! LET’S SWASHBUCKLE THE SHIT OUT OF THESE NERDS AND SHOW THEM WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PIRATE!!!!!!!!

Now on Kickstarter

So, head on over to Kickstarter and check out Pirate Borg – Down Among the Dead. Even if you already have the core book, it’s set up so you don’t have to buy the starter set (recognizing you shouldn’t buy the same thing twice) and can enjoy the new content in this great setting and system. You can also join the Limithron Discord, subscribe on YouTube, or join their Patreon. All in all, it’s some top-notch work from creators who clearly love what they do. Tally ho! That’s a pirate phrase, right?

Discuss the Pirate Borg: Down Among the Dead TTRPG Expansion on the PopGeeks Tabletop forums.