Yep, made a 11pm reply, meaning I didn't check that or my spelling. Still, point still stands, we need more Goblin TRPGs, so I am definitely checking out your entry.
TableplantGames
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Thanks! Making a game on absolutely tiny pages was an experience, but I'm mostly happy with the end result. Just need to make some slight tweaks, maybe pick a new title, definitely make a printable version. Will try to that by the end of the year.
Also was not aware there was a Goblin Game Jam but honestly we need more tabletop games about them!
Thanks for the feedback!
I was experimenting with the layout because... well... Mork Borg, but I can see your point on there. I am glad that you liked the imagery; they are just some images I found on Old Book Illustrations that I edited in GIMP, but I'm happy with the results.
Its official; if a story goes on for long enough, it goes to the moon.
Gibbous Moon is as delightfully deranged as one would expect. It is a point crawl filled with locals and denizens that feel right out of an acid trip gone grimdark and there's enough of said strangeness to fuel at least two sessions of adventures, though you could still run Gibbous Moon as a one shot, your players just won't see everything. The visuals are striking, and I love that the map is basically drawn on a photograph of the moon.
I did notice what I think might be a typo. In the Hive City Entrance, it mentions Insectiod Knights, however could only find stats for the Insectiod Guards, which I'm assuming it what you meant. Also there isn't a download button for a PDF, or PNG of the entry, which, to be frank, is a little baffling.
I do like Gibbous Moon. There's a lot of weird and bizarre here that will keep players entertained and I do like the visual presentation.
First of all this feels and looks like it was written by an adventurer clinging to their sanity after dragging themselves out of the valley, which is excellent. The opening paragraph sells the atmosphere, and each one of the tables is filled with things that feel right at home in this cold corner of the wretched world of Mork Borg. The visuals here are on the ball, the messy sketch leans in to that idea that this was made by a unlucky survivor, but the faded notes and scribbles elevate it. It might not seem like a massive element, but these details really do add a lot.
I'm have difficulties even nitpicking when it comes to criticism. The layout can be a bit tricky to follow, but that is Mork Borg and, to be fair, I would say it isn't particularly egregious. The simple black and white colour scheme works here, though part of me wonders if it colouring the background to imitate yellowed paper. I think the only thing I would suggest would be to write the numbers for each table and/or monster names in bold, just so they're easier to pick out.
All in all Beneath the Valley is an excellent entry about my favourite local in Mork Borg (mostly because of the name). With this torn note from a diary found in a ditch, you've managed to breath (un)life into the Valley.
The writing here is awesome. I know you've said that TBSBMD is inspired by castlevania, but I can't help but feel Bloodborne was in the back of your head, which is a good thing because Gothic horror and lovecraftian abominations go together really, really well. That is where the writing shines; the castle isn't just a building, its an alien nightmare that has been dragged kicking and screaming into this wretched world and it is not happy about it. I do like the image here are well, feels like the cherry on the top.
My main criticism pretty much echos JimJamJoshie's; reaching the top of the tower could happen in one room, or eight. Another thing I'm not sure about are the first three rooms on the table. From how I've read it, all of these force a save just through walking through the door, though they do hide some bonuses. Personally, I would have the player make a roll if they performed a certain action, on a fail the bad thing happens, on a success they get the bonus.
Of course, that just some nitpicking. TBSBMD is one of my favourite entries from this jam. Its a blood stained, nightmare crawl through a castle that is an eldritch horror tearing its way into reality. That is to say it is excellent adventure that fits Mork Borg perfectly.
Ya know, zombies are dead cool...
I'll show myself out.
The writing here is pretty damn good. With just a single paragraph you have outlined what Feldhiem truly is; a gilded hellhole. The adventure hook at the beginning offers a good excuse to shove the players towards Feldhiem. The big star of the show, is the Gilded Undead, or as I like to call it, the shiny zombie. Its a solid example of how you can really add a twist to any mortally challenged locals. Its got a unique gimmick which can be discovered and exploited by players.
I have mixed feelings about the image chosen. On the one hand its a good visual of what Feldhiem would look like, on the other the dark muddy brown does not work well with the starker, brighter colours that surround it. I can't help but wonder if it would have been worth it would have been worth making a black and white (or black and yellow) version of the image via photoshop, GIMP, or whatever image editor you prefer.
Despite this however, I still think Whence the Gold Glitters is solid. You've given us a nice sneak peek into another corner of the wretched world of Mork Borg, and a interesting monster to boot. All in all its a good entry.
I do like the idea here. We don't tend to see poisonous Algae in fantasy, even though poisonous Algae is very real. I do like the piece of prose which floats the idea that this is something alien, something that isn't from the wretched world of Mork Borg, as well as a grim picture of what it does to its victims.
The problem is there's not much else. I very much concur with Dungeon Pop's comment, it should be more than just a patch of water that kills you on a failed check. My suggestion would be to have a table of random deliberating symptoms that impact the victim, or worse, spread the Algae, as time runs out for the victim.
Ultimately, I think there's the bones of a good idea here, but it needs some meat. At the moment its just poisonous algae in a world with psychopathic lantern headed men, haunted dolls that can paralyze with an empty stare, and horrors beyond our darkest nightmares.
I will preface this by saying I don't own the CY_BORG core rulebook, so while I'm familiar with the rules for Mork Borg, and I have an idea of some of the new mechanics, there might have been adjustments to the rules that I am not aware of.
I think the theme and writing for the Porcelain Android is the star of the show, thought the artwork is certainly solid. Each one of the origins is a mystery that could be woven into a campaign, as is the Strange Friendly Neighbour. Speaking of which, starting equipment is very varied. I also like that there's also an NPC statblock for the Porcelain Android which is excellent for GMs who want one as an NPC. Finally I love the fact that is class is inspired by the Porcelain Doll from Mork Borg's Bestiary. Honestly there are a few other Mork Borg creatures I would love to see get a grimy cyberpunk reimagine, namely the Wickerheads and the Pale Ones.
While I do think the writing is great, there is one spot where it could be better. That spot is the 4 bore magnum. Its ability text isn't particularly clear to me. Does it require a D18 presence check and 2 mags to use? Or do you use 2 mags if you fail the presence check. I will say looking at it again, I lean towards the former interpretation, but even then, its not 100% clear to me.
I ultimately like this new class. When I was playing around with the CY_BORG character generator, I was surprised to find there was seemingly no "rouge android" class. It struck me as odd since it was a cyberpunk trope as old as the genre. Porcelain Android rectifies this in a very Mork Borg fashion with striking results. This might be the entry that pushes me over the edge, and convinces me to buy CY_BORG.
The more and more I look through entries for this jam, the more I realise that there's a lot of good graphic design on most things Mork Borg related. Case and point, I love the image of the Shrouded Sovereign as it is beautifully horrifying. The thing I love about it however is that depending on how you play it, and what route your players take, the Sovereign could either be a boss the players have to fight, or a benefactor, because the alternative is working for the Shadow King who is probably just as trustworthy as the soul sucking ghost.
I think if there’s one nit pick I have, its the bite attack. The bite itself is alright for a monster like the sovereign, and the save DR isn't unfair for Mork Borg. However I feel like it should have another attack, nothing major just a simple attack it can use instead of the bite.
The Shrouded Sovereign is, overall, a solid entry. Its a boss monster with an interesting motivation that could see the players side with it, and some solid artwork and writing to bring it to (un)life.
The Delirious Garnish Gourmet Knight is basically Dungeon Meshi, but absolutely deranged. The layout is simple but is easy to follow and read for the most part. I love the photomash artwork of the DGGK; its unique and really suits a class that is about playing a cook is is off their rocker. The abilities are similarly flavourful (pun not intended) and are as bizarre as you would expect from a Mork Borg battle chief.
I can't think of much constructive criticism other than the ability section was a bit tricky to read. I did also find at least one typo (its in the forth line of the description of the Anti Family Recipe. It should read "Slice" but its misspelt as "Sliece").
Other than that though, I really like the Delirious Garnish Gourmet Knight. Its another unique class to add to the roster filled with unique abilities and brought to life with some striking artwork and solid writing.
Finally, the monster that is responsible for my crappy dice rolls.
The Catastrophant is most definitely a boss monster and an interesting one at that. I can say for certain that it looks like an eldritch abomination; the art here is high quality, the design is excellent, and all the information is easy to follow. The writing is solid, and gives us info about its modus operandi. As befitting what will most likely be a major big bad, the Catastrophant has a set of interesting mechanics. Its major gimmick is that it gets stronger the more fumbles occur in its presence. Of course the more someone fumbles the more likely they are to detect the Catastophant. This is an interesting mechanic and makes the Catastrophant extremely deadly, as befitting a boss in Mork Borg, though a character needs to fumble in the first place. Of course, that's why you have other monsters. It might be worth having the Catastrophant to engineer a few 'incidents', and use them to give players a hint that something is definitely a foot; that barrel that fell and nearly crushed the seer seemed to have been secure, someone most of cut a rope.
While its main mechanic is definitely the highlight, I will say that some players may also find it frustrating. Deathspirials can become difficult to deal with, especially those that are caused mostly by bad luck and can't be manage easily. Its for this reason I would advise against using the Fate Taker ability often unless a player has got a lot of omens stockpiled. As a counter, I will also say that this is Mork Borg, so most players won't mind losing their character are they fall on their own sword (literally); this means my concerns are ultimately for nought but I'll still mention them.
Overall, its a Catastrophant is a good example of a Mork Borg boss; it has a design that is horrifying, and an interesting set of mechanics that make it challenging to fight while not being overly complicated.
I literally just realised what was going on in the background and... yeah, I really, really like that little detail. I will also say that I do find it easier to read after my initial first read, though there was acclimatisation period, and the ability to highlight text did help a lot. Also I just took a look at the Bleed version and holy crap, there's a lot more content.
Right off the bat, Get Lost in Galgenbeck, in terms of visuals, is one of my favourites. The worn yellow background really fits the theme; the urban centres of the dying world are not pleasant, or sanitary places at the best of times. Furthermore, the drawing of the Extra dimensional Moth one of my favourite illustrations; its horrifying and I love it. Combined, its a stunning result. The locals in which the directionally challenged can end up are all disgustingly colourful and very Mork Borg, however they also present opportunities for misadventures, side quests, and the occasional reversal of poor fortunes. I think a few locals could easy become adventure sites, and the monsters could also be used elsewhere.
If there is one criticism I have its the layout. There is a lot of content here and it is very densely packed. As a result, it can be difficult to read. A few times, I found myself believing that one entry was part of a previous one, only to realise that it was its own entry. While I doubt there's an easy fix for this problem, its something which does impact GLiG.
All in all though, I have far more positive things to say about GliG than negative, and its earned itself a spot as one of my favourite entries Its presentation is striking, and each local is awash with possibilities. For those GMs with players who like to wander around dark alleys and find trouble, Get Lost in Galgenbeck has you covered.
Screw you, I'm trapping your dungeon!
I don't think I've seen another new class in this jam and the Laborious Snarekeep is an interesting one at that. Being a bastard who uses traps that are just as dangerous to you as any other poor soul is very Mork Borg, and the writing gives quite a bit of flavour. The Snarekeep is a little more mechanic heavy than most Mork Borg classes, but not so much that it becomes over complicated. You could use the rules for trap laying in general but impose difficulties on other classes. Also there's nothing to stop any GM from using the traps detailed here in their own dungeons.
Visuals are a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand I like the illustration of the Snarekeep, and the layout is readable and relatively easy to follow. Unfortunately the gradient grey background hurts presentation for me. While the use of blue and pink is good, against grey it doesn't feel as vibrant as it could be.
Ultimately, I think the Laborious Snarekeep is a interesting entry. The class presented here is an interesting one thanks to its flavor and mechanics, and the traps are useful tools for cunning players and GMs alike.
You know whats better than a "honest" merchant selling most likely defective wares, a merchant who has know clue if their wares actually work!
I love the theme overall, merchants like Dibbler can add a lot to a game by posing an age old question; is it really worth a saving a few coins when there’s a chance my sword will explode? Further complicating matters is the fact you might get a weapon that is better than average. I think the quality system could also be used for weapons the party inevitably scavenge from a dungeon. The writing is the highlight here, and really sells Dibbler's character and the theme.
The layout is barebones, which is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand everything is eligible and easy to follow, which is good, on the other hand it feels like something is missing. The section between the stock and quality tables isn't particularly clear on when a weapon's quality should be tested; I can't decide whether its on or under a natural 13 or 131, which would be any roll. There's also a typo in that same sentence (it should be "..and you roll a natural..", instead there's "...and you a natural...").
Overall, despite these issues, I like Dibbler's Emporium of Weapons. The writing is for the most part really good and entertaining, the theme is great, and the mechanics here can generate some fun moments and as an added bonus, can be easily transplanted elsewhere.
"Forgotten PS1 horror game" is certainly a good vibe and the Reach is a yet another good example of this.
Presentation is excellent. It looks exactly like an old and worn manual or guidebook from the era, completed by faded screenshots of low poly environments, magic items and the False men. A welcome side effect of using this style is that the layout is easy to follow and read through. The writing is also on point as you've managed present a mystery that players and GMs would love to delve into; the Reach isn't just a network of caves, its alive and alien in nature. I feel like the Reach would work just as well as a stand alone setting as it would as an expansion for the wretched world of Mork Borg.
I will say I would prefer some less abstract stats for the False Men. While stat bars are part of the PS1 manual aesthetic it could prove difficult for a GM to know how much HP a NPC has or how much damage a monster does using stat bars.
The only other criticism I could add is that I wish there was more, but I would argue that's also the highest praise I can give the entry. I would love to see more of the Reach, I would love to see what wares the Nether Merchants offer, to hear what the Whispering Traps say, and to uncover what horrors, wonders and mysteries lie closer to its heart. I agree with the previous comments; I would love to see a zine of the Reach.
I love the artwork. I would go as far as to say that this is, at the time of writing this comment, this has my favourite art featured in the jam, which is an achievement because its up against tough competition. Ragged Scumbags does what it says on the tin by introducing four new back-alley bandits for whenever the party gets lost in Galgenbeck or any other wretched city. These have the potential to be surprisingly lethal thanks to their rusted weapons, and their definitely characterful in their own foul way. I've already sung my praises for the artwork, but the writing here is the cherry on top that sells just how disgusting these guys are with only a few sentences.
I can't really think of any criticism I can level here without being nitpicky. I could say that the layout can be a bit tricky to follow, but that’s Mork Borg. Maybe there could have been a bit of colour but drawings work really well without it. I don't know what else I can say other than this here, in my opinion, is the good stuff.
Oh hey its more of my favourite monsters from the main book.
Each of the five new lampheaded lunatics has its own drawing which looks the part, as well as stats and a unique ability to keep things interesting; my favourite has to be the Light-Bringer, the Blessed Lantern is nasty and I can see some enterprising players using cover to try and void it. The encounter provided is a good one, which could lead to either a tight combat encounter or an interesting investigation depending on how players go about things. The formatting, while certainly Mork Borg, is easy to read while still being visually striking.
If there's one complaint I have its a lack of info on these new Wickerheads' behaviours. I think even a short sentence in their statblock giving just a single personality quirk (e.g Obsessed with candles, refuses to bath, despises the Light-Taker), would go a long way. This would mean altering the formatting though which might be a step too far.
All in all, No Rest for Wickerhead is a well presented collection of a gang of monsters as well as a solid encounter to use them in.
I do love the premise of sending players into a haunted forest that's been recently been burnt down and unfortunately is still haunted. The Vessel, the main threat of the adventure, is a big threat that could potentially snowball if players end up being killed by it, encouraging players not to dawdle around and work quickly. This does pose a noteworthy risk of a TPK, I would advise that Referees give players some warning if they're about to be attacked by the vessel, and maybe give them another way to scare it off. I'm not a fan of the blue background colour used throughout the document; its not easy on the eyes. Other than that and a couple of typos (in the Vessel's Personality Absorption 'trails' should read 'traits'), the layout is clear and information is easy to find. All in all Operation Free Fire does need some adjustments, but it does have the makings of a good One-Page horror adventure for FIST.
First of all, I really, really like the cover image; really sells the pulp horror thriller theme of Hell and High Water. The layout is for the most part is quite clear, though I almost thrown off by the fact the content of the pages was reversed, with introduction and encounters being on the second page while the confrontation with the main antagonist and epilogue on the first page, however, that was just me not being used to pamphlet adventures.
I do feel some of the text that's backed with colour (such as captain Aalto's stats) might be a bit difficult to read for some people. The text for Crow's Nest is also tricky to read. The Tidal Clock is a neat little mechanic that keeps the players moving, and forces them to balance being thorough with being quick and being thorough. All in all Hell and High Water a solid adventure that can easy fit into a campaign or be run as a one shot.
This is the prettiest entry I've see thus far, which considering I've seen some excellent photo manipulation to make creatures that look like they belong in Cy_Borg, is saying something. The layout here is excellent and fits what it is collection of traits, NPCs and items inspired by fairytales along with an adventure because why the hell not? Of note my favourite NPC is the wicked witch, which as befitting a Boss has a nice full colour image, while my favourite trait has to be Troll; I'm imagining comedy coming from that trait and some hapless NPC guard. The adventure bundled with the collection is a nice little jaunt into a fae realm with a high chance of unforeseen consequences for the real world because players shall be players and bring something dangerous back with them, just as sure as CYCLOPS will be ethically bankrupt. I'm struggling to say anything other than Grim Collection is awesome because, well, its awesome.
This feels like an 80s as all hell hacking adventure, which is good because its a hacking adventure set in the 80s. I am on record saying that I love random dungeon generators and I do like the map gen here, though I would advise that referees mark entrances and exits on their grids after creating a floor, helps keep track of where players can and can't go. I will say it did take me a while to wrap my head around it as well as some of the unique mechanics featured such as Data loss and Parity Bits. I feel like they should have been explained in their own section. Other than that Disks and Daemons is a neat little one page adventure.
I did not have 'Mutated Satellite' on my game Jam bingo card.
The unique premise is already a big draw, but everything here is well presented. The layout here gives any prospective referee a nice clear walk through of the adventure. The satellite, the boss of the adventure, also has some nice mechanics and... well I've already said that it being a horrific mutant satellite is pretty memorable. The Depths trait could also introduce some interesting dilemmas both during the adventure as well as potentially after it, as well as giving a character some new abilities in exchange for their vulnerability to mind control.
There's not really much more I can say about Blood Silo other than I like it a lot. Maybe there could have been some more buildup to the satellite, but even without that this is a excellent entry in my opinion.
There's no such thing as the... what was it called again?
Jokes aside, I love the premise of antimemes and I'm glad to see them here. Breaking into a laboratory run by CYCLOPS and dedicated to studying antimemes is a recipe for player shenanigans and misadventures, in other words a good time. There's decent selection of NPCs to cause trouble for the players; the CYCLOPS hunter and Silent One I feel are good inclusions. The former can cause some interesting encounters with the local wildlife, while the former could be anything from a minor nuisance to a campaign spanning antagonist depending on the GM choices and Player reactions.
The layout is clear and easily readable, however there is a lot of blank space which does leave the document feeling a little empty. I also noticed what seemed to be links within the document, that were supposed to point to NPCs and Items, that didn't work for me. Still, despite these issues, this is looks like one adventure players won't forget, even with the all the Antimemes.
The layout and style really does sell the theme and tone despite because of its simplicity. It isn't particularly elaborate, just the silhouette of the dunes, an illustration of a sandbike engine, the logo, and an incoming sandstorm, and it works really, really, well.
I do like how the map changes as all but a scant few landmarks are lost as the game progresses, keeping things fresh and also stopping the player from running out of space. The rules are straight forward and easy to understand. However I will say it isn't completely trading with settlements work (I would assume you would need to be adjacent or in the same hex and you would have needed to have found at least 1 new landmark). I also agree with thulhupunk, there should be an end goal rather than just survive. Still Drifts is an enjoyable and simple hexcrawl cartography game that, like many good one page RPGs, proves that less is more.
Well Barcode powered RPG wasn't on my bingosheet.
Seriously, every time I think I've found the entry with the most unique mechanic in this Jam, I find another one. I think Reality Code Jumper takes that prize however. I will say if you live outside of the US, where you don't really see UPC barcodes, you can use ISPN barcodes on books though it can be a bit tricky as you do need to skip the first number (alternatively you can just use a UPC barcode generator or rolling a D10 but that's not as fun).
Everything else is simple and straightforward, which makes it excellent for oneshots which is good for a one page rpg. I... can't really think of much else to comment on here. I'm still processing the fact that you've managed to make an adventure generator which uses barcodes.
In terms of visual style, I think miniBosk is going to be my favourite entry, which is saying something because there have been some beautiful entries! Those white-and-black illustrations are memorable and striking while setting the tone for this grim dungeon crawler. While it does very clearly have OSR blood, there are mechanics that are often seen in modern games, such as degrees of success (which I'm always happy to see). The system for map generation is certainly something I've never seen before and is definitely something I want to try out when I get a moment; honestly I think it could work for other games as well as Bosk.
The only nitpick I can really muster is the lack of examples for abilities for both enemies and PCs, but that's a nitpick. miniBosk is a delightfully dark dungeon crawler with some modern touches. Suffice to say I am now very interested in seeing Bosk Age when its ready.
I adore the style here; the white, black, and orange colour scheme along with the featureless silhouette of the lost and the Pillars is striking and adds to the theming. The mechanic are the real selling point for me; I don't think I've seen someone use a dicetower (as in a tower of dice) as a means of tracking your character's health. This creates a death spiral that makes the game well suited for those who want horror/post-apocalypse oneshot.
However, I can't help but feel there could have a tiny bit more; maybe a table to determine the nature or appearence of a lost. Still its really hard to criticise a one page RPG because they do so much with so little and all things considered, These Pillars Remain does what it sets out to do, that is to make sure everyone is at the edge of their seat when someone rolls a 1.
So I've yet to sit down and play this but I'm already impressed by what you've got going. First of all, you've done more with less when it comes to style and tone which is easier said than done. Brite Palette has already highlighted the collection of forsaken souls you will be fighting against as well as the illustration on the front page, however the piece of prose at the beginning is the cherry on top for me. The layout follows the same path, everything is easy to read and follow, however it feels like its continuing the style and tone set out by the illustration and writing. I don't really know how to describe it other than it feels right.
The mechanics are simple which is perfectly fine for a solo RPG, especially a one page solo RPG. However I feel like the enemies could have been given some more variety to their behavior, especially the three dice enemies. Maybe there could have been different behavior tables such a 'cautious' table which leans towards parrying and defense, a cunning table which prefers to parry, etc. Then again, this would add another dice roll that might not be needed (an enemy that can only attack will just attack regardless of behavior) , and I feel it would be difficult to add without impacting the layout negatively.
Still I like what I'm seeing here and I can't really think of many complaints or issues after a read through. I can't think of anything else to say other than this an excellent entry to the Jam.
So first impressions after having a glance through the rules. First of all, solo TRPGs heck yeah! Second of all as a lore goblin I do love the little breadcrumbs of lore presented in the rules as well as what's on your blog. I do love me some science fantasy mech action. Regarding the rules, they are fairly straight forward and easy to understand which is good, but I can see some potential issues with book keeping especially if you are keeping track of about a dozen units and all the rolls they are making. Still I am looking forward to giving it a run through its paces when I have a moment and I will let you know my experiences with Swordband.
So after reading through the rulesI can say I like what I see. The fluff and flavour sets the tone nicely while the illustrations complements it just as well. Rules are clear and simple, while Mech building is also fairly simple and still offers players with a healthy amount of choices and decisions. All in all its a excellent example of a rules light mech TRPG and I don't think running through the academy shouldn't take too long, maybe one to three sessions? (I can't really say until I or someone else brings it to a table and plays).
I've got mixed feelings about losing Influence after moving to the Unit phase. On one hand it makes sense being the head of the student band or being the daughter of a wealthy industrialist will matter little once they are part of the Unit, on the other hand I'm not a fan of dropping a mechanic that was there at the beginning. However I think that's just me, and if it is an issue, I doubt it will be a big one if the academy only takes a single session.
Besides that issue (which probably isn't really an issue) everything is absolutely solid here, and I think you've practically nailed what you were going for.
Finally got round to sitting down and looking over your submission and I'm impressed! Tone and flavour are both as colourful as you would expect from a 90s super sentei show. I do like the decision to go with cards for acts and fights. as they could allow players to create their own cards to add into the decks. Also I feel like this wouldn't take too much, if any, effort to play solo if you wanted to. Dice rolls, however, could have been explained a bit better with an example. Still, it is excellent stuff and a thumbs up from me; well done!







