Nerdarchy on Hacking Mork Borg Zoo Mafia RPG Design Diary #2

Nerdarchy on Hacking Mork Borg Zoo Mafia RPG Design Diary #2

May 10, 2022

In this 17-minute video on Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted finally decide to create their first roleplaying game — Zoo Mafia RPG. The video goes into their ideas for creating an OSR hack using Mork Borg, which has an open gaming license.

The conversation begins with a recap of the Zoo Mafia concept found in a earlier video and accompanying blog post. The first and biggest question they address is whether to hack an existing RPG system or creating an entirely new one from scratch. In this video they approach the answer from the former perspective.

In this video series they’ll look at a variety of RPG systems and what they offer as far as achieving the desired result for Zoo mafia. First up is Mork Borg from Free League Publishing. The game bills itself as a “pitch-black apocalyptic fantasy RPG about lost souls and fools seeking redemption, forgiveness or the last remaining riches in a bleak and dying world.” But if the window dressing is taken away what kind of game experience do the mechanics suggest?

The remainder of the discussion highlights key aspects of the Mork Borg system. For example only players roll dice — not the Game Master. This particular aspect of many RPGs holds appeal for Dave and Ted. There’s also an internal calendar mechanic tied to Mork Borg and elements of this part of the game present interesting opportunities for tension in Zoo Mafia.

Character creation and advancement in Mork Borg takes a slow pace compared to 5E D&D too. Characters start with very few features an gain power in small increments, which aligns closer with the Zoo Mafia concept too. This game and other OSR style RPGs also place a higher importance on a character’s mundane gear and equipment and this also makes sense for the kind of experience Zoo Mafia aims to elicit.