Pirate Borg
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Pirate Borg is a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) published by Free League Publishing. It adapts the rules-light, Old School Renaissance (OSR) role-playing game system Mörk Borg into a pirate-themed Caribbean fantasy setting.[1]
Pirate Borg was written and illustrated by game designer Luke Stratton under the Limithron label.[2] The game originated as an independent Kickstarter project before Free League became involved in its publication and distribution through its Free League Workshop sublabel.[1][2]
In Pirate Borg, players explore a grim setting known as the Dark Caribbean, where pirates contend with undead horrors and other supernatural threats across haunted seas and jungles.[3] The game was a finalist for Best Game Related Writing at the 2023 Origins Awards.[4]
According to the game's creator, Luke Stratton, Pirate Borg is "a game about grog-swilling pirates, undead galleons, arcane treasures found in ancient temples, and high seas adventure."[5]
Stratton describes the setting as fantasy-driven pirate fiction rather than historical simulation, drawing inspiration from pirate myth, folklore, and adventure stories. The undead play a central role in the game, as does a magical substance called ash, which can cause both negative and positive effects for player characters. The system is notable for ship-to-ship combat rules that allow players to collaboratively control a vessel during encounters.[6]
Publication history
Pirate Borg was funded through a Kickstarter campaign that raised over US$161,303 from more than 4,076 backers.[7]
The game was released by Free League Publishing on 19 September 2023, following the crowdfunding campaign.[8]
Pirate Borg has achieved Platinum Best Seller status on DriveThruRPG, a popular tabletop gaming marketplace.[9]
In 2024, an additional Kickstarter campaign was launched for the expansion project Pirate Borg: Down Among the Dead, further expanding the game's product line.[10]