30 Questions about Morton's List

This is a game of one-hour, real-life Quests. Players agree to attempt an as-yet-unknown mission, which is randomly selected by rolling a 30-sided die, called the Morton Boulder. There are 360 distinct Quests, each with directions, examples, and ideas to guide the group's decision. Players use their actual skills, interests, and material resourcefulness to interpret their specific Quest, and then take immediate action. For many, the benefits of this spontaneous direction are profound and undeniable.

It is currently a physical book and real dice, with app development underway. Unlike sit-down Quest games such as Zelda or Dungeons & Dragons, players roll dice, interpret the results, and then take action wherever they are, right then, in reality. It is a game in which you win by sharing unexpected experiences and expanding your known world. It is distinct from an Alternate Reality Game or Live Action Role Play in that there is no overall story, nor do players pretend to be a character, although these may occur in the natural course of completing some Quests.

One recent example of a Quest rolled is Weightlifting. The players were not weightlifters, nor were they anywhere near a gym or weights. They were at an outdoor music festival, so instead of lifting weights, they started lifting festival goers. Between the two of them they lifted 60 people in an hour, got a sick pump, and made many new friends. Success! Other Quests include playing games, engaging in contests, doing and making things, and/or going places. Every Quest is designed to be interpreted broadly, and adaptable to your specific start point and situation. The Games section of this website contains multiple .pdfs with Tables and Quests taken from the game itself.

Anyone can play, but people who like doing things in real life and are open to the full possibilities of reality have an advantage over those who don't. Advanced players are not afraid to commit to a one-hour dose of unpredictable adventure, and they welcome the as-yet-unknown flavors of life. Enthusiasm, however directed, and the ability to improvise are the two most prominent traits among the tens of thousands players worldwide who have so far rolled an estimated quarter of a million Quests.

Morton's List is named for the Morton Boulder, the 30 sided-die used to generate a Quest. All triacontahedron-shaped d30s everywhere in the world are now called Morton Boulders because of this. The complete story of the naming of the Morton Boulder was revealed at a seminar at the Gathering of the Juggalos on August 4th, 2022, and remains the only official version of those events. Any description or summary posted on-line is likely a complete fabrication.

These numbers are an integral part of the system by which Morton's List functions. The 360 Quests encompass the full circle of human activities, arranged over 13 tables, not unlike the 12 signs of the zodiac. 9 of these Tables are rolled most of the time, and roughly correspond to the spheres of nature, order, socializing, understanding, the middle, physicality, creativity, chaos, and technology. There are three higher tables containing the yin, the yang, and rainbow dragon, which is outside the yin-yang duality. The thirteenth table contains the grandest and far-reaching Quests, and is the most rarely rolled.

Morton's List premiered on Friday, July 13th, at the 2001 Gathering of the Juggalos, 59 days before the attacks of 9/11. Morton's List history is intertwined with the band Insane Clown Posse and their success following the release of The Great Milenko in 1997. Inspired by Psychopathic Records' then Manager, Alex Abbiss, Dark Carnival Games was founded to publish the first edition. Since then a number of supplements, expansions, and collector editions have accompanied our many official events and appearances.

A Quest can start anywhere, with any group, at any time. Play may begin at a well-stocked gaming table, in the deep wilderness, or on the trunk of your car in a liquor store parking lot. Outdoor conditions may effect specific Quests, and weather appropriate attire is recommended.

We recommend adult supervision in general, but players of almost any age can have a great time playing Morton's List. Some Quests may be considered edgy to some parents, and we strongly encourage responsible guardians to be interested in the books your children read, and the games they play. Parents may choose to re-roll a Quest deemed age inappropriate.

The first edition is out of print, and is only available through re-sellers, often at shocking prices. A kickstarter is in motion for this October to release an updated and expanded edition, as well as an official e-book and other rewards. This new edition will be based on two decades of real world play-test experience, and will also incorporate the cultural and technological realities of the dark future we now inhabit.

Yes. We host events so that players from near and far can roll Quests in new settings with actively focussed intent. Some Events have started on Friday the 13th with a banquet, toasts and surprises revealed only to those in attendance. Previous official destinations for Quests were Tennessee, Miami, Alaska, Guatemala, Bimini road, and recently Las Vegas. An expedition to the ruins of ancient Sumeria was conceived but derailed by Covid and other factors.

Karmageddon, the final Karmic Gathering happened in Tikal, Guatemala. There, a series of 13 Quests were rolled over the course of 24 hours, culminating in a pyramid-top Quest to shape the future of Morton's List. According the Mayan calendar, it was then that the 12th Bak'tun ended, and the 13th Bak'tun began. After more than a decade into this new era, we are beginning to understand the unprecedented change that shapes our reality.

There is no Question 13. Plus you snuck an extra question in on 2.

We have held official and unofficial events at Gen Con, Origins game fair, Dragon con, anime and gaming cons, Burning Man, and of course, The Gathering of the Juggalos. Quests can happen anywhere.

That book was written in 1971, but the creators of Morton's List were fully unaware of it until 2005, well after developing and publishing Morton's List. The themes of chance, randomness, and allowing dice to determine your actions have inspired stories and games since their conception.

Players may find balance, fun, adventure, distraction, and even recovery through the Quests of Morton's List. Quests can only take place in the present, and that is where you are.

360 Degrees of the Inner Circle, a companion book, contains rules for advancement whereby players gain points (Degrees) for completing Quests. Titles and in-game Powers are awarded as players level up. There are 360 Degrees and 13 Titles, with the highest being that of Twilight Lord. There are currently four Twilight Lords.

As mentioned, this game can include physical sports and challenges, social situations, and the use of tools and machinery; nothing more or less dangerous than life itself. Your life can be played safe and boring or wild as hell, just like Morton's List. We officially recommend that you follow your personal morals, wear appropriate safety equipment, know and follow the law, be not reckless with the hearts of others, and act like you have some damn sense.

As appealing as those may or may not be, this game is neither. Morton's List has no further agenda than to roll one-hour Quests in interesting places while having a good time and amassing power. The icons are inspired by esoteric iconography, as well as classical crests, safety signage, and commercial logo design. These symbols depict the underlying frequencies beneath the Quests themselves, and also happen to make great tattoos.

Quests include the entirety of what is known, as well as an outline of the unknown. Big science is constantly being revised, and conspiracies are now so labyrinthine as to allow for even the wildest of unsubstantiated conjecture. Morton's List leaves it to the player to determine for themselves if Quests involving telepathy, extra-terrestrials, alternate dimensions, cryptids, miracles, lost civilizations and the like are worthwhile or totally bogus.

The SuperiCore Group is the organization which currently directs Morton's List. Two of the original authors now bring Morton's List into the ever changing present.

Many of our most legendary events were initiated by our players, leading to positive, lasting connections for all involved. Contact us via email with your event premise, date and location, and we will provide further information to maximize your event.

Morton's List welcomes every kind of expertise and perspective, now more than ever. We seek to write Quest directions that are verifiably accurate to reality and include practical, actionable information. This game is only possible due to the outlooks gained from previous collaborations, and we know from experience that Morton's List players are more unusual than average.

Many items we have offered are event exclusives, made in limited edition quantities, or were prize items. We presently maintain a Streamlabs POD web store with select designs available in limited quantities. There are also limited runs on our socials. Re-sellers remain the best way to find vintage and collectable items.

Morton's List began hosting Twitch Quests during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns. Using zoom, streamlabs, and gear crowdfunded by chaos pins, groups of 5 to 20 rolled and streamed all kinds of Quests live on the internet. This time was important time for experimental Quest processes, and laid much of the foundation for the upcoming release. Presently, all efforts are going toward the release of the new game. Plans remain for a new era of Twitch Quests when the new edition is available.

All written or photographic Quest documentation may be sent to mortonslist@gmail.com, where they will be read and used to create better Quest experiences for future players.

Damn.

Please send your questions to mortonslist@gmail.com and we will update this list.

Ultimately, you must decide for yourself.