Sanctum Secorum #39b – Halloween 2018

What this episode covers

It has been far too long since the Sanctum Secorum unleashed a special, holiday episode. So, just in time for Halloween, the Keepers of Mysteries present a trio of sinister stories pulled from the pages of Tales from the Magician's Skull. Each macabre story is paired with its own adventure, to help you cause even the boldest player to shudder. Issue #0, "The Way of Serpents" by Howard Andrew Jones.The story begins with the hero, Hanuvar, as a captive of a kingdom of islanders. A great raid is coming and Hanuvar is offered his freedom if he will travel to the lair of the great winged serpent and ask it to recall an ancient bargain to protect the kingdom. Issue #1, “There Was an Old Fat Spider” by C. L. Werner.Karl, a penniless trapper, comes across the ultimate trap. He befriends it to do his bidding, studying its feeding cycles and leading those who’ve bullied him the most straight into its lair. Losing livestock was bothersome, but when people start going missing, Rudolph, Beastcatcher Royal, is sent to the hamlet to investigate. Issue #2, "Stolen Witness" by James Enge.When a pair of thains of the sorcerous order of the Graith of Guardians are discovered dead and the powerful relic they were set watch over known as the Witness Stone goes missing, Morlock Ambrosius, a low ranking member with a blemished past, is tasked to help with the investigation into the very highest members of the order itself. The task is not an easy one - the stone can be used by powerful seers to compel those who have touched it into acting on their behalf, even wiping the memories of those under its sway. And little does Morlock suspect that the Defender brought in by the order to solve the crime, Naevros syr Tol, hopes to use him as bait to lure the various suspects into revealing the true thief... In addition to a special show with a special format, the Sanctum Secorum's library is pleased to unleash Appendix N(ightmares) , a compilation PDF of every new monster presented within the pages of the Sanctum Secorum Companion 'zine. This FREE PDF volume places more than 150 monsters at your fingertips, to terrify, befuddle, and perhaps even TPK your party.

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.