Sanctum Secorum Episode #22 Companion: Hiero's Journey

The Sanctum Secorum Episode #22 Companion: Hiero's Journey was written by Marc Bruner and Bob Brinkman. Additional concept by Ethan Nicholle. Art is by alf-img.com, Ferit Quler, Jonas DeRo, mobuco, Ossama Radi, Tiffany Svec, and Bearmageddon News Network. The publisher is Sanctum Media. This product is produced in association with the Sanctum Secorum podcast.

This Episode Companion is based on Sanctum Secorum Episode 22: Gary Con Special Part 2 – Hiero’s Journey, which discussed the novel by Sterling Lanier. The featured adventure was Against the Atomic Overlord by Edgar Johnson.

Part 1 of the Gary Con Special, which does not have a separate Episode Companion, can be found here.

Hiero's Journey was discussed on Episode 14 of the Appendix N Bookclub. Further, I discussed this novel in a blog post.

Within you will find:

Magic Items

Rod of the Unclean: A psychic amplifier, given game statistics by Marc Bruner. The Brotherhood of the Unclean are clearly the progenitors of the Blessed/Vile Brotherhood archaic alignment in Mutant Crawl Classics (see also MCC #5: Blessings of the Vile Brotherhood by Harley Stroh). They were also the inspiration behind the Radiant Brotherhood in my own Silent Nightfall.

Monsters

Crocobear: An admixture of grizzly bear and Nile crocodile, written up by Bob Brinkman (from a concept by Ethan Nicolle and/or mobuco). This is not a creature from Hiero's Journey.

Dweller in the Mist: Possibly the strangest being encountered in Hiero's Journey, the Dweller in the Mist is given DCC stats by Marc Bruner. This being might have been an inspiration for the crimson death in the AD&D 1e Monster Manual II.

Snapper: A gigantic snapping turtle, written up by Bob Brinkman. This was one of the "leemutes" (or lethal mutations) found in Sterling Lanier's future Earth. The appearance of the snapper in this novel might have led Gary Gygax to include giant snapping turtles in the original Monster Manual.

Water Weasel: Another leemute, pack hunters with shark-like jaws. Write-up is by Marc Bruner. Giant weasels, of course, also appear in the original Monster Manual, and have a long history with various editions of Dungeons & Dragons. In some Dungeon Crawl Classics milieus, water weasels may serve Mulferret, Queen of Weasels.

Weapons

Boar Spear: Given statistics by Bob Brinkman.

Heirloom Knife: "An ancient weapon from before The Death", written up by Marc Bruner.

Thrower: This is "a muzzle-loading, smooth-bore carbine, with an inch-and-a-half bore. It fires six-inch-long explosive rocket shells to sometimes devastating effect." Write-up is by Bob Brinkman.

As with previous Companions, this volume can help the discerning Dungeon Crawl Classics judge determine how to stat up creatures from whatever movie or literature she likes.

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