Now after browsing your site, i see you are back to writing the Adventurers again, i must say that im very pelased. Thanks for the hours of endless reading over the years. Kym Glad you like it!
Very nice piece of mystery so far. With the tower's strength... what CAN have happened? And will we find out next week? Wheeee! Hevard Lindheim As you know by now, the answers about Greyspire will take a while to be revealed, but they will be unearthed.
I was reading the most recent story, and a random idea just popped into my head, for a plot. I thought I'd just toss it your way if you were interested, for these adventurers or others. The idea was for the group to go hunting for something among the higher planes. We've seen them on the prime, ethereal, astral, elemental, and lower. Pretty much that leaves the neutrally aligned 'middle' planes, and then the higher. Anyways, I always have enjoyed your stories, and its great to see you back. Keep it up. -Neil Thanks for the idea. I'm trying to avoid adventures of this power level and focus on Oerth events, but we'll see what happens.
hi Thomas, Couldn't agree more with your rant. I wish I had the courage to tell off people I think are stupid or wrong like that. I just can't find it in me to stand up to people I don't know. A main one for me is when people are smoking where they shouldn't be (ie. signs are up). Oh well, I'll keep your rant in mind next time it happens. One day I'm sure I'll have the courage for this. Cheers, Adam Hang in there. After you speak up once, it gets easier every time.
Hi Thomas, I talked about you and your adventures to some of my mates this weekend. We all had read it except one person. Natuarly he is now hooked. I see you have now started again! Goodie :))) /kjetil Thanks for spreading the good word!
I'm very glad to see the stories are starting back up after the long hiatus. I've enjoyed reading these for years now. I think I got started when you were in the 100's a few years ago and have read everything. I'm starting over at 000 to give myself something to do in between postings. I just wanted to drop you a quick note of encouragement. If you do decide to bail on Adventurers and start something new I'll miss them but I'm sure the fresh group would be just as fun to read. Please don't add this address to the mailing list (work email). Thank You, Jeff Jones Glad you like them. If I do stop the Adventurers, rest assured that it will be for something else which will be just as good, and better thought out.
Here's a plot thread you may want to explore --- an alternate-Oerth Krug slips into the lives of some of the Adventurers... they might not recognize him since a) the years since the inception of the party and b) the lifestyle/profession he would have in the alternate universe... William Thanks for the idea, but I'm trying to forget about certain alternate-Oerth adventures...they were good for their time but things have moved on now.
just wanted to say, i am really enjoying this greyspire story arc... and god damn, i'm really impressed with the uberspiders... my mind is all aglimmer with how to translate them into game stats for my own campaign (hope you don't mind)... shorter episodes, yes... but there has DEFINITELY been no drop-off in quality. just take your time and keep chugging out stories like these past couple... we're damn lucky to get new adventurers, and have no right to be upset about pacing. Alan Wood I'm glad you're enjoying the new material. As for the spiders, translate them as you see fit, they are basically just demons shaped like spiders, and with tough hides and lots of sharp claws.
"The dwarf was covered in spider blood, as well as numerous wounds, some of which were undoubtedly poisonous - all of these ailments being countered even now by his powerful enchanted armor and other possessions. The companions knew from experience that despite the resistances and immunities conferred by the dwarf's many magical protections, wounds still hurt and poison still burned. The look on Mongo's face said it all." Wow! Tremendous writing, I can see the scene completely, very vivid. I've only been a reader since about 1998, but your writing just continues to impress me. And then I read that it was hurried. I don't know what else to say... Jason Riley.....in awe. I think I've gained some descriptive ability over the years, so I'm glad you like what you're reading.
I think I speak for all your readers when I say that I don't mind! I agree that real life has to take priority and I'm just happy that you are writing again! I had noticed that the last few episodes were shorter, but I still think the quality is good. It may not be as good as you would like it to be, but (IMHO) it is plenty good enough. But then again, your self-criticism is a good indication of how seriously you take your writing, and that I'm sure is a large part of why it is as good as it is. Thank you for taking the time and effort to give us an entertaining story and frequently something interesting to think about! Drake I often think that if I can't produce quality material on a fixed schedule, I shouldn't be writing at all. Let's all hope for the best.
Didn't Otto get a dwarven throwing hammer and axe in Xusia's fortress? Why Doesn't he use them? Neysan From the Otto perspective: Otto's not really a hammer kind of guy, and it takes some enhanced strength to properly wield such a thing anyway. From the author perspective: we don't really need a second-rate Mongo running around, and Otto doesn't seem right in that role anyway.
Hi! Myself and 10 of my friends have been reading your stories since about day one and each of us is a big fan of yours. We used to get together once a week for D@D and the first thing we normally talk about is the Adventurers. Our favorites have been three characters during the course of the epic: no1 Peldor, no2 Belphanior and no3 Mongo. I've personally liked Belphanior from the start because, as we say in our language, "Hy vattie kakkie" which basically means that he doesn't take shit. We all were extremely disappointed when you stopped writing, but even when you said that you were quitting permanently, most of us were in denial about it and every so often we would check your site for new stories, and then this weekend I happen to find out that you had started writing again, I immediately devoured all the recent stories. I'm glad that you're back, and hope you stay. Even if you just give us one episode a week, it will be appreciated as it has always been. Thank you for all your hard work Petrie Schrooder Belphanior is obviously my favorite character, and most fans seem to agree, which is why I write more about him and less about the rest.
Just wanna say your stories are awesome. I was wondering if you knew anywhere else on the web a person might find other stories like these. I've checked the links on your page, however most don't exist anymore. Thanks for your time =). Paladine Do a Google search for "Navero" or "Axe of the Dwarvish Lords" or "Aristobulus" and you can find this stuff. [Editor's note: start here]
Hi Thomas, Just a short note to say how much I am enjoying your stories and looking forward to the next installment every Friday. The magic marble that Bosco uses is certainly devastating. The fact that it can render a giant spider helpless is pretty lethal. I guess the magical replication means that Bosco has an unlimited number of these marbles to use. There is nothing to stop him from using the same tactic on more or less every foe and have it working everytime although it probably gets repelled by a protection from missile attack spell/item. Q : How would the marbles know when to stop replicating ? I guess when the amount of free space (inside a creature stomach) run out ??? I also guess that these marbles are enchanted to be more or less indestructable ? Thank you for these entertaining episodes. I greatly look forward to reading Belphanior's arc. His is the most interesting in my view. Philip Quan The marbles stop replicating after a few dozen divisions or so. I should have pointed this out before now.
On your rant page. I here ya about missing Randy's perfect game, 10 years ago (or whenever it was) my roommates went to the Kingdome and watch Randy pitch a no hitter, I wasn't home at the time or else I would have been there with them. These chances don't come often, I did see the game the Mariners tied the most wins in a season (116, not that big of a deal to me) but I'd trade that to see a no hitter any day. I don't write you much but I've been reading your stories since 1996 and they're ALL GREAT. Have a Great day. Ronald L Steinke Hopefully my lesson will help someone else be there for some other perfect game in the future.
Thom, The latest chapter of the Advens was awesome, despite the non-event that the chapter entailed. Although I've voiced my dislike of the Belphanior group and we're heading on back to them now, I just wanted to shout out and let you know I'm enjoying things as they unfold - especially the Mongo/Alindyar tale. Keep up the excellent work, Daryl K. Glad you like them. I'll try to get back to the Greyspire arc as soon as I can.
Hello Thomas, rereading the Adventures, I noticed that the gnarled staff that Peldor gave to Yin-Tze (episode LXXI in book 5) was never described what it actually was. Do you have any notes that describe what it was? Yours: Topi Linkala Much of the early stuff was seat-of-the-pants and undocumented, so I really don't know. Basically, if I forgot about it, so should the readers. I couldn't remember if I tried.
Hi In case you wonder, I got your address from your site but there again I suppose you figured that out. ;-) The first part of writing to you is a letter of introduction to Psychopath We run Diplomacy games & variants but equally a number of different types of non-Diplomacy games, which are enjoyed by the players. No doubt we often say, we have enough players however the reality is we prefer more players. Knowing that we use 'links', I am asking if we (you & us) can create a link between the sites. To give an idea of types of games we have, an overview of a few is below therefore if you are keen please let me know. PsychoS[h]occer where one is running a football (soccer) team. Breaking Away is an excellent cycling game similar to racing games like Golden Strider, but with some new twists. Maneater played by five players and consists of five games. Each player plays the Shark and one of each colour Swimmer in each game. The games are played simultaneously and the winner is the one with the highest total from all five games. Sopwith being a WWI aerial combat. En Garde! Is a semi-historical role-playing game in which characters take on the role of a gentleman in 17th century France. Status is a goal to be achieved above money and social climbing is a way of life. Characters attempt to gain power and glory by being seen in society, using people, cultivating friends in high places, winning the hand of fair ladies and by fighting duels to uphold honour. Needless to say, there are more on the site. Take care Ally Bain I'm not sure what you want me to do...I can put a link up, but I prefer to only give links to FRP stuff.
Good to see you are writing again. Just came back for ideas for the Isle of Ape and WHAMOO !! new stories. Regards, Kevin Hudson Isn't it great when things work out like this? I'm happy to find that people were checking the site periodically even when I wasn't supposed to be writing.
Yo! Enjoying your stories for quite some time now and am very pleased to see you writing again. I do have a question about the current Mongo storyline: did they check with the giant who lives in the upperreaches of the fortress? I don't see any type of demon take on a powerful giant without getting pounded quite some bit. And any fight with a giant would leave traces behind in the surrounding area. The fate of the giant atop Greyspire will be revealed in due time. A question about the Belphanior storyline (my favorite followed by the Mongo stories): where was Razor Charlie in the fight against the undead beholder? IMHO Charlie is a perfect guy to have when fighting Beholders. He has several fairly powerfull ranged attacks with his daggers in a single round and could use called shots to take out all of the eyes (or at least a very big portion of them) of the beholder, thus crippling it's attack possibility. He's a great chracter and hope he can still have a big impact in all the comming stories. Keep up the great writing! 'Thunder' Taco Heuts I'd have to go check, but I'm sure Charlie was up to something during that battle.
Thomas: After reading episode 821, I am wondering if you are setting the stage for Bosco to have some problems caused by his use of the chess set. Or maybe his experience being taken to the plane of water has made him a little nervous about using high magic items. > ... > > white bishop: All of us - the Host of Kaloth - can hear and obey you, > no matter what language you might speak. You can give orders if you > wish. (he points to the black golem) That creature is impervious to > anything that might entrap this portal ahead. Have him open it. > >Bosco: Uh...yeah. > > Something seemed odd to the halfling, but he was too eager to flaunt > his newfound power, and he knew that most present were restless at best, > or reckless at worst. > > ... Please do not tell me if I am guessing correctly since I hate having a story spoiled. I also appreciate the summary of Belphanior's arc that you put in episode 822. Thank you for sharing your stories. Steven Widom You said not to tell you, so I won't say anything.
Creation of an Adventurers webboard? Not hosted by you or anything, maybe bbspot... but I would love a place to discuss the current episode or past ones, and it would be great if the head/author of the series created it, instead of a fan (which I would consider non-sanctioned). Just a thought... :) Thanks Thomas Taylor This is one of those things that needs to be kept under my control, but I don't have the time right now. I agree, though, it's a good idea.
Thomas, Having read your stories since 1999 I've picked up a few things here and there about playing, and a few things about being a DM, and as you may remember I recently asked permission to convert and use the Jub Jub Bird. I've recently begun running what is to be my first real campaign and I wanted to ask you for a few pointers about being behind the DM screen. Any advice you can give? Additionally I'd like to express my joy at returning to the Belphanior et al arc. He is by far my favorite member of the party! I look forward to Fridays, not because of payday but because its another installment of the Adventurers Saga, and I must admit that I am very curious about what will be happening to the group during and after the Greyhawk Wars. Keep up the good work!! Dale C. Barnett The only DM-ing advice I have to give is the same I'd give for my work or personal life: be organized, be ready, have backup plans in case the main plan goes wrong, don't let things drag on for too long without a break. As for the rest...glad you like the new stories!
Hi Thomas, thanks for writing again. I have very much enjoyed reading the Adventurers from the start and am very glad to get my regular dose again! Just finished reading #823 and when the sand para-elemental; appeared I kept waiting for Belphanier to remember the sandling from the dungeon of the Slave Lords. Almost the same result in the end, but I guess he has had plenty of adventures since then to fill up his memory. Cheers, Geoff Fraser He sure did...and so did I. After a point I tend to forget my old stories and characters and events...the price of longevity I guess.
Greetings! A friend referred me to your stories back in January, and since then, I've been going through them as fast as I possibly could. It's now been six months, and I've finally gotten as far as Episode #219, in which you requested feedback from your audience! Though I realize you wrote this story quite a while ago, I'm still going to oblige you with a quick little response. 1) How old are you? 23 2) What is your major (or occupation) ? I work as a web/eCommerce designer. 3) What country do you live in? I'm in Texas (which is close enough to its own country to count, anyway). 4) How long have you been reading the Adventurers? Since January 2004, when I was directed to it by a friend on a MUD. 5) Who is your favorite character (only ONE, please) ? Got to go with Alindyar. 6) Which episode/storyline was your favorite? Oooh, this is a tough one. I'm going to have to go with the second Underdark invasion, because it was a great example of what epic-level characters can do when they put their minds to it. I've loved reading your work, and I'm amazed that you've got so much written about these characters! It's been great getting to know the characters (and in a way, the players) through your logs and your own writings. Though I know you've been starting and stopping for a while, and that I probably won't catch up to where you are for another six months or so (even at 5 episodes a day, it'll still be 120 days before I catch up!). Keep up the good work, and I look forward to the continuing adventures of... the adventurers! --Ryan Smith 219, eh? You have so much yet to read...
A number of months ago, purely by chance I ran across www.peldor.com. I can't even remember what it was I was looking for at the time. It was probably fan fiction from the Everquest world. As you probably know, most fan fiction is quite atrocious. It's very difficult to find anything that will not only entertain you in the short term, but also keep you coming back for more. Most of the time I briefly skim one or two items that an author has published and move on. I'm highly critical of what I read. I dislike unbelievable dialogue and I absolutely abhor poor grammar. That rules out 95% of all fan fiction published on the internet. So where was I? Ah yes... by chance I ran across www.peldor.com... I was immediately impressed by the sheer volume of work that you had done (there were 800 stories published at that time). Sticking true to my method, I opened up chapter 000. "Interesting," I thought. I then opened up and read chapters 001 and 002. "What's with the writing style?" I thought. "I feel like I'm reading a script or a screenplay." It was not easy to read for me. The style didn't seem to allow me to "flow" through the story. I was slightly disappointed since I could hear the white-garbed Star Wars stormtropper inside my head urging me to "Move along, move along." Fate has a way of intervening in the lives of ordinary mortals, however, and it urged me to give your stories a further try. Now here I sit, having just finished up episode 400. I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my time spent in The Adventurers. Not only have I become used to the "script" style of writing, I can't imagine the stories being written in any other way. I just wanted to send you a note to tell you that I have enjoyed your stories immensely. What I have enjoyed even more than the stories themselves is seeing the quality of your storytelling and writing skills evolve and steadily improve. This bodes very well for me, since I feel confident that in the 400 plus unread stories that remain I will continue to see improvement. What pleasant times I have yet ahead of me! For this I thank you. -Greg I'm happy that you gave it a chance and it paid off. I'm completely a self-taught writer. The "script" style has its pros and cons, but for better or worse, it's what I'm used to. If I branch off to something new, I may try my hand at real prose.
Hi! I've been thinking about writing to you for some time, but I didn't want to bother you. However, this time I'd like to say something about your last rant. I live in Israel, and I think you're mistaken. Unfortunately, nowadays terror strikes anywhere in the world. Here in Israel we have been fighting terror for nearly 4 years, and we manage to lead normal lives, and our economy shows distinct signs of growth despite that. Despite having the palestenians at our doorstep (and they keep trying to bomb us), we didn't have a bombing for several months due to the success of our security forces. I live here, and can tell you I'm not afraid. My point is that things here are more normal than they might seem. You can come and see for yourself :-) BTW, I wanted for some time to congratulate you about your girlfriend. I was very happy to read you've found someone you like, and from what I read it seems to me you've hit the jackpot. Also, I keep reading "The Adventurers", and they're great. Thanks for writing them :-) All the best, Uri Goldberg The rant you mention was specifically intended to point out that perhaps it's best for Americans to stay away from places where being an American can get you killed. I've seen a few too many beheadings in recent years. Here in America, there are hundreds of people who would go work over there if given a chance, due to money/religion/whatever - and if something happened, they'd turn around and blame anyone but the one who made the decision - themselves. I was kind of poking fun at this.
Hi Thomas, Reading your last rant, I would be happy for more details. I've been living and working in Israel for 40+ years now (and reading "adventurers" since almost its beginning), and I'm very happy with it. I believe Israel is part of the middle east. Is there anything wrong with me ? :-) Thanks, Ady Wiernik Nothing wrong with you...see my previous reply for my reasoning. I'm glad you've remained safe there.
Hey man, Just thought I'd drop you a line to let you know how much I've been enjoying this recent string of Belphanior stories! He's always been among my favorite characters (just behind Peldor and Alindyar) and the group he's got with him is just awesome. Poor Angus!! Aww... Heh. Anyway, great stuff! I'm actually kind of glad for the way you've introduced the gateways and allowed yourself to basically do anything you want now, free from Greyhawk canon and that sort of deal. It should prove very, very interesting and was definitely a nifty move on your part. : ) - Tyler It's a good idea...I hope I can do it justice in the long run.
It took me four days of non stop reading to read the entire adventurers series. After reading it, I have to say this is proberly one of the best stories I have read in a long time. Like I said I spent four days reading all 824 four episodes. The only thing I can say is that I hope you keep writing because I know I will keep reading. I have already forwarded the peldor site to a few of my friends who have also expressed interest in the site and all the stories contained within. So thank you for all the enjoyment you have provide me from reading your stories. Manuel Four days? Wow. Good deal - spread the word!and I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Awesome stuff, loving this arc....good to see Belph and crew back in the spotlight. Just wondering if Dr. Who was ever shown in the States. It was an English show about this immortal "Doctor" who got lost whilst travelling around time and the universe in a telephone booth (actually a 19th century Police holding cell)...is it possible Belph and crew cannot find their way home until they visit each and every location in the teleport network? Cheers, Ben Sartori The teleport network is generally safe though there can be problems, as seen in recent episodes.
Good stuff, I like it, keep it coming. -Neil Fear not.
Hi Thomas. Just a quick note to say that the current story arc with Belphanior and the Secret of the Portals(tm) is one of the best you have written since ... since I don't know when! Keep it up! :-) Christian Bonnesen Glad you think it's top-notch material. The premise is great, if I work at it, the execution of the premise can also be great.
The current Belphanior plot is excellent - keep up the good work! I have been a reader for years but I was not expecting you to start up again after number 800, glad you did though. Matt Paley To be honest, I wasn't expecting to start back up either!
The story, as usual is great! Jonathan Goldstein Cool!
Good stuff so far! They are also going to need to rest to see what kind of riches they have amassed so far. And perhaps at some point go get "that Neera chick" to further enhance their understanding of the whole traveling system. Great story arc, its good to have you back! Thanks again! -Josh Nelson The toughest part is integrating the new plot points into the existing ones.
Loving it. Keep 'em coming. Victor Danilchenko I'm trying.
Loving it! My Friday morning bagel-and-Adventurers is a routine, and I'm heartily enjoying this plot arc. Eric Barrett Cool.
awesome stories..the mad elf's arc is very interesting, however i hope you haven't given up on Peldor. Alexander It's just tough to write good stories for him without destroying his family, which I don't want to do.
Yes, we're liking it. Go on. Heikki Moilanen
I like it - it's great. Only comment: I hope that at some point they end up in a sort of interesting populated area, e.g. a city on another plane, etc. The beginning of the Isle of the Ape was one of my favorites... Cheers, --Sid Probstein I don't know if Xusia wanted to connect to other planes...though you have to think that he had an unfinished (?) gateway to the Abyss, intended for the demon invasion...hmm...
I like it a lot. Belphanior has always been my favorite character. I'm really curious about those weapons though. I would imagine they're powerful, since Xusia stashed 'em... Belphanior getting a new sword? -Neil Possibly, though I like him the way he is. He wouldn't be the same with another sword.
I really like this story arc. It has a good mystery flavor to it. Keep up the good work. Mike Feemster If you like the potential of the gateways, then you should try the "Deathlands" series, especially the first 35 or so.
Just wanted to say I've been reading your stories since 97 and without a doubt they are f*ckin great. I like the way the Belphanoir plot is currently unfolding and I can't wait to see what they find next. David
Thomas, Thought I would drop you a note in response to your request. I am really enjoying each of the story arc, especially the Belph and Mongo arcs. The other one has potential though, yet unrealized... Like you, my favorite arc is, of course, good old Belphanior. The mummy king was a good chapter and I found this latest chapter, the frozen north, to be oddly interesting, even with it's barren area and no true encounters. I can see a plot builder when I spy one. I am interested in learning about the weapons and more on Xusia's plans. Hopefully the groups has an encounter in the current local, I am guessing that it is on the plane of elemental earth. Keep up the good work! Kyle It's all about the plots, the mysteries, and such.
Nice. Variety. The only problem I see is that you could be uncovering more and more ... and more! ..... storylines! Good going. Paul Galatolo It's tough to keep that from being a problem, but I try to keep it all tied together.
hi Thomas, I am liking the overall Belphanior story arc. The destinations I am trying not too hard to predict as I like the surprise. :) So far I have liked them and I am now intrigued about the point of the ice gateway. I definitely like the underlying plotline, especially the points mentioned briefly as Otto read Drucilla's (sp?) journal. Keep the stories coming (all of the story arcs)! I still love reading them. :) Cheers, Adam Quinlivan Predict all you want - the complete list of destinations is sitting on my laptop and they will be revealed one by one.
Thomas, Hello! I've recently found you've renewed your writing. Thank you! I just got done reading your latest episode, and it's a lot of fun! I agree with you that the stories are better when you don't hear the dice rattling in the background quite so loudly. I've been reading your stories for a long time now, and I can't tell you how glad I am that you've picked up the pen again. I'm enjoying the current story arcs, and I can't wait to see how they all develop. Thank you again for getting back to writing and sharing it with us. - Craig If I ever hear those dice rolling while I write...I'll stop writing!
I wanted to throw a few compliments your way on all the work you have put into your stories. I've read through the series up to 800 twice and was really happy when you started them up again. i figured artists, especially online ones who dont get paid for their work, like compliments in place of the lack of payment for their work. reading your stories is a real joy for me and makes me wish i had some D&d buddies of my own. unfortunately most of my friends are heavy Christians (im agnostic) and arent big fans of things that deal with "magic". ah well. good luck in your future endeavors, and thanks once again for "The Adventurers". Religion usually doesn't mix well with this sort of writing, but in my advanced age I've realized that there's nothing that can be done about it. Glad you like these recent stories.
Just read your July 9 rant. I agree that's pretty bad, but I thought maybe it happened because even Christian companies may be outsourcing their marketing, etc. to companies that may not have the same values as that Christian company. Not an excuse, but just a thought. Derek Jacobsen Like politics, religion is something I avoid whenever possible. Especially when other people are involved!
Thomas: Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know how much I am enjoying the Belphanior story line. I like the idea of exploration, and am interested in seeing if it develops at any point into a chase type situation, something akin to the movie "The Warriors." I think it would be pretty exciting to see the slow attrition, perhaps not of people, but of the spells and magic items getting used up, not really having the chance to rest, getting tired, and perhaps at some points going blindly through gates just to get away from whatever force is chasing them. I'm sure that where ever you go, whatever you decide to do, it will be exciting. I'm also enjoying the rants/social commentary. Keep it up! Robert Endries I think Belphanior is well-poised to keep control of what his group is doing and how well they're enduring it.
And I'm enjoying this current Belphanior storyline, by the way. The new, unpredictable setting two or three couple of weeks keeps things interesting for the characters. Robert Macomber That was the goal. Glad it's working out.
Hi! I began to read The adventurers afew weeks ago and since, I can't stop reading! (: A friend of mine made me discover your stories and I found your writing very "active". For now, my favorite caracter is Peldor (I think he's quite popular). It took a long time for me to appreciate Belphanior and Mongo was funny since the beginning. Rillen looks like Rob, with different skills. I have some difficulties to have an idea of the personnality of the Boccob guy. (: The others seems to have only mechanic replies... I'm reading episode 58, when Mongo "hammerizes". Did you watch the anime Scryed? There was a caracter in this serie, in the end, always saying "hammer" in different tones, like Mongo. (tsss...) I'm looking forward for the next adventures! Kaeru Once you catch up, we can see if your opinions changed
Hey Thomas. I've been a long-time reader of the Adventurers since I first discovered then in 1996. Recently (about a month ago), I started re-reading them from the first episode because I was looking for some inspiration on an upcoming campaign. It is fairly amazing how much the characters have developed in the time you've been writing them. Anyway, about the current story arc. As a reader, these portal hopping adventures aren't very interesting because there is rarely anything of interest on the other side of the portal. Mostly they are hidden caches of equipment meant for an invasion force that never came, and never will come thanks to Xusia's untimely demise. You might be able to summarize multiple portal jumps to uninteresting portals just focusing on the ones that matter. It might be interesting to have a nasty golem or something that has little intelligence of its own, but a true brute. Perhaps they find a lab with the makings of a second iron dwarf, I don't know. I also thought it might be interesting to include Gorath (the death knight) in this story arc somewhere. If you recall, he helped Belphanoir to defy Orcus (when he threatened Victoria) in return for a favor that was never cashed in. Gorath had a definite fear/respect for Xusia. Maybe with the arch-lich dead and gone, there is something that he needs or would like the elf to do for him. It could definitely lead to an interesting adventure, especially if the deed request was...or questionable morals. Maybe a murder or defile a temple, something that Belphanoir wouldn't normally do but does anyway because he owes the death knight. Or it might be interesting to have him tell the death knight to go to hell, bringing him a new enemy. Just some ideas about the current arc. One way that I've gotten more interested in established characters again is to shake things up. All the adventurers who have found a significant other are happy in their relationships ultimately. Peldor and Tanya would be my choice, if anyone. It would be interesting to see how Peldor would react to life after a divorce or the permanent death of his wife. Good luck with your writing! ...Eric Jensen Chicago, IL I've had my fill of death stories, so that's not likely. As for the gateways being boring...I promise you, there are some that won't be boring at all.
Hey Thomas Thanks for taking your personal time to write the adventurers, it's fantastic stuff! Jason Riley Glad to hear it!
Good to see you writing again! How about writing a different kind of Belphanior arc where the beloved elf goes to business on his own. I mean solo. Instead of dungeons, how about putting the elf going against one of his numerous living(and "normal") adversaries. Like one of those wizards who are alive like Chargrim(cant remember is he alive). The wizard could live in a mansion in the middle of a city in some hostile human country in middle of a city(hostile to Greyhawk atleast). The speciality about this could be that Chargrim has multiple guards and other people and way to DETECT ALL MAGIC use on his mansion area(it would be kinda like bigrich beverly hills mansion with fences etc...). Belphanior would know beforehand this magic detection(-> he wouldnt be able to use any spells) and decide to whack the wiz by himself. He would have to use his thief skills to getto the wiz(like in the game called thief or in that game where there was this ballheaded italian assassin killing mafiosos and stuff :). Also would be nice if Belphanior would spy Chargrim a little(seeing the wiz doing his daily rutines etc...) before killing him and maybe discovering new things which could lead to new story arcs. ps. i really liked that story very much where there were those infiltrating shapeshifters under the city of Greyhawk Feel free to use any ideas this post brings into your mind. :) And now im off to bar and booze and dancing! Terve! john johnsson I'll be dealing with Chargrim before episode 900. I doubt Belphanior would disband his team though.
Tom (I hope you don't mind this name), I would like to say I appreciate greatly what you have written. Having recently found your stories, I have read through them and enjoyed them immensely. I would enjoy most anything you write, so if you decided to do a new series I am sure I would read those also. That being said, I really like(d) Ged, and Alindyar. I liked that Ged (Boccob) really acted like a person who believed in his God. Alindyar, I like as a high powered mage with morals. I guess I can't say enough how much I like this series. It's even long enough that I have been able to go back to the beginning and start re-reading it. Thanks again, Phillip Johnson Not many people like those two, so I'm happy to see that some people do, especially for the right reasons!
Heyas. I'm fairly sure you've considered this before, but in reference to what you said about having trouble writing in a high-power settings, I would suggest a second generation of adventurers, related or not to the current ones. You could make it a new series so you wouldn't be sealing off the current Adventurers storyline, and it would be refreshing. They would need to get their power, and there would be less difficulty finding opponents who could 'logically' challenge them. For example, in 830, based on what Belphanior has done in the past, I'd bet that he could deal with the giant plant on his own; the people who were threaten were his comrades (Elgon, Jenna, etc.). Anyways, my 2 cents. I love you work regardless. -Neil You're on to something. I want a younger generation, but I don't see how they would all just get together. They need to be FORCED to do so...
Hey, found this on Danny Trejo... ...thought you might be interested. Trevor Bancroft Good site! It's the man behind model for Razor Charlie, everyone.
Mr. Miller, I've been reading the Adventurers for quite a while now - I started a year or two before you took your break, and I was very glad when you started writing again. I really enjoy reading your episodes and I thought maybe I could give you some feedback. I don't know how much email you get from readers, but I know I've thought several times that I should email and tell you how much I like the series. Incidentally, I thought all three arcs you started were good - I'd like to see more of the others, too. In this last episode you talked about getting bored, so I thought besides passing on my congratulations for a continually well-done series, I would throw some ideas at you. Feel free to use them or not. In this last episode you said you can't just change the way your fictional world runs, but I'd like to politely disagree. Its your world; you can do whatever the hell you want. Maybe Belphanior & Co. could just royally piss off some major player, like a deity-type, who would then in retaliation just slam them all back down to 3rd level or something and at the same time destroy or take the majority of their powerful magic items. Can you imagine how frustrating it would be for Belphanior to have to run away from an opponent because the certain item or spell he was reaching for was gone, or now too powerful for him to use? Or how about Mongo having to get his ass kicked by some hill giant because the only thing he's got left is a hammer +1? (I know he's not in this arc, but with that gate, anything is possible). As I was thinking about this, I came up with a possible scenario - maybe this gate could lead them into an area where Xusia has an artifact stored, something that contains the life-essence of a god, or god-like being. Xusia has been hiding this artifact from another god-like being, maybe a husband/wife or father/mother who is desperate to get the artifact so that they can restore their husband/wife, son/daughter back to life. In the process of retrieving the artifact, Belphanior & Co. screw up and destroy it, "killing" the life essence inside. And really, really pissing off the other god. Retaliation time. Another idea is really changing the balance of power in the world, having a world war start and plunking the crew down in the middle of it (or maybe its a war on another plane, gotten to via the gate). I mean, right in the middle of it, one minute stepping through the gate, another minute deep in battle, and on the losing end. The whole idea is to get these guys into a really bad spot - magic's gone, items are destroyed or out of power, maybe they're injured and its getting worse - and then not letting them recover. It doesn't have to be high level opponents, just lots and lots of low level opponents. Thousands, maybe a few hundred at a time, then another wave, then another. They can't escape (maybe teleportation magic doesn't work where they're at, or maybe our god friend from the first idea drops them down into this and keeps them from escaping), all they can do is fight. And, the opponents are not just guys with swords or a few spell-casters. The head bad guy has been planning this for years, maybe centuries, and he's ready. He's out to take over some major real estate and he's hitting across a massive front with everything he's got. He's got 500 mid-level wizards on payroll and all they do is enchant throw-away magic missile wands and stones that explode when they're thrown, catapult shot that comes in and explodes into fireballs and chain lighting. Maybe cluster-bomb artillery that comes in and explodes in mid-air, raining down multiple bomblets that explode when they hit the ground with fireballs and cold and lightning, or maybe even paralysis and blindness. And they've been at it for a while, so there's stockpiles of it. He's got infantry, cavalry, artillery, maybe even some sort of air support. And Belphanior & Co is slammed down on the front lines of the biggest war in the history of the world, facing a couple thousand low-level types armed with the stuff above, artillery support and a desire to kill everyone and everything. Remember the scene from beginning of Gladiator with the flaming arrows and exploding rounds from the catapults? Like that, except even larger in scale and longer in duration and with follow-on massive infantry and cavalry attacks. Attacks that outlast any defensive magic, or penetrate it just by sheer volume of fire. A thousand magic-missile wands firing at once, again and again, or walls of fire 10 deep, the possibilities are staggering. The infantry hits with all this, then comes rushing in with swords and axes, as the cavalry comes crashing in from the flanks. And our heroes can't escape and every time they try to rest for more than a few hours, they get hit again. Maybe the have to start exfiltrating, trying to find a safe place. Maybe they get captured and thrown in a deep pit, no spells, no items, nothing. Who knows? Combine no time to recover and memorize spells, or time to pray, with the destruction of a lot of items, and you're essentially back to a low-level campaign. Maybe they can fix the items, recover levels or get new stuff, but all of that will take time and effort and a lot of Adventuring! Anyway, even if you don't like any of the ideas above, I still wanted to pass on that I enjoy reading your series and I hope you keep it up! William Johnson These are good ideas, but I can't shake everything up that way - it doesn't feel right just taking away things that the characters spent years (and 800 episodes) earning. It feels...cheap. But the ideas are still good, so we'll see what unfolds.
Awesome stuff! Best episode for ages! Will be great to see someone as naturally powerful as belph get along on his own skills and wit - minus all his gear. Ben Sartori Melbourne, Australia Yep.
Hi Thomas, Long time reader here, but I have to confess that I haven't written any feedback recently. But the latest episode reminded me to fulfil my end of the deal. In short, that was a brilliant episode. It was full of the promise of danger, action, adventure, and mystery. Of course, we assume B. will escape eventually... but will everyone else? How will they deal with whatevery happens to them? Who will he find first (I'll vote for the wispy thing!)? Has a vast amount of time passed, or none at all, or are they even back in time? What's the reason for the crystal portal? So I'm looking forward to discovering the answers to these questions and whatever others may come. Keep writing, Michael Cullingham Consider: what if Belphanior didn't escape...hmm...?
Hi Tom Long time reader first time writer. Just wanted to welcome you back (a bit delayed I know). I also wanted to know if you ever thought about writing up the stories of Yod and company before they became who they are today? Anyway thanks for continuing the tales. Tim Waterbury I could write those, but they might seem much like the Adventurers (good for you readers, bad for me as a writer.) [Editor's note: I assume you've read Lost Tale #21.]
Hey Thom! I've been reading your stuff for 6 years - spanning 4 jobs, a girlfriend, an engagement, a wedding, and a couple of years of marital bliss, so I must say I was very pleasantly surprised when I tuned in a couple weeks ago to find that you had started writing again! Please make sure that before this new Belphanior thread is done you explain something about why he is so weak all of a sudden, because even without his items and spells he should have been able to mop the floor with those slavers - unless there are mitigating circumstances we don't know about of course... Anyway - keep up the good (no, GREAT) work, you give me an excellent reason to waste work time by surfing ;-) Jason Horton I don't agree...not if he was chained up in some box that was beyond his physical means to break out of.
Hi! In the notes to 830 you said you grow bored of this arc, and you blamed it on the stories being high-powered. I disagree on this. I too started to grow bored from reading the arc, because it was becoming monotonous and tedious. You said yourself when you started writing again that every chapter something would happen. In the arc they were just going places, find things they didn't understand and didn't interest them (if it didn't interest them, why should it interest the reader?) and moved on. I would have been surprised if you didn't grow bored with it, but the problem has nothing to do with the power level - they didn't even use their power extensively since the meeting with Al-Arakara. Their journey simply became boring. Your last move made it interesting again, first because it was a change, and second because it was a challenge. There are many ways to challenge high-powered characters, and you came up with a good one. Good luck with the next writings :-) All the best, Uri Goldberg The crux of the "high power" problem is that there are only so many ways to have the characters go up against powerful foes and survive. I'm running out of ways.
Nice twist. Such story lines have turned out to be interesting in the past (some underground slaver city at least, if I remember correctly, where the whole group was trapped at a low level). I wouldn't mind at all if this story goes on for quite a while. But then again, I digest every story with equal pleasure anyway, so that might not count... Poor slavers... Hevard Lindheim It will take at least a few more episodes.
I am once again writing to say how much I enjoy your stories. I think honestly the only story arc I didn't like is the one dealing with adventures in our world. But other than that I have become a fan of your writing I used to look at the site everyday waiting for a new episode to come out. Recently I stopped because, I discovered your mailing list and sent the email to be added. I remember when I started reading the story. I started one night when I was bored at work it 4 days of almost constant reading to finish reading all 816 episodes but I finished. I hope you continue writing and don't stop anytime soon A FAN Glad you like them.
Excellent developments in 831 - I really like the idea of high powered characters who may get a little used to items being stripped of them and forced to rely on their own natural abilities. Brilliant - really looking forward to the next chapters! Colin Winfield I'm trying to make them fresh and interesting.
Freak everyone out... and bring back Ged. I miss him more than anyone else in the series and i truly beleive you could have some fun doing it. (he's been suffering torture all this time in hell with orcus. ) He really did not die... just an illusion ..man you could so much with it.. and many of us LIKE the good characters. I know i do... Send the party on a hell bent all or nothing quest to save the lovable elf from the clutches of Orcus. It could be something Belf digs up in his quests to damage Orcus' influence on Oerth. Think on it... it sounds like fun. Raugh Ged can't come back, he's dead...unfortunately it wasn't some big plot of Orcus, rather, the demon lord simply zapped him with a disintegration ray (that was meant for Belphanior, no less.)
I've been reading your stories for a long time, but this is the first time I send you mail, so I have to say how fantastic Adventurers really is. Thank you for writing it! Looks like you're writing all about Belphanior nowadays. I have nothing agaist that, he is really cool. But I was wondering whether you'll ever write about the origin of Peldor? I know that it's good to leave something for the imagination, but I'm reminding you that Peldor was pretty much tied in popularity with Belphanior when you actively wrote about Peldor. He might be living a peaceful life right now, but is it really going to stay that way? And are you going to write the second EGG awards? A little bit of humour is now and then... Olli Kuusela A fan of yours from Finland. Peldor's origin will never be revealed. I've been over this already. As for humor stories...I don't know yet.
I was rereading your stories when I noticed that the drow. Don't seem to have any use of innate drow magic. One of the Characters questioned this in Chapter 65. But I don't think the answer was ever given. What is the reason for this. Please bear in mind I ask this as a reader not a player. I have never read the game just the stories. My take is that they've been above ground so long that their innate powers mostly faded out.
G'day Tom, I'm not usually one to comment on the rants of others, but something in your last rant struck a cord and I feel compelled to. You wrote: "This causes me to question any one person's ability to positively influence others. Even the best, most successful personal trainer can't do a single thing with a client until that person WANTS to change. It has to start there, within that person. All the fuel in the world is useless without a spark." I couldn't agree with you more, man. Personal progression and self improvement has to start with the desire of the individual. If that drive isn't there in a person to change, they won't. It's every where we look around us, too many people are too content to just plod through life without reaching for anything, or seeking to achieve something with their lives. When it comes to rants like these, I say keep them coming, more people need to hear them and get off their asses. Cheers to you, Terry E. I wish more would hear it...I'm doing my best, that's for sure.