Adventurers Fanmail for Sep 2006 through Dec 2006
published Friday 5 January 2007
From: Peter Wilcox
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2006 18:13:04 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Thanks, and keep up the great work!
Hi,
I've been reading the Adventurers ever since I found the link to your old gatech site
in a completely unrelated search, back about 8-9 years ago. I just wanted to say,
you have created an inspiring body of work. When I first started reading, I didn't
play much DnD (mostly because I didn't put in the effort), but your stories changed
that completely.
Now I can't think 'monk' without picturing Rillen; the same goes for 'wizard' and Alindyar,
'druid' and Peyote, etc.
I've since hooked a couple dozen friends onto them, and we all love 'em.
It'll be a sad day when you stop writing; I understand your reasons(15 years!),
but it's almost as if they stopped printing X-Men comics.
Anyways, just wanted to thank you for all the wonderful work you've put into this.
Glad you enjoy them. In some ways, I hate to stop writing, but I can't do it forever,
and episode 1000 is the best overall logical point to stop.
From: Brett Burdock
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 08:27:31 -0700
Subject: Just picked up the series
Just wanted to drop you a line and say that I have just started reading
the story (Book 04, lot more to go) and so far I'd have to say that not
only is it an excellent story, but the role-playing is really interesting.
I have recently started playing again and I think I can get a lot of
ideas on how to play characters better as I read more. So thanx for
taking the time to type all of this out, you have just discovered another fan!
I hope that the decreased emphasis on the role-playing
as you got past book 04 didn't curb your enthusiasm.
I actually think the stories got better as time went on.
From: Benjamin Sartori
Date: Sat, 09 Sep 2006 01:23:15 +1000
Subject: Steve Irwin
Many thanks for your comments about Steve Irwin. He certainly died by
the sword.
No-one down here ever really believed he was as popular as the press
made him out to be, but the public outpouring over his death has really
highlighted that one person really can make a difference. Most people
here are only realising now just how much he had actually achieved. He
was larger than life and didn't seem to give a crap what anyone thought
of him.
Cheers,
Ben Sartori
Melbourne, Australia
You can't ask for much more out of life than to do what you want
and not give a damn...but he also was involved in many things
that bettered the overall state of things.
From: Matthew Link
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 11:15:16 -0700
Subject: Adventurers Episode #939
Heyo, Mr. Miller,
I haven't written before, though I've been following the Adventurers for
*many* years. You've been a regular part of my Friday reads for a long
time. That said, I wanted to say thanks for all that and #939. It was a
good high point being stalked by cannibals, thug encounter and all...nice
battle scene! Quick, dirty, lethal...thoroughly enjoyable stuff!
All the best,
--Matthew Link.
I'm glad to hear that people enjoy the non-Belphanior adventures as well.
From: Munib Nasim
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2006 11:11:56 +0000
Subject: Just a thought
Hi
first of all thanks a lot to brightening up my fridays every week
i just love the series.
though ur latest episode's notes said
"but I'm just not sure how much further I will go
with this group before the end (episode 1000.)"
and im just curious will u end the series at episode 1000 ???
p.s. fingers crossed tht u reply in the negative
I have said it more than a dozen times in the last year alone:
the saga ends with episode 1000. Sorry, but yes, it's true.
From: Mark Spano
Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2006 09:05:02 -0400
Subject: Question please
I have been reading your "Peldor" series for many years now and I have
loved it. In your latest story, at the end, you wrote the following:
"...but I'm just not sure how much further I will go with this group
before the end (episode 1000.)"
Does that mean you are DONE writing at episode 1000? I hope not, as I
have really enjoyed reading this series (and belphanoir, hell, even my
regular email address is belphan@yahoo.com).
Thanks for the time,
Mark R Spano
Programmer / Integrator III
Community College of Allegheny County
College Office
See my reply to the previous email, but basically, yes.
From: john johnsson
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 12:26:15 +0000
Subject: idea: how to disable mongos hammer
Some crafty dude could catch it in bubble of force.
I already have a list of ways to disable or weaken Mongo.
One problem with fanmail is that sometimes the ideas within
match what I'm already working on.
From: David Dunn
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 08:42:58 -0700
Subject: Adventurers 941
Tom,
HA! I totally called this ambush last week. <does the happy dance>
My evil ambush plan revolved around neutralizing blackrazor, but the stone
to mud under Mongo was a nice touch.
It's nice to see Belph getting a taste of his own medicine. Not to say
I don't love the psycho, he just needs to be challenged from time to time.
Of course, if the attackers still need to neutralize blackrazor, if they
can't, this is only a speed bump for Belph and crew.
As always, great job. Thanks for making every Friday just a little better.
Belphanior battles have been getting tougher and tougher to write,
for some time now.
From: -alpha-
Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2006 01:03:15 +0300
Subject: fanmail
Hi
I've just read epsode 912 of "The Adventurers" (in fact, I've read all
previous during last few months).. And I must admit that it sucks.
Belphanior would never, ever allow anyone to mess with his memories.
In my opinion, he should consider Alindyar and Lyra as traitors...
We should talk again right before episode #1000.
Everything happens for a reason, including this.
From: Tyler Sherkin
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 12:51:24 -0400
Subject: #942
Yes!
This is precisely the kind of Belphanior story that I love...
he and his crew are so awesome and you captured their ruthless
practicality and vengeful anger PERFECTLY!
This was a GREAT episode...
Thanks!
They do have their high points!
From: Håvard Lindheim
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 20:44:44 +0200
Subject: Chapter 942
> I know that many of you probably want to see
> some other Belphanior storylines and cleanup of
> loose ends
No, not at all, not at all! Go on in any fashion!
Well, that's basically what 951-1000 are going to be,
so sit back and enjoy the ride.
From: Dale C. Barnett
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 03:05:04 -0400
Subject: Slavers Modules (TSR Modules A1-A4)
Thomas:
After introducing my girlfriend to the magic of The Adventurers I was
re-reading from the early stories and happened across the Slavers
Modules. I thought it might be nice to convert and run them under V3.5
but I am unable to locate all 4 modules. I am only able to locate
Modules A1 & A2. I have done a general search on Yahoo and even looked
on eBay. Do you have any suggestions as to where I can go to find and
purchase hard copies of these modules? Thanks!
I addressed this back in October 2006.
All four of the modules are up for auction in various eBay items.
Plus they're each available a half-dozen times from "eBay Stores".
Also, I'm sure they reprinted all four of those in a mega-module;
I saw the product on the shelf years ago. Check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scourge_of_the_Slave_Lords
You might also find this discussion interesting:
http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/dungeon/generalDiscussion/archives/classicAdventureReprints
From: Adam Quinlivan
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2006 18:34:12 +0800
Subject: What's New - Not Open yet
hi Thomas,
Just on the latest "What's New" about "Not Open Yet":
"I love it when a bunch of customers are waiting outside some place of
business that is locked (i.e. not open yet) and some doofus walks right
up to the door and tries to open it. Yeah, buddy, the rest of us are
just standing around here like this for our health."
Funny thing is, if the first person to arrive there just wants to stand
outside (and smoke or wait for someone else) the others come up and no
one tries the door, but it could be unlocked! I have seen this happen.
:)
Cheers,
Adam
Good point, and well worth remembering...but when there are a dozen
or more people standing outside, especially in the form of a line,
it should be obvious. Every time I've seen it happen, there was
a big obvious line outside the locked door.
From: Neil
Date: Fri, 01 Dec 2006 21:19:15 -0500
Subject: Episode 1000
"until I reach episode 1000 and the end of the Adventurers saga."
I just noticed that when reading #948. Does this mean at episode 1000
you're going to stop writing? (Personally, not that I have any say, but
I hope not...)
-Neil.
This seems to be the #1 question lately. Yes, it's true,
I'm stopping at 1000 for sanity reasons.
From: Morgan Lythe
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2006 20:27:51 +0000
Subject: from a long-time fan
Dear Thomas,
I don't quite know where to begin. I have never emailed you before but it is
something I have always meant to do. I started reading The Adventurers back
in 1995 when I found the first 150 or so episodes on a BBS in Perth, Western
Australia. Being a massive D&D fan I immediately became obsessed with your
style and followed the story for many years. Many people I know also started
reading the stories but I doubt that any one of us has ever contacted you
directly. I think I followed the story, once I got access to the Internet,
until episode 600 or so. Today, for some reason, I remembered the many, many
nights spent squinting in front of a screen, trying to keep up with what as
happening. I remember learning all about what was happening at the Olympic
Games in Atlanta through your messages. I was surprised to see that The
Adventurers was still going and the recently added portrait of all the main
characters brought back a flood of memories. I just felt that I had never
really told you how much I appreciated the work you had done so I was urged
to write. Thank you. Thank you for many happy memories and many late nights.
Thank you for crafting an episodic story of such amazing breadth that me and
many others who you probably didn't know were fans were so enthralled by. I
have today decided to read through the entire archive again and to continue
on to read the stories I haven't read so far. Thank you.
From a fan who never let it be known that he was one,
Yours,
Morgan Lythe
London, England. Formerly of Perth, Western Australia
Good story. It seems that I temporarily lost a lot of readers when I
took breaks over the years, but they always seem to find the stories again.
From: Eric Barrett
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:23:25 -0800
Subject: Re: chapter #950 of The Adventurers
> This is a perfect permanent stopping point for them, given the fact
> that these writings are going to end in one year. I apologize to
> anyone who expected this arc to be fully completed - the reasons why
> that can't happen should be clear now. I really do prefer to leave
> it open-ended like this - that way, there are numerous possibilities
> (only limited by your imagination) about what lies ahead on this
> continent for the explorers.
I respect your decision, but GRRRR -- that was one of the best
episodes you've ever written, Belphanior or not! Even if it had been
a normal length or broken up into 2 or 3 it would have been great.
It's truly bittersweet to finish the arc on such a note :)
With thanks for the gift of your writing as always,
Eric
Well, at least those characters are exactly where they want to be:
at the edge of a vast unexplored area of wilderness. I didn't want
to box them into a plot/arc without any options, and I didn't want
to kill them off, so this was the best compromise.
From: Brian Scott
Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2007 21:14:35 -0500
Subject: Nice to see you've started up again..
I was just thinking about The Adventurers. I used to read your series about
4 years ago..
I thought around then you said you were going on hiatus for the foreseeable
future.
Well it's nice to know you're back in the game. I know it's a lot of hard
work writing these series.
I appreciate it. Thanks.
Brian
Each time I've taken a break, I've explained why (and in most cases,
also stated when I'd start back up again). It looks like a lot of
people actually stopped reading (and checking for new stories) at
the times of those breaks. Interesting.