Fanfic Recs / The Adventure Zone: Balance

Fanfic Recs Index

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth having your memory wiped by the Voidfish for here:

These are recommendations made by tropers for The Adventure Zone fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.

You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page, though; that goes in the discussion page.

---

General Fics

Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.

to play the fool by DarkrystalSky

• Recommended by sixofravens
• Status: Complete
• Warnings: coercion, poisoning, first-person description of death, vomiting in chapter 30
• Summary: “Lucretia feeds their history to the Voidfish and scatters her friends down in the world. What she hadn't considered was Taako not forgetting at all.”
• Comments: Basically, Taako doesn't lose his memory and this whole amazing au is born. This is honestly my favorite TAZ fic ever. There are so many awesome twists and the way the plot deviates from the podcast is so cool. I feel like a lot of canon divergent TAZ fics don't really change the plot of the original story, but this did so much in the best way. There were parts that also felt really referential to the original story though like the author would do the same thing but with a twist. It's hard to explain without spoiling, but everyone should read this.

TAAKOQUEST: CYCLE 42 by anonymousAlchemist

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Warnings: Major character death dependent on a route, gore, eldritch horror story.
• Summary: “In TAAKOQUEST: CYCLE 42, you play as TAAKO during the STOLEN CENTURY. The Starblaster is in ORBIT around a MYSTERIOUS PLANET! Your goal, along with your six companions, is to STOP THE HUNGER from assimilating this world. Can YOU find the LIGHT OF CREATION in time? Or will JOHN HUNGER consume this reality?”
• Comments: An interactive choose-your-own-adventure game created by the wonderful fic writer anonymousAlchemist. This was such a delight to play, with amazing writing and characterization. It's funny, emotional, dramatic, and totally in tune with the podcast. This is honestly incredible ...play with us? (bad McElroy joke I formally apologise but PLEASE PLAY!!)

Luster by Sunruner

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Ongoing
• Warnings: Rated M. Non-Consensual Drug Use, Dub-Con/Non-Con (No assault, more invalid consent. If this bothers you, the author has written an altered version of the chapter.)
• Summary: “Taako is missing, but does it matter? When the world is your home you can feel at ease anywhere. When your brand is your name it’s nice to be recognized, to be wanted. But not like this. He never wanted this.”
• Comments: Taako goes missing, and it's up to his family to find him. However, as usual, nothing really goes as expected. A thrilling, funny, nerve-wracking, heart-wrenching, and incredibly clever post-canon story that I couldn't tear myself away from. Twists and turns at every corner, and will leave you desperate for the next update. Features Taako/Kravitz and Lup/Barry, but is not the main focus of the story.

If Wishes Were Horses by droosy

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: Taako and Magnus temporarily become a single being to save a village from a rampaging monster.
• Comments: This fic? It feels so much like TAZ it's actually freaky. I read this ages ago and couldn't find it again and it haunted me constantly. Please read this, it's hilarious, lighthearted, and 100% in tone with the podcast.

denim days and its sequel hand wash your lich jeans by anonymousAlchemist

• Recommended by: thebadplace
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: "Please hear me out," the pants say, urgently. "M'names Barry. I've been trapped in these pants for fucking decades." Sildar pauses. The voice sounds so sad. "This has literally nothing to do with me," Sildar says. "I guess I can take you to the university, if you want?" "Nonono, they'll just destroy me," Barry says. "Maybe, uh, don't do that." Sildar pauses. "...Are you a lich?" The jeans are silent for a moment. "No-oo," Barry says. "You're a lich," Sildar says flatly. "Yeah, okay," Barry admits. "But in my defense it was an accident."

The Thirty-Third Element by Tawabids

• Recommended by: thebadplace
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Taako stumbles into a long-dreaded reunion, and recalls seven meals in his life that went horribly wrong.
• Tags: Now Jossed, Unhealthy Relationships, Fake Marriage AU

Lunar Interlude: Something New by Wildgoosery

• Recommended by: thebadplace
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: It's been a rough year for our friends at the Bureau of Balance, and what better way to blow off steam than raucous moon partying? Taako picks up a catering gig. Merle offers some professional advice. Magnus de-orbits. (Fake episode transcript style.)

RE: NO DOGS ON THE MOON BASE by yasaman

• Recommended by: thebadplace
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Seekers, Reclaimers, and Regulators: please submit timely reports of your seeking, reclamation, and/or regulation-related missions on the surface. The Bureau of Balance must maintain complete and accurate records related to our organizational objective of destroying the Grand Relics. Please consult your Employee Handbook for the formatting and submission standards for your reports.

And Stop The Bleeding Before It Starts by inverts

• Recommended by: thebadplace
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Dark Taako character study.

The Best Possible Timeline For Taako by inverts

• Recommended by: thebadplace
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Magnus and Merle confront someone who's fallen to the temptations of a Grand Relic. Everything sucks, but in the end, it doesn't even matter.

turn the lights off when you leave by anonymousAlchemist

• Recommended by: thebadplace
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: In another world, Barry Bluejeans grows disenchanted with existence.

The Stars That Have The Most Glory Have No Rest by Princex_N

• Recommended by 3_D_S
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: "Make sure you don't let those books keep you from living, dear," her mother says, and Lucretia always promises. She fills books upon books with her ever-improving handwriting and never wants to be short on experiences to write about. (Or, a look at Lucretia's life and records over the years.)
• Comments: A really well-written oneshot about Lucretia's backstory pre-IPRE, emphasizing how she is at first skeptical of but eventually comes to embrace the mission's quirky little found family dynamic.

unreliable narrator by owlinaminor

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "The most powerful person in the multiverse was once a literature major."
• Comments: This fic is an absolutely stunning analysis of Lucretia's character that is gorgeously written and will make you feel so goddamn much. I may or may not have teared up at one point. Do yourself a favour and read this.

Cast Fireball on the Goalpost by inkedinserendipity

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: "Angus invites the gang to spectate a soccer game, and chaos ensues. Taako knows nothing about soccer. Magnus flexes his nonexistent coaching muscles. Merle threatens disownment. Then, in the background: Kravitz has a friendly chat in Cockney, Lucretia drops a bomb-ass quote, Ren gets an entire horde of girlfriends, Lup sets multiple things on fire, and Barry divulges the secrets of the Astral Plane’s workplace. Everyone ends up with ice cream, eventually."
• Comments: A post-canon oneshot where the gang attends Angus' soccer game. Hilarious, cute, light-hearted and filled with shenanigans. Very well written and in character. I highly recommend!

Patterns of Migration by goodnicepeople

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: “Magnus builds a house. Angus finds a home. Migration brings things back, in turn.”
• Comments: A heartwrenching, beautiful story that left me in tears. An exploration of the passage of time, growing up, mortality and family. A heavy focus on Magnus and Angus, but includes Taako, Kravitz, and some Merle. This is not really canon compliant as of Stolen Century, but I recommend regardless.

Taste Test (They Were Delicious) by marywhale

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "Taako and food, as intertwined as any threads knit by Istus.(Snapshots of recipes collected over a century.)"
• Comments: A really fun and clever collection of stories which result in different recipes Taako has cooked over the years. At the end of each small story, it includes an actual recipe (written by Taako) that you can cook yourself! The stories are beautifully written, and I highly recommend reading.

These Unfinished Creatures by marywhale

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "Someone in Neverwinter is stealing souls from the astral plane. The Raven Queen’s favourite reaper is undercover and on the case. Relearning how to be human is entirely incidental."
• Comments: A Kravitz centric fanfic that is incredibly fun and clever. It's a "semi-Victorian gothic AU" with heaps of humour, action, and good good plot. Kravitz and The Raven Queen's interactions are super well written. Features Taako/Kravitz very heavily, but I wouldn't say it's a shipping fic.

Heart to Heart to Heart by Indian_Ink

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "Haunted by what he learned in Refuge, Magnus has trouble sleeping.(Merle chugs one. Taako makes a potty run. Magnus hugs it out.)"
• Comments: Tres Horny Boys talk after The Eleventh Hour arc. Tears, hugs and laughter ensue. A very emotional and cute canon compliant oneshot that is in character, well written, and will make you have feelings.

I Saw Seven Souls by Poetry

• Recommended by Joysweeper
• Status: Complete
• Summary: “I saw all of existence all at once. I saw a dark storm, a living hunger eating it from within. But I saw a brilliant light heralded by seven souls, fleeing tirelessly from the storm. I saw seven souls: the Owl, the Mongoose, the Bear, the Stag, the Butterfly, the Ant, and the Spider.”
• Comments: The Adventure Zone: with Dæmons! Poetry's the writer of Dæmorphing, the epic-length and exhaustively thought out Animorphs-with-Dæmons fic. This is fantastic.

Of Dragon Hooch and the Ties that Bind Us by Run

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "Somewhere between his twelfth and thirteenth shot of Fantasy Fireball, Magnus realized he had made a mistake." Carey and Magnus go for a drink after a training session. One drink turns into a contest, the contest turns into a confessional.
• Comments: A oneshot where Magnus and Carey get drunk together and talk about some things. Emotional, a little sad, but also very sweet. A good portrayal of Magnus and Carey's friendship.

(this is really not) what friends are for by stargayzing

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "It's a matter of life and death," Merle says gravely. After a moment, he admits: "Okay, so there's not actually any fatal danger." / Magnus rolls his eyes. "Called it." / "But this is about my dignity. That's almost the same thing, you know. What's a dwarf without dignity?" / "Not my problem," Taako says.
• Comments: A fic where Taako and Magnus accompany Merle to a family gathering. Hilarity ensues.

let the drum beat drop by tardigradeschool

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "Taako gets hit with a poorly cast Sleeping Beauty-esque curse. The crew makes it work."
• Comments: Takes place during The Stolen Century, a really good fic highlighting the developing trust Taako has for his new family. Humour and emotion mimics TAZ spot on, and is a great read.

Don't Make Me Come to Vegas by notcrindy

• Recommended by lozfanxv
• Warnings: Abuse, Drug Abuse, Mental Illness, Attempted Murder
• Status: Dormant; last updated January 2019
• Summary: Taako's face is everywhere now, but Lup hasn't spoken to him in years. That's why she knows something's up when he calls her at four AM from some hotel room in Vegas, trashed out of his goddamn mind. (Or: Taako gets hurt. Lup helps him heal this time around.)
• Comments: A dark fic, this does explore domestic violence and the consequences it has on family and friends. Lup is awesome in this fic, and while Taako may act ooc at certain points, it's understandable in the situation. You can tell this author really took time to research this sensitive issue, and it shows.

of aspen crowns and catskin down by mildlydiscouraging

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "The streets of London are slick and dark, and not just literally, although they are so often that too. Here there is not only murder, mystery, and mayhem, but magick as well. Here people go through their everyday tragedies and refuse to see the depths behind their troubles. Here two (and a half) detectives search for the truth. In the dusk of autumn, with wind slicing down alleys, the good people of London are disappearing. It's up to Kravitz and Taako and, honestly, mostly Angus to solve the case, and maybe a couple other mysteries along the way."
• Comments: A 1920s murder-mystery fic featuring Taako the psychic, his husband Kravitz, and their sort-of-son Angus. Gorgeously written with a very fun premise, it's funny, heartwarming, emotional, and compelling. I loved every moment reading this, and the interactions between characters are awesome.

joyfully yours by Fox Glade

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "Bond marks represent connections between sentient beings, a tangible proof of an intangible concept. The more connections you form with others, the more marks appear on your skin, making more social beings a canvas for dozens of colourful unique marks. At the beginning of the Starblaster mission, Barry Bluejeans has exactly two."
• Comments: A Soulmate-Identifying Mark AU that includes both platonic and romantic marks, which appear when a connection is formed. This fic explores Barry's changing and growing relationships with the rest of the crew. It's really beautiful story about family, bonds, and discovering love in different forms.

Bury the Lead by marywhale

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "Taako’s senior year at Neverwinter High could be going better. Faced with a choice between joining the school’s floundering newspaper or being expelled, he opts for a career in journalism. Lucretia, the paper’s editor, kind of wishes he'd gone the other way."
• Comments: An absolutely awesome magic high school AU that encompasses some of the main messages of TAZ: be happy, care, and choose joy. Taako spends this fic learning how to care and form relationships with other people, and it's extremly good. Filled with jokes, drama, emotions, and a little romance, this fic delivers some important messages.

a quiet, starry place by mildlydiscouraging

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "A day in the lives on the moon. Angus gets the sniffles. Merle and Taako do some spring cleaning. Johann makes a deal. Kravitz forgets something. Avi files overdue paperwork. The Voidfish makes an inquisitive friend. Carey and Killian look at the stars. Magnus opens up. The Director goes to sleep."
• Comments: A slice-of-life fic that's lighthearted and filled with the shenanigans of the Bureau of Balance. A really good read.

Angus McDonald and the Case of the Mysterious Butter Wyvern by yassan (potter)

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "In retrospect, Killian should have known it was a mistake to put Taako, Merle, and Magnus in charge of getting the Director's birthday present."
• Comments: Tres Horny Boys and Angus go shopping, and as expected, absolutely wreak havoc on the marketplace. Super funny and lighthearted, and feels like a TAZ episode.

Angus McDonald and the Candlenights Train Miracle by marywhale

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "It's Candlenights and Angus is stranded halfway to Neverwinter on a snowbound train. If he misses dinner, he'll never hear the end of it."
• Comments: A super awesome post-canon one-shot featuring our favourite boy detective. It's goofy, really well-written, spirited and features some good found family feels.

crack your bones with veins of gold by tardigradeschool

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Summary: "In a hundred years, one tends to see their friends die a lot. It doesn't get easier, except it kind of does."
• Comments: A really good fic exploring Taako and Barry's friendship and Taako's deaths over a century. Awesomely written, emotional, and in-character.

STARBLASTER MISSION LOGS (or, taztrek) by anonymousAlchemist, marywhale

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Dormant; last updated February 2018
• Summary: SPACE: THE FINAL FRONTIER. THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE P.A.S. STARBLASTER... TRAVELING TO NEW WORLDS... FIGHTING TO STOP THE HUNGER... THESE ARE THEIR STORIES... (PART ONE: The recently formed alliance between four space-faring civilizations has culminated in the Inter Planetary Research Expedition and the launch of the Starblaster — the first exploratory ship of its kind, setting out on a mission to prove that the four worlds of The Alliance can coexist together and that true harmony is possible between their species. If the I.P.R.E succeeds, it will be a milestone in racial harmony, a historic event. Never mind that everyone expects it to fail.)
• Comments: A science fiction/space AU series that is super promising and is being written by two incredible authors. It's compelling, engaging, clever, exciting, in character, and the worldbuilding is creative as hell. I am REALLY excited for this series.

Northern Migration by miamaroo

• Recommended by dddragoni
• Status: Ongoing
• Summary: “They erased all knowledge of the Grand Relics, ending the war their attempts to stall the apocalypse had caused. Knowing that the world is finally saved from both the Hunger and themselves, the Seven Birds go their separate ways. They start families, change careers, and seek retirement. It's not all happy, but it's the simple life they've earned. For a while, everything is great. Until the Hunger finds them. Now the Seven Birds have one year to reclaim all their relics and stop the apocalypse from happening again. Coming out of retirement is never easy, but when you're travelers from another plane, there's no one else who can do the job better. Or, so they say.”
• Comments: A 'for want of a nail' fic in which Lucretia is prevented from erasing the Starblaster crew's memories. Fantastically written with an engaging plot and wonderful interpretations of both major and minor canon characters and interesting takes on dfferent ways Balance could have played out.

I Saw Seven Bounties by jothending

• Recommended by charlie_warl
• Status: Complete
• Summary: Kravitz takes all seven bounties, because a group appearing all at once means they're a package deal. He expects it to be easy to find that many outlaws huddled up in one place. But instead, he only finds one, and that one happens to be the most elusive, awful, nefarious(?) lich he's ever encountered. (Alternate title: Krav E. Coyote and the Red Robe Runner)
• Comments: Just Kravitz chasing the mysterious and surprisingly competent Barry J. Bluejeans across Faerun during the 10-year gap. Hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt.

Try Again by enjolrolo

• Recommended by charlie_warl
• Warnings: Includes a suicide attempt.
• Status: Complete
• Summary: Post-canon, Lucretia finds that coping with the effects of her actions is harder than she thought. Merle does some healing. Killian and Carey adopt a new mom. Lucretia gets a dog.
• Comments: A sad and thoughtful fic about trauma and healing, with an extremely well-written Lucretia. It ends on a positive note.

Magnus Hugs His Way to the Top of Fantasy NASA and Gets Launched into Space by blueshine

• Recommended by charlie_warl
• Status: Complete
• Summary: The Institute of Planar Research and Exploration campus gets super competitive after hearing seven people are going to be selected to be shot into space. Magnus makes a lot of friends.
• Comments: Pre-canon look at how the IPRE gang was selected for their journey, and at the beginning of their bonds. Very funny, and contains a lot of sneaky My Brother, My Brother and Me references, but you don't need to have listened to that to appreciate it.

recipe for forgiveness by thepensword

• Recommended by charlie_warl
• Status: Complete
• Summary: In the back of the cupboard is an old box of recipe cards. It has been there for a very, very long time. Today, Lucretia uncovers it. And today, there are some who are perhaps ready to forgive. (Or: batches of brownies over the years, and their ability to bring people together again.)
• Comments: Will make you cry and teach you how to make a damn good batch of brownies.

'But Nobody Can Hear'' by Dragon Writes

• Recommended by charlie_warl
• Status: Complete
• Summary: The employees of the Bureau of Balance like to speculate about the Director's ward, Davenport. But all they learn about him are pieces of a larger puzzle that never quite come together.
• Comments: An amazing look at how Davenport might have interacted with the Bureau of Balance employees. Tragic and well-written.

The Lonely & The Wordless by DragonWrites

• Recommended by Nerdy-Nonbinary
• Status: Complete
• Summary: They make quite a pair: the middle-aged woman with the hard mouth and a death-grip on her staff, and the quiet, haunted gnome at her side. They're both broken, but they make it work. Scenes and moments from ten years alone together, where Davenport and Lucretia re-learn how to understand each other, how to care for one another, how to be something like a family again.
• Comments: A beautiful expansion on Davenport's character. Made me appreciate him much more after reading. Also one of the most accurate depictions of Lucretia's mental state and character I've seen in a fic.

trust kravitz, love kravitz by pierianabeyance

• Recommended by lozfanxv
• Status: Complete
• Summary: This does not change: four adventurers accompany Gundren Rockseeker on a quest. Three make up a trio of hardly more than strangers, seemingly roped together by coincidence and sticking with each other for the payment promised at the end. The fourth is hired as a guard and happens to be a lich, but nobody knows that second part now. This, however, does: It's not Barry Bluejeans who rises from the ashes of Phandalin, and it's not Tres Horny Boys who watched it burn. Instead, things are a little bit different.
• Comments: An AU fanfic from the popular tazswap idea. It will be both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, as the reader follows the footsteps of Kravitz as he watches the Tres Horny Gals and tries to discover where Taako went. This fanfic will hurt you, but in a good way.

Shipping Fics

Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.

Power or Preference by Ariaofthewinds

• Recommended by 3_D_S
• Status: Complete
• Pairing: Kravitz/Taako, Carey/Killian
• Synopsis: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one sees a man in a three piece suit, there are two options. Option one is the man in the suit is incredibly powerful; option two is that the man is a complete nerd for wearing a suit to the Chug N' Squeeze. Carey and Killian cannot decide. Join us on their adventure to decide whether or not Taako's date is completely powerful or a complete nerd."
• Comments: Killian and Carey embark on an investigation to find out the identity of Taako's secret boyfriend, and end up roping the entire Bureau of Balance into their shenanigans. Hilarious with an adorably perfect ending.

all the stars and sunrises i've seen by untrustworthyglitch

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Pairing: Kravitz/Taako
• Synopsis: "Kravitz knows Taako is a very capable person. Kravitz knows Taako is a very powerful wizard. Kravitz knows Taako is the most powerful transmutation wizard in this, or any, planar system. Kravitz is... frequently, and in increasingly outlandish ways, surprised and impressed by the scope of power his boyfriend hides behind a layer of glitter and charm. (Or, five times Kravitz is kinda taken aback by how ridiculously powerful of a spellcaster Taako is, and one time he learns to expect it.)"
• Comments: An adorable and really cool collection of oneshots where Kravitz is blown away and completely smitten for his very powerful boyfriend. A really good read, especially if you want some good post-canon content.

the snow that puts stars in your hair by stargirls

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Pairing: Kravitz/Taako
• Synopsis: "Here are two seemingly unrelated things Kravitz knows: 1) He’s a sucker for cliché. 2) His boyfriend is astonishingly unpredictable."
• Comments: A modern-with-magic AU where Taako takes Kravitz on a surprise date. A super fluffy and cute oneshot which is very cute.

The Shape of Our Days Neverending by anonymousAlchemist and marywhale

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Pairing: Kravitz/Taako
• Warnings: Rated M. Non-explicit sex.
• Synopsis: "After the epilogue, Taako and Kravitz have a really good day."
• Comments: This is just so sweet. The cutest shit. I died and it was great. Please read this if you're looking for something feel-good and sappy.

In Goldcliff by Sunruner

• Recommended by spidgey
• Status: Complete
• Pairing: Kravitz/Taako
• Warnings: Rated M. Non-explicit sex.
• Synopsis: "Whenever he's in Goldcliff Taako always takes the same set of rooms. Whenever Kravitz joins him, they both enjoy their decadent, opulent, and elegant chance to be together. What else can be said? The city suits them, and Taako suits his Reaper."
• Comments: A super cute and fluffy post-canon oneshot where Taako and Kravitz spend a morning in a hotel in Goldcliff. It's looking at what would have happened if the events of 'Luster' didn't take place, but is not necessary to read that story at all. Incredibly sweet and feel-good, it made me feel all gooey and warm inside.

Quantum Entanglement by Blue Colored Dreams

• Recommended by charlie_warl
• Status: Dormant; last updated January 2018
• Pairing: Lucretia/Maureen Miller
• Synopsis: Lucretia never intended to tie herself and the Millers so tightly together, but they were already involved in it all long before she came to them, devastated and empty-handed.
• Comments: A speculative fic about the potential relationship between Lucretia and Maureen Miller. Even though Maureen is a relatively minor character, the author writes her incredibly realistically; the story fills in the 10-year gap perfectly. Also brings major insight to the relationship between Lucretia and Lucas. Even if you've never considered Lucretia/Maureen or don't like Lucas, I highly, highly recommend this fic.

One Last Favor by demalore

• Recommended by Adele Potter
• Status: Complete
• Pairing: Merle/John
• Warnings: None.
• Synopsis: "Merle makes a final request."
• Comments: An absolutely lovely oneshot in which John and Merle meet again after Merle's death, some centuries after the podcast ends. Great dialogue and character interaction, with a very hopeful ending. Massive spoilers, obviously.

---