Proof that the remaining 10% is worth losing a canon life for here.
These are recommendations made by tropers for Dream SMP 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.
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Authors and Websites
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Two out of their stories are recommended below. Everything they write is top-notch.
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Write stories about Dream SMP and Dream Team.
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Recommended by: KenRenzo
- Writes a ton of Dream SMP AU, and is great with imagery. Lots of different themes, from fluff to hard angst.
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Recommended by: lorddragonmaster
- Writes mostly lighthearted stories about the Dream SMP and different AUs. Posts pretty frequently with some small breaks in between. Has written and published a full novel in the past.
General Fics
Gods and Admins
by WhiteWolfCub
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Previously titled To Taunt a God. Respawning was a tricky business in the new updates. No one but the gods knew why it became more glitchy as time went on, they just knew it was best to avoid dying at any cost. They didn't want to chance the respawn glitch and die permanently. No one would've ever thought that someone would use that glitch to their advantage, but when a strange admin joins the server without permission, they'll realize that not everyone has good intentions.
- Comments: An amazingly well-written world-building fic with allusions to the actual SMP. Highly recommended.
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: “That’s not fair,” Bad protests. Dream raises an eyebrow at him and jerks his tied hands in emphasis, clearly saying that none of this is fair. “Look, you keep running! Who runs if they’re not guilty?” Bad challenges, staring him down with obvious distrust from the generous distance of exactly five feet. It’s fair, as much as Dream hates to admit it; it’s not like he’s been the most honest hostage in the past, with all of his escaping and running and framing himself for his own murder, apparently. “Only the good die young, and only the guilty run,” Technoblade chimes in, holding his own potato and sitting in the snow like it’s not cold at all. A hot flash of irritation burns through him. “Someone being chased?” he counters sarcastically, jerking his tied wrists up again to wave them in front of the group. Sapnap laughs so hard that he almost chokes on his potato, but it dies off when Dream gives him an icy stare. Or: Dream is having a hard time, and the hunter just want to adopt him like a stray puppy that bites you at every opportunity.
- Comments: If you like the fic above, you're almost guaranteed to like this one as well. Dream-centric.
look the devil in the eye by BananasofThorns
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Explosives and mass-destruction are always a good base for an alliance, right?
- Comments: The novelization of Wilbur's corruption written from various point of view.
you're human tonight by chrysalizzm
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Twenty-two times Dream absolutely did not act like a human in front of his people, and one time he didn’t have to worry about that. (And while doing so starts wars, ends wars, lets people sleep on him, contributes to some pranks, causes mass destruction, rebuilds monuments, and saves a pet or two.)
- Comments: God and Goddess AU.
Run Boy Run byWhiteWolfCub(SilverWolfCub)
- Recommended by: DarkDatura
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The hunters are after him again. They gave him a day of rest before they caught onto his trail and snuck up under the tree he was sleeping on. A hand grabbed his foot and yanked. As he fell, the pearl inside him grew cold, and he teleported away. Or, manhunt but the goal is to survive and Dream isn't human even though he craves warmth and comfort like one.
- Comments: If you like The Run and Go by Numanum, you most likely will like this one also. It starts out with Minecraft Manhunt, but it keeps adding elements from the Dream SMP.
This Wasn't Planned, But It'll Work Out byAnonymous
- Recommended by: DarkDatura
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Dream isn't sure what to think when he finds a kid on his doorstep, but he can't just leave him there, now can he?
- Comments: It starts out with fluff, but then gets deeper as it dives into plot.
a renewal of faith, and of family by SolivagantStories
- Recommended by: DarkDatura
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: The rocket launcher leveled with his forehead until it was all that he could see. Stripes of red and white blocked Techno from view, but Tubbo could imagine his face was just like it was seconds ago, twisted and remorseful. For a brief moment Tubbo caught a glimpse of Schlatt’s grin, his goat-like horns stark against the backdrop of sky.Then— “I’m sorry, Tubbo.” Tubbo dies. Then he wakes up. That isn’t exactly out of the ordinary. Except, the respawn magic must have glitched, because he’s now in an entirely different world, with no hope of seeing a familiar face. Dream honestly hadn’t planned on adopting this random kid while there was a manhunt for his head on a silver platter. No, really.
- Comments: Takes place in Minecraft Manhunt, but evolves into something more. If you like found family, this might be the fanfiction for you.
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "You're dead," Quackity breathes, horror filling him as though he hadn't been contemplating bringing him back at the funeral, "you're dead and gone, so how-" "How am I here?" Schlatt interrupts, cruelty twisting his smile in that painfully familiar way. "Gee, I don't know, Quackity. Maybe next time you want a guy gone, don't eat his heart." Quackity begins laughing hysterically until he's sobbing. Or, Five times Quackity sees Schlatt's ghost, and one time he sees him in the mirror.
- Comments: Quackity-centric angst.
you didn't always wear a mask by Rachelle_Lo
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: One-Shot
- Synopsis: It’s done. Back to obsidian, you slide to the ground. Your head rests on your knees. Tired, alone, celled in, and more than a little insane, probably. (At the end of it all, Dream knows he's the villain. He didn't want to be until he did.)
- Comments: POV: You are Dream's apologist.
- Recommended by: KenRenzo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Tommy and Tubbo beat the shit out of Dream.
- Comments: Retelling of the Season 2 finale, and VERY satisfying.
- Recommended by: KenRenzo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: It isn't really therapy, but they make it work. They do their best to listen and to offer advice when asked, they do their best to be better. They try, and that's all that's ever really been important.
- Comments: Tommy, Wilbur and Technoblade learning to heal and have a healthy relationship again. Angst with a happy ending.
Frame The Halves, And Call Them Brothers by MusicallyActive
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: One-shot; complete.
- Synopsis: "Let's go!" Quackity roared. "Let's fucking go!" The anvil dropped, and Techno reached for his totem of undying. This was going to hurt like a bitch. Phil screamed something, and instantly a crushing force struck Technoblade's skull. It rattled him to the core, doused his vision in red, and then all he knew was black. He gasped awake moments later to the sound of his communicator pinging softly at his bedside table, and when Technoblade opened his eyes, New L'manburg was nowhere in sight.
- Comments: Technoblade stuck on time loop.
- Comments: Seconded! There's basically 9k of angst, it's really very good. – Macchiato_Dreaming
- Recommended by: DarkDatura
- Status: Complete/Dead (it's a series full of oneshots, some fics are incomplete, and the author has stated that they are finished writing on the account.)
- Synopsis: Everything related to Ranboo, will be specified if related.
- Comments: basically a collection of AU s that are all Ranboo-centric. Each is masterfully written and explore interesting ideas. Most involve Technoblade and Phil in various situations. Plotwise, very few are connected.
Valley of Serenity by Interjection
- Recommended by: Macchiato_Dreaming
- Status: Completednote
- Synopsis: Wilbur presses the button, Techno unleashes the withers, and Tommy watches heroes crumble before his eyes. The one key difference lies with a man unable to kill his son.
- Comments: Phil takes his family and yeets them far, far away from the tragedy that is L'Manberg. Healing is a bumpy road, and this troper warns that those who are triggered by attempted suicide stay away from this fic. Otherwise, highly recommended.
Between Dreams and Memories Universe by Salty_Sam (link here)
- Recommended by: AquaEclipse
- Status: Hiatusnote
- Synopsis: A collection of stories from the BDAM Universe, an AU that's an almost direct retelling of the DreamSMP storyline, with added lore, more characterization, and personality added to every person and moment. Includes all main stories, all side-stories and spin-offs of any kind.
- Comments: Slight AU with allusions to SMPLive (has 35 chapters known as "The Truth" arc dedicated to it in the first installment), SMPEarth, Phil's five-year hardcore world, and the MrBeast duel, along with Hybrid and Dreamon lore, and angst for practically every character. First installment features Schlatt backstory and lore that made him much more sympathetic, and altogether tones down any and all canonical romance-related plotlines a lot. Extremely long (took me several days to read it all) but definitely worth the ride.
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "I understand. You heard the place you loved was in trouble, so you came back, but I don't—I just—why didn't you take me?" Here it was, at last. Catharsis, or something close to it. "I would have hunted them down with you, Philza, the people who did that to your town. I would have given you your vengeance on a silver platter. I would have given you the world." Philza didn't look guilty. He just looked tired. "I didn't hunt them down, though." // Or, that fic where Techno and Phil are old immortals, and Tommy and Wilbur are decidedly... not.
- Comments: Medieval AU; Technoblade and Philza are immortal, Tommy and Wilbur are Philza's kids. A beautifully written story that managed to get a stamp of approval from Fandom VIP SAD-ist (in animatic form, of course).
- Content warning for violence, character death, panic attacks, grief, and other things — the specific warnings are listed at the beginning of each chapter.
How to Sex Vol. 4–58 by Goldenrayofsunshine (link here)
- Recommended by: AquaEclipse
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "Put your armor in the hole. Could be a way to say. Use protection. It is important that everyone has safe sex. That is why I am writing this book. Also I do not know where babies come from." // Tommy's Mental Decline in Captivity, told through his own Magnum Opus.
- Comments: In a canon-divergent Alternate Universe where Punz and The Cavalry doesn't show up to save Tommy and Tubbo, Tubbo is killed by Dream and Tommy is locked up in Pandora's Vault. Everything in the fic only makes sense in context, but with the context, it becomes a massive Tear Jerker, as Tommy details his Trauma Conga Line as he is Conditioned to Accept Horror. And to anyone concerned, yes, the fic is perfectly safe for work, despite the title.
- Content warning for trauma, blood, and mentions of death, suicide and Stockholm Syndrome.
An Ounce of Peace is All I Want for You by scout (scout_eki)
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: It’s not going to be particularly easy to escort a vulnerable and exhausted man out of the prison, but Techno is nothing if not stubborn. Even if he has to carry the man for miles to get back to Techno’s home, he’d do it without a second thought. He’ll do anything to save Harpocrates. Or: Techno breaks Dream out of prison, and they both struggle with the aftermath.
- Comments: a rivalstwt fanfiction centering on the aftermath of jail breakout.
- Content warning for trauma, blood, stuff.
call this world home by Sixteenthdays , stygiomedusa
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Pandora’s Vault is a perfect prison, impregnable and inescapable— unless you have canonical access to creative mode. Or: Dream XD-who-is-the-world breaks Dream out of solitary confinement and traps him at Ranboo’s house instead, where Dream is forced to face the ruin he's made of his relationships head-on. Or: Dream gets bullied, Ranboo tentatively grows a backbone, Techno has the time of his life, Philza thinks this is all hilarious, and Puffy realizes she still has hope.
what i love and what i've lost by Treis
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Techno takes a step forward and looks at Sapnap.
“Before the server,” he says, and isn’t that a funny thought? That there was anything before this? “You had your little games, didn’t you? Your chases.”
“Our hunts,” Bad says. He sounds like he’s dreaming. “Our manhunts.”
“Those,” Techno says. “Do those again.”
Turning, Techno walks forward until he’s only feet away from Dream and kneels so that they’re face to face. Their eyes meet through the holes of their respective masks, and Dream wonders why it’s in this moment, shattered smile to pig skull, that Techno feels more human than ever before.
“Start running, Dream,” Techno says.
Or: the one where Dream gets hunted by his friends, and together, they begin to heal. - Comments: Post-canon fic where Dream breaks out of prison, is sentenced to manhunt as punishment, and exiled from the server with George and Sapnap as his hunters. Great handling of a somewhat redemption arc done right.
The Doomed Timeline by ChaoticDekiru
- Recommended by: SweetHABIT
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: The egg wins, the land is destroyed and dominated by crimson. The few survivors can't keep going like this, and the only person who can do something about it is Dream. That's how he ends up in the past, before any war or conflict. Now, besides stopping the egg, he has to fix everything else. And thing's are easier said than done..
- Comments: Time travel fix-it fic, at the time of posting this with 34 chapters and 128,667 words. Follows a Dream sent back in time after the Egg takes over the server. Lots of angst and guilt, but expertly well done idea of what could have changed if Dream hadn't tried to take down L'Manberg through war.
run to the rising sun by Salicinalis
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: When help doesn't arrive in Dream's vault of stolen mementos, Tommy's expecting to die, not to wake up in a forest alongside someone who claims to be Dream, trapped for months. But the evidence is damning, staring him in the eye, and Tommy doesn't think he can deny the fact that the Dream who hurt him was someone else entirely.
- Recommended by: icyblue87 and SimonDoesTropes
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Technoblade owes Dream a favor. And, like Tommy had feared, Dream ends up calling it in to get Techno’s help in order to bust out of the prison. Except… Techno gets another idea after noticing a loophole in Dream’s request. An idea that would keep the other members of the Syndicate safe. An idea that would free himself of any fear of retribution. ...and an idea that might just inadvertently save the SMP.
- Comments: 35 chapters as of this writing with 41 total planned. This epic story spans multiple regions and employs heavy use of Continuity Porn, beginning pre-Prison Break. The main focus is on exploring the dynamics of rivalstwt, the Syndicate, and the effects of their actions on the Greater SMP with a central theme of healing and atonement. First DSMP fanfic icy recommends due to sheer level of detail put into 'crafting' it.
- Content warning: Due to the source material, dark topics including violence, panic attacks, grief, and other sensitive issues will be explored. They are explicitly listed at the beginning of each chapter concerning them.
Alternate Universe
Until the Flowers Bloom Again byrainycreations_writes
- Recommended by: DarkDatura
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: They were supposed to be wed in spring. Nothing too grand. Simple like how they envisioned their lives would be. Fundy remembered the words they exchanged, the laughs they shared, the whispers in the night under the stars, promising a better future. He remembered when he lost them all.
- Pairings: Dream/Fundy, Dream/Wilbur
- Comments: This is a Demon Slayer AU, however, you don't have to know anything about demon slayer in order to enjoy it. The plot is original and the author manages to keep things interesting without dragging things out. It also has art in some chapters to help visualize different scenes.
FATE PICKS HER WILDFLOWERS byisakasi
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "What are you doing here?" Phil finally manages to ask, his voice barely a whisper. The child in the God's arms flinche at the sound of his voice, but otherwise, he remains silent; wrapped in death and grime. Dream chuckles, and then winces when blood pours from the wound across his chest, "Oh, you know, just taking a walk through the neighbourhood."Or; The last thing Phil expects to see at his front door amidst a war, is Dream, the God of Chaos — and a baby, who doesn't speak.
- Comments: An AU where Tubbo is actually Dream's little brother.
- Recommended by: KenRenzo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: He retires to the one place where he cannot be disturbed. He finds peace. He finds adventure. He messages Phil sometimes, actually plays through the Minecraft Advancements, reaches the End, and rests at Home.
- Comments: Canon divergence AU where Technoblade retires in a single player Minecraft world instead of the Dream SMP Arctic. Loads of creative worldbuilding and cavity-inducing fluff.
solitude by always_an_anxious_mess
- Recommended by: KenRenzo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Tommy had always considered himself an extroverted person. But after Dream stopped showing up, after no more visitors appeared on his shores or from his portal, Tommy felt himself thriving in the solitude. In the isolation. Of being alone and in silence.
- Comments: Canon divergence AU where Tommy lives in and adapts to the wilderness. A beast of a story at 12k words, with amazing imagery.
Change fate by being aggressively kind by sircantus
- Recommended by: Macchiato_Dreaming
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Techno, Wilbur, and Tommy are basically chaotic forces of nature, destined from birth to end the world and bring destruction. Most who hear of the tale of them are trying their best to track them down, and to end the monsters while they’re still young, still just children. Phil has a different plan.
(In which Phil raises the minecraft equivalents of the anti-christ with love and support, so much so to the point where the world ending is really just a funny thought, and Phil has three kids who casually have powers that are bit more extreme than anything else in the world) - Content warning for violence, blood, and injury.
you took my broken melody and now, i hear a symphony by Spannah339
- Recommended by: DarkDatura
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: “Another kid,” Wilbur said, stepping back from the door. Philza just nodded and stepped into the doorway, crossing his arms and flaring his wings slightly, an intimidating figure. “You know the deal,” the social worker said, her voice making it clear there was going to be no arguing. Tommy wondered if anyone could argue with the man in front of him. “You know I won’t refuse,” Philza said. For a long moment, he and the social worker locked eyes. Then she lowered her gaze and stepped back. “I’ll leave you to settle in then.” She handed Tommy the bag of items and turned to leave. “W- that’s it?” he demanded. She paused, turning back, and shrugged. “I’m sure you can figure it out from here.” With that, she returned to the car, slipping into the front seat and started the engine.
- Comments: Seems like another adoption fic, but it becomes more. Switches POVs between Tommy and Ranboo. Modern fantasy AU, with societal problems against hybrids. Rated T, for violence. Read the AO3 tags for further warnings.
TommyInnit's Unbeatable Method of Avoiding Sudden Death by eneli (link here)
- Recommended by: Siempie
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A Crack Fic superhero AU, in which Tommy is a handsome, charming and overall incredibly cool vigilante, and Phil, Techno and Wilbur are the superheroes trying to get him in line. A somewhat episodic story with lots of comedy, running gags, family dynamic fluff, and an INCREDIBLY dark twist.
- Comments: A crack fic that plays with the meta, and hints at its final twist in incredibly subtle ways. It's also just incredibly funny and fluffy.
oh dear, can you see me? by findingkairos
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Philza Minecraft is the youngest person ever to beat a Hardcore world and earn his wings. It makes him a target. For an enterprising faction fighting in a server-wide war, it makes him a weapon. (Age Swap!AU where Technoblade is a legendary warrior who's been having fun scaring newbies and occasionally conquering realms on behalf of Hypixel, Philza is a young player who's been guilt tripped into choosing the losing side, and things get worse before they get better.)
- Comments: A child Philza-centric fic
the lightning strike by rosewitchx
- Recommended by: Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: A collection of tales from another world.— or: Technoblade and Dream commiserate in a farm, ignoring their gods; King Schlatt and his Knight mourn their losses; And other stories from a pseudo-D&D fantasy AU where things hurt.
Orphan's Path by aenor_llelo and a group of associates
- Recommended by: lorddragonmaster
- Status: On-Going
- Synopsis: The story ends with anarchy. Syndicates. Gods. Fire and blood and crimson. The story began with a man who had nothing but wings and the clothes on his back. Or: Stories from the Dream SMP, with just a little more time. Featuring a lot of Phil and Techno friendship.
- Comments: At writing, this series has a total of 300,000 words. Plot starts with Phil and Techno meeting and has still not quite reached the point of the actual SMP. Updates frequently.
No Rest for the Wicked by AuthenticGhoul
- Recommended by: SweetHABIT
- Status: On-Going
- Synopsis: Dream's worked for the Emperor for as long as he can remember. He's the best there is—a manhunter like no other. A manhunter who trained for years. Who never got a childhood. Who wants nothing more than to just run for the sake of it, rather than the sake of the hunt. Too bad there's no escaping the Emperor and Dream would rather live chained than die free... at least that's what he thought. Then he's sent to kill three traitors. Then he meets Sapnap and George and Bad. Then he realizes maybe there are some things worth dying for. (Friendship being one of them.)
- Comments: Manhunt AU but with a little twist; Dream's the manhunter, and the DTeam are the ones running. Comes slam-packed with angst and tragedy. Features a lot of the DSMP characters, though not all in a favorable light. Highly recommend for any DTeam fan.
When the Sunlight Dies by bramble_patch (Marianne_Dashwood) and personalized_radio
- Recommended by: AquaEclipse
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: It's been three months since the coup. Three months since Sapnap, a knight, and George, his prince, have been chased out of their home. Three months of being on the run, trying to find a safe way out of Kinoko without being caught by the president's mercenaries or an opportunistic bounty hunter.
It's hard, but it would be a lot easier if he didn't have to worry about George's sudden taste for wandering. Or the two guides that have worked their way into his group, promising them a safer way out of the kingdom. And it would be a whole lot easier if Sapnap wasn't flying solo, doing a job made for two.
And then there's the Godling to worry about. Yeah. That's a whole thing. - Comments: Royalty AU with an intense plotline, strong worldbuilding, and exquisite characterization, albeit with some serious Adaptational Heroism for a certain villain. The main fic, When the Sunlight Dies focuses on DNF and Karlnapity and is very long but certainly worth it (of course, if you're okay with the Adaptational Heroism). Massive trigger warning for abusive relationships (not in the endgame ships) though — I may or may not have cried reading this fic because it gets very heavy sometimes. Never Take My Heart is a spin-off set in the same universe based around the extended Sleepy Boys Inc. family, while Don't Believe in Luck is a "Convex"-centric Hermitcraft-based spin-off.
Butterfly reignby: (SilentTeyz)
- Recommended by: Personwhoexists
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Royalty AU where SBI is a toxic family. Emperor Philza is always busy, Tommy hadn't seen Techno in months, and his relationship with Wilbur is... strained at best. They don't need to be close, they just need to be balanced, or at least, that's what Tommy thought.
Until his family replaced him with a commoner named Ranboo.
Tommy's family has replaced him, it's only fair he gets to do the exact same thing.
