The Adventure Zone

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The Adventure Zone
The Adventure Zone Podcast Cover.jpeg
Presentation
Hosted byGriffin, Justin, Travis, and Clint McElroy
Genre
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesFortnightly
Length~90 minutes
Production
No. of seasons4
No. of episodesMain campaigns: 143
Publication
Original releaseAugust 18, 2014[a] – present
ProviderMaximum Fun
Related showsMy Brother, My Brother, and Me
Dimension 20
Websitewww.maximumfun.org/shows/adventure-zone

The Adventure Zone is a biweekly comedy and adventure actual play podcast based loosely upon the Dungeons & Dragons game series, along with other role-playing games. The show is distributed by the Maximum Fun network and hosted by brothers Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy, and their father Clint McElroy. Regular episodes of the podcast feature the family solving puzzles, fighting enemies, and leveling up their characters in a series of cinematic and humorous encounters.

History[]

Origins and Balance (2014–2017)[]

In 2010, the McElroy brothers launched their flagship podcast My Brother, My Brother and Me, an advice podcast which joined the Maximum Fun network in 2011. During the 97th episode in May 2012, the brothers answered a question about a Dungeons & Dragons game—which Justin called "The Adventure Zone".

The McElroy brothers would ultimately begin playing with their father Clint in the summer of 2014, using the newly released Starter Set for the fifth edition of D&D, which was released that July. The set came with the module The Lost Mine of Phandelver,[2] which served as the basis for the first few sessions. The first of these recordings was initially released as an experimental MBMBaM episode entitled The Adventure Zone on August 18, 2014, to cover for Justin's paternity leave.[3] Starting that December, The Adventure Zone was then expanded into its own podcast on the Maximum Fun network, releasing biweekly.[4] Griffin McElroy served as the show's primary host and Dungeon Master for the show's first campaign, later titled the Balance Arc. The campaign concluded with Episode 69 in August 2017.

The McElroy family performed 13 live bonus sessions within the Balance setting from 2016 to 2019, with several of these continuing beyond the conclusion of the campaign's primary story. Additionally, three special episodes were released over the course of the campaign, titled The "The Adventure Zone" Zone, and these act as "an informal chat show" discussing the game.[5]

"Déjà Vu" by Mort Garson (from the album ) served as the primary theme song for The Adventure Zone during the Balance Arc, as well as various interstitials and backing tracks. Griffin McElroy also created original compositions to enhance the show's production.[6] Later arcs would use original themes for opening and closing. An officially produced trailer for the Balance arc was uploaded to YouTube on January 25, 2018.[7]

Experimental arcs and Amnesty (2017–2019)[]

Following the conclusion of the Balance campaign, the McElroys decided to work on smaller "experimental arcs", a set of shorter campaigns using other systems, in order to give themselves time to develop their next overarching storyline. Three experimental arcs were aired from October 2017 to March 2018. These included Clint's Commitment arc, Griffin's Amnesty arc and Travis' Dust arc. Each of these arcs takes place in their own game worlds, separate from those explored in the other campaigns. With the conclusion of these experimental arcs, McElroys announced that Season 2 of "The Adventure Zone" would continue the story introduced in Amnesty, and that it would become the next full campaign.

Griffin McElroy again took on the role of game master (called a "Keeper" in the system). While the arc was inspired by monster of the week shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural, Griffin stated that the arc is mostly based on the Persona game series. To replicate the less connected nature of the former's 1990s setting, Kepler is situated in West Virginia's section of the National Radio Quiet Zone. Hal Lublin provides a guest voice in one episode. The campaign ended after 36 episodes on September 23, 2019.

When performing live the McElroy family continued to predominantly used the Balance setting in this period, though two Amnesty live shows, The Ballad of Bigfoot and Amnesty Halloween Special, released on October 17, 2019 and November 12, 2020 respectively.[8] Additional episodes of The "The Adventure Zone" Zone were released at the start and conclusion of the main run of Amnesty.[9][10]

Graduation (2019–2021)[]

Prior to the Amnesty finale, it was confirmed in a SyFy Wire interview that Travis McElroy would run the third Season of The Adventure Zone.[11] A trailer for the Season released on October 18, 2019 confirmed a return to the Dungeons & Dragons system.[12] The fantasy themed campaign, centred around a school for heroes and villains, began on October 31, 2019 and ended on April 15, 2021.[13][14]

All four cast members played as guests in Dimension 20’s Tiny Heist campaign, a game DMed by Brennan Lee Mulligan in late 2019, for release in early 2020.[15] When designing the world of Nua for Graduation, Travis was inspired by Tiny Heist's worldbuilding, commenting that "the world in that was so well thought through that it was basically like a big playground..."[16] Graduation was poorly received for its heavy exposition, lack of player agency and large cast of non-player characters (NPCs).[17] Travis considered stepping back from the show around the 20th episode, and having someone else brought in to finish the season- but decided that would be unfair to those who were invested, including the players. These issues were acknowledged by the cast in Post-Grad, an episode of The The Adventure Zone Zone which wrapped up the Graduation campaign, and remedies were discussed for future arcs.[18]

There were few live shows during the run of Graduation, primarily because of the coronavirus pandemic. A "Laughter & Love" McElroy family tour in April 2020 would have featured The Adventure Zone performances in Boston and Baltimore.[19] A virtual live show took place on March 9th 2021 and made use of the Honey Heist system, with Erika Ishii guest starring.[20]

Ethersea (2021–)[]

Before the finale of Graduation, Griffin McElroy confirmed in an interview with Brennan Lee Mulligan, as Episode 18 of Adventuring Academy, that the fourth season of Adventure Zone would also be played in the Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition system, and would involve ships.[21] Unlike previous arcs, in which world-building was undertaken privately by the GM, the world-building for Ethersea took place during the first episodes as a collaborative effort.[22] The campaign's name, Ethersea, and a brief trailer were released on May 3, 2021.[23]

Structure[]

To date the podcast has had four "seasons", consisting of longer campaigns. Several of these campaigns were preceded by special episodes for worldbuilding and character generation, which are counted in the "Setup" column.

SeasonSetupEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
Balance069August 18, 2014 (2014-08-18)August 17, 2017 (2017-08-17)Maximum Fun
Amnesty136January 4, 2018 (2018-01-04)September 23, 2019 (2019-09-23)
Graduation038October 31, 2019 (2019-10-31)April 15, 2021 (2021-04-15)
Ethersea5TBAMay 6, 2021 (2021-05-06)TBA

Additionally, there have been several shorter campaigns without the season designation. These have variously been released as bonuses to Maximum Fun donors, as experimental arcs or as live shows which are released online later. Along with the main campaigns, each game corresponds with a letter of the alphabet (albeit performed out of alphabetical order). Some, such as Lords of Crunch, were initially performed live, with the recording released as a donor bonus. The second season, Amnesty, originated as an experimental arc that was later extended into a full campaign.

SeasonTypeEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
KnightsDonor bonus3March 3, 2016 (2016-03-03)TBAMaximum Fun
CommitmentExperimental arc4October 2, 2017 (2017-10-02)November 30, 2017 (2017-11-30)
DustExperimental arc4February 22, 2018 (2018-02-22)March 22, 2018 (2018-03-22)
ElementaryDonor bonus2April 2, 2018 (2018-04-02)TBA
FurDonor bonus1March 11, 2019 (2019-03-11)
HootenannyLive shows2October 3, 2019 (2019-10-03)August 4, 2020 (2020-08-04)
InheritanceLive show1November 28, 2019 (2019-11-28)
Just UsLive show1February 25, 2021 (2021-02-25)
MercerDonor bonus1March 13, 2020 (2020-03-13)
Lords of CrunchDonor bonus1July 26, 2020 (2020-07-26)[24]
CharlieverseDonor bonus1May 2, 2021 (2021-05-02)

Advertisements from corporate sponsors and paid messages from listeners are read by the Dungeon Master in the middle segment of the program. Fans tweeting about the show using "#thezonecast" may be selected to become the namesakes for various non-player characters in the story lines. This trend was continued during the later arcs. During the Balance Arc, fans could also suggest items to stock at "Fantasy Costco" for the characters to buy between quests. The Fantasy Costco system has been partially revived in each successive season to give fans a way to interact with the show.[25]

Main campaigns[]

Balance Arc[]

The overall plot of The Adventure Zone's first campaign, the "Balance Arc", involves a global war catalyzed by the Grand Relics—seven powerful magical artifacts that each contain the essence of one of the schools of magic. These relics compel those who find them to use them, almost always in a chaotic and destructive manner. The relics have been erased from everyone's minds save for the Bureau of Balance, an organization that seeks to find and destroy the relics. The narrative also explores the mysteries of the Red Robes, the magical faction who purportedly created the Grand Relics, and the lost histories of the main characters that involve a shadowy, cosmic threat to the universe. The primary quests challenge the characters to retrieve one of the Grand Relics. In addition, interlude episodes exist which allow the characters to regroup, purchase new equipment, and prepare for the next quest. Griffin McElroy has confirmed that the ideas for some episodes occur when watching a film or a TV show. The Balance Arc takes place over the course of several quests:

  • Here There Be Gerblins (Episodes 1–6) – The introductory quest is loosely based on the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set adventure Lost Mine of Phandelver, but quickly diverges into the primary plot of the adventure. The party helps Merle's cousin Gundren find and reclaim his family's lost treasures, but are quickly dragged into a conspiracy involving a powerful magical weapon of mass destruction, a war no one seems to remember, and the mysterious Bureau of Balance which seeks to keep it all hidden. The plot centers on the discovery of the Phoenix-Fire Gauntlet, the Grand Relic of evocation.
  • Moonlighting (Episodes 7–9) – In a non-relic retrieval quest, the party is introduced to the Bureau of Balance headquarters, located on a second, false moon. They are inoculated by drinking voidfish ichor and meet various characters, including the mysterious Director of the Bureau and her ward, Davenport. To prove their worth to the Bureau, the party undergoes a brief challenge involving ogres and robots. They receive non-removable bracers with the Bureau of Balance logo on them, a mirrored Berkanan rune.
  • Murder on the Rockport Limited (Episodes 10–16) – The party goes to reclaim a relic found by a Bureau operative killed after placing it in an unbreachable vault on the Rockport Limited train. Finding a Rockport staff member murdered on the trip, the party must discover the murderer before the train arrives in Neverwinter. During their mission, they meet and are aided by the World's Greatest (boy) Detective, Angus McDonald. The party discovers and retrieves the Oculus, the Grand Relic of illusion. (This relic is not used.)
  • Lunar Interlude I: Carnival Chaos (Episode 17) – The party attends a midsummer carnival on the Bureau of Balance's lunar headquarters. They all dress in costumes. The carnival ends when the party sees the sky turn black with millions of eyes for a split second, causing the rest of the partygoers to fall unconscious.
  • Petals to the Metal (Episodes 18–27) – The party is sent to retrieve the Gaia Sash, the Grand Relic of conjuration, used to control nature and weather. This relic is currently being used by a master thief known only as the Raven. Through a series of events, the party find themselves allied with Hurley, a law enforcer and former lover of the Raven, and taking part in a mostly-illegal death race to claim the relic. A mysterious Red Robe appears at the end of the arc. The plot for the quest occurred to Griffin while watching Fast Five.[26]
  • Lunar Interlude II: Internal Affairs (Episode 28) – The party returns to the Bureau of Balance's moonbase for a debrief with the Director and a visit to Fantasy Costco. They host a Candlenights party in their new apartment, which is interrupted by a frantic phone call to the Director from the scientist Lucas Miller. This jump-starts the events of The Crystal Kingdom.
  • The Crystal Kingdom (Episodes 29–39) – A science-fantasy adventure quest focused on the Philosopher's Stone, the Grand Relic aligned with the school of transmutation. The Philosopher's Stone has begun transmuting a floating laboratory into pink crystal, with lethal consequences for the world below if it is not kept from crashing. The party must navigate the dangers of the crystallizing laboratory, track down rogue Bureau scientist Lucas, and battle with mysterious enemies including crystal golems and the undead bounty hunter, Kravitz. The plot for the quest occurred to Griffin while watching Alien.[26]
  • Lunar Interlude III: Rest & Relaxation (Episode 40) – The party takes some time off.
  • The Eleventh Hour (Episodes 41–49) – A quest based around a time-loop mechanic. The party is sent into the Woven Gulch to retrieve the Temporal Chalice, the Grand Relic of Divination. Avi, friendly Bureau cannoneer, helps them enter the bubble-surrounded and wild-west inspired town, Refuge. There, the party first meets Roswell, a clay-based earth elemental with a Vermilion flycatcher acting as their voice, and find themselves cycling repeatedly through the final hour of the town's life, in a loop created by the Temporal Chalice.
  • Lunar Interlude IV: The Calm Before the Storm (Episode 50) – The heroes explore some sidequests between their main quests.
  • The Suffering Game (Episodes 51–57) – A darker quest in which the party must retrieve the Necromancy Grand Relic: the Animus Bell. This relic was discovered by the Director before the Bureau was created, and in her failed attempt to retrieve it, she sacrificed twenty years of her life. Inspired by the Zero Escape video game series,[27] the party delves into Wonderland, a lethal, mentally taxing, and endless deathtrap that promises whatever participants desire as a prize for surviving. However, as the party travels through Wonderland, making sacrifices and fighting horrific monsters, the place is revealed to be a trap created by a pair of twin Liches who feed on suffering.
  • Lunar Interlude V: Reunion Tour (Episodes 58–59) – The party is tasked with an infiltration mission.
  • The Stolen Century (Episodes 60–66) – A prequel quest in which the party rediscovers their long-forgotten memories and gains better insight into the Hunger, the ultimate foe of all reality.
  • Story and Song (Episodes 67–69) – The climactic finale quest of the Balance Arc, in which old friends and former foes join the party to stop the Hunger from consuming the multiverse.

As the Dungeon Master, Griffin portrayed all non-player characters (except for Garyl, Taako's summoned phantasmal binicorn). Notable characters include Lucretia, the Bureau's stony, mysterious director; Killian, a crossbow-wielding orc woman who becomes an early ally of the protagonists in Here There Be Gerblins; Carey Fangbattle, Killian's girlfriend (later wife) and a dragonborn rogue who trains Magnus; Lup, Taako's transgender twin sister who is a lich and married to Barry Bluejeans; Barry Bluejeans, a denim-clad scientist and lich; Davenport, Lucretia's ward and captain of the Starblaster; Johann, a morose bard employed by the Bureau and self-proclaimed greatest musician in the world; Kravitz, a grim reaper employed by the Raven Queen and later Taako's boyfriend; Angus McDonald, the world's greatest (boy) detective; Garfield, The Deals Warlock, sinister owner of the Fantasy Costco; Roswell, an armored elemental who serves as deputy of Refuge; Lucas Miller, a Bureau-affiliated scientist conducting research into the workings of the planar multiverse; and John, the enigmatic and disturbing antagonist.

Amnesty Arc[]

Initially the second of the mini-arcs, Amnesty was later announced as season two's full length arc on March 29, 2018. The first five episodes, as part of the mini-arcs, began the series' temporary weekly schedule to get to a full second season more quickly.[28] The Amnesty arc is based on the Monster of the Week system by Evil Hat Productions, and is set in the fictional ski-resort town of Kepler in contemporary West Virginia. Kepler is regularly invaded by eldritch monsters nicknamed "Abominations" from a mysterious otherworld called Sylvain, opposed by a monster-hunting organization called the Pine Guard headquartered at the titular Amnesty Lodge. Sylvain is a dying world, being consumed by an evil force known as the Quell, and the latter half of the series partly involves the cast attempting to stop it.

The Game Master, Griffin portrayed all non-player characters (except for Beacon, Duck's talking sword). Notable characters include Madeline Cobb (called Mama), the owner of the Amnesty Lodge; Barclay, who is Bigfoot; Indrid Cold, who is Mothman; and various other residents of the Lodge such as Dani, a vampire; Jake Coolice, a sylph; and Agent Stern, an FBI agent who is looking for signs of supernatural activity.

Graduation Arc[]

The players initially take on the role of students who have enrolled in the henchperson and sidekick program at Hieronymous Wiggenstaff's School for Heroism and Villainy.[29] The campaign focuses initially on their classes and misadventures at the school, but later moves to broader themes such as Order vs. Chaos, threats of Demon wars, mind control vs. free will, and rebellion against capitalism.

Ethersea Arc[]

The Ethersea campaign was announced on May 3, 2021[23] and began on May 6, 2021. The first five episodes were not played in Dungeons & Dragons, but used a world-building tabletop game called The Quiet Year.[30] The prologue tells the story of a group of survivors with one year to find a way to continue their society underwater, as a worldwide magical storm threatens to wipe out all above-water life. The McElroys took a collaborative approach with world creation, resulting in both player-created and game master-created content. A summary of the first five episodes was released on July 1, and the Dungeons & Dragons campaign began on July 8.

Secondary campaigns[]

(K)nights Campaign[]

A campaign consisting of 3 episodes created as exclusive content for the MaxFunDrive 2017. Travis DMs the adventure, which brings together an unlikely group of heroes: Troth, a tiefling monk played by Justin; Tom Collins, a half-elf warlock bartender played by Griffin; and Lenny Manolito, a human keytar-playing bard played by Clint. This campaign uses the Dungeons & Dragons system, and features a guest appearance by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who plays the bard Atreyus.

Commitment Arc[]

The second campaign, and the beginning of a selection of "mini-arcs", was a superhero inspired RPG that does not take any setting or characters from the Balance arc into consideration.[31] The game was run by Clint McElroy with Griffin now taking the role as a player, along with Travis and Justin. As opposed to Dungeons and Dragons, this arc uses the FATE system. The characters all work for the Do Good Fellowship, a "cult adjacent" organization that uses technology and science to improve the world. This arc has a total of four episodes, not including the setup episode the McElroys used to establish their characters, etc. It was notably inspired by the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents series of comics.

Dust Arc[]

Travis McElroy takes the role of master of ceremonies in the fourth campaign, using the Urban Shadows system by Magpie Games. Originally, the arc was envisioned with the making of a custom role-playing game in mind, but the task proved too large for the given time frame. The campaign is set in a fictionalized version of the Wild West, where creatures such as vampires and werewolves live alongside humans, and focuses on feuding families in the town of Dry River.

Elementary Campaign[]

Elementary is a two-shot campaign created exclusively for the MaxFunDrive 2019. The episodes use a special game system Four (sometimes five) Sherlock Holmes and a Vampire (Who Is Also One of the Aforementioned Sherlock Holmes), written by Andrew Young. What little plot there is involves Justin (as GM), Travis, Griffin and Clint (and once guest Patrick Rothfuss) each playing as a different version of Sherlock Holmes solving nonsensical, convoluted mysteries.

Fur Campaign[]

Much like Elementary, Fur is a one off made for the MaxFunDrive 2019, the game system used is Honey Heist, a one-page RPG written by Grant Howitt, and Travis is the DM. Justin, Griffin, and Clint play three bears attempting to rob a briefcase of Manuka honey from the Sacramento Convention Center during a screening of Bee Movie.

Hootenanny Campaign[]

TAZ: Hootenanny was performed live in Nashville, TN at the Ryman Auditorium and is a country music themed space opera. The game used One Seven Design's system Lasers and Feelings, inspired by The Doubleclicks's album of the same name. The party consists of three musicians, all from different planets: Shoots McKrackin (Travis), Benny Gene Esserit (Clint), and Pepsi Liberty (Justin) as the band Hootie and the Nannies, who are performing at the Grand Space Opry. Griffin acted as the game master. The game ended with the four McElroys and Paul Sabourin performing a cover of Future Folk's song "Space Worms".

A sequel, "2tenanny", was released during the 2020 MaxFunDrive as exclusive bonus content for donors to the Maximum Fun network. Clint acted as game master (Benny having left the band to go solo), with Griffin playing replacement band member 48 (short for the entire lyrics to the song "I Like It, I Love It" by Tim McGraw).

Inheritance Campaign[]

TAZ: Inheritance[b] was performed live at the Balboa Theatre in San Diego, CA during San Diego Comic Con 2019, based on an original system created by the players. The setting takes place in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, featuring groups of different stereotypical dads. The party consists of four dads, each from a specific dad tribe (Sports Dads, Vacation Dads, Car Dads, and Grill Dads). They team up to defeat the evil Crafting Dads in order to obtain the legendary TV remote control. The game featured all four McElroys as players, with CollegeHumor's Brennan Lee Mulligan, host of Dimension 20, as GM.

Just Us[]

The Just Us campaign is GMed by Travis McElroy, and described by Griffin as "Travis' take on superheroes trying to pretend to be normal".[32] It was recorded as a live show in Atlanta using the game Supernormal, written by Ursidice.[33]

Mercer[]

TAZ: Mercer is a one-shot made for the MaxFunDrive 2020, marketed as a "modern day crime drama" set in an unnamed north-east American city in 2006 and based on Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. It was named after and guest DMed by Matthew Mercer of Critical Role.

Lords of Crunch[]

Lords of Crunch was a one-shot performed at the Taft Theatre in Cincinnati, OH. It was GMed by Justin, using an original system based on One Seven Design's Lasers and Feelings system. Travis, Clint, and Griffin play as cereal-box mascots. It was released as bonus content for the 2020 MaxFunDrive.

Charlieverse[]

Charlieverse was a one-shot released for MaxFunDrive 2021, GMed by Justin and designed by his 6-year-old daughter, Charlie. It was based on the Muppet Babies RPG system by Origami Gaming, an adaption of the Lasers and Feelings system. Griffin, Clint and Travis play characters that have been transformed into babies and who have to traverse the Fruity Pebbles Castle of Torment to return to their adult forms.

Characters[]

Actor
Balance (2014–17) Amnesty (2018–19) Graduation (2019-21) Ethersea (2021-)
Clint McElroy Merle Highchurch
Dwarf Cleric 		Edmund "Ned" Chicane (1-29)
The Crooked 		Arlo Thacker (29-36)
The Searcher 		Argonaut "Argo" Keene
Genasi Rogue 		Zoox
Brinarr Ranger
Griffin McElroy Dungeon Master (DM) Keeper (GM) Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt
Half-elf Wild Magic Barbarian 		Dungeon Master (DM)
Justin McElroy Taako
Elf Wizard 		Wayne "Duck" Newton
The Chosen / The Mundane 		-
Firbolg Druid 		Amber Gris
 ?? Monk
Travis McElroy Magnus Burnsides
Human Fighter 		Aubrey Little / The Lady Flame
The Spell-Slinger 		Dungeon Master (DM) Devo la Main
 ?? Bard/Orator

Reception[]

The podcast has been well-received, especially among younger and LGBT+ demographics. It has sold out dozens of live shows since 2014, and has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times.[34] One of the creators, Justin McElroy, said of the podcast, "[it] has a following."[35] The Adventure Zone currently holds a 4.9 rating on Podbay, and a 5.0 rating on Apple Podcasts.[36][37]

The Balance arc received overwhelmingly positive criticism. It was described by The Mary Sue as "one of the most moving and epic adventures of recent memory."[38] The climactic ending in particular was warmly received.[39] Patrick Rothfuss stated the show possessed “some of the finest storytelling I have ever experienced. In any genre. Ever.”[40]

The Amnesty arc was described by The Mary Sue as possessing a "uniquely compassionate kind of story-telling, based on connection and hope, and that's something so rare in this world that even the imperfect efforts must be applauded, simply because there's nothing else quite like it out there."[41] Comic Book Resources also received the arc positively, stating that it was "filled with great characters, goofs, and heart-wrenching moments."[42]

The Graduation arc received criticism for Travis McElroy's performance as dungeon master, with complaints that the arc had a confusing plot line, an overabundance of secondary characters, and a lack of meaningful consequences for poor dice rolls by the players.[43][44] The positive representation of Fitzroy Maplecourt as the show's first asexual character however was praised.[45] Em Rowntree of The Geekiary was more positive about the direction of the campaign, emphasising that "the heart of TAZ as far as I'm concerned is a sort of very stupid and unexpectedly emotional outrageousness. It soars when it's narratively unjustifiable."[46]

Graphic novel adaptations[]

The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins, a graphic novel adapting the first quest, was released in July 2018. The book was written by the McElroys, illustrated by Carey Pietsch, and published by First Second Books.[47] It quickly topped New York Times' best-selling trade fiction list, becoming the first graphic novel to do so.[48] A sequel, which adapts the quest Murder on the Rockport Limited, was released on July 16, 2019.[49] The third book in the series, Petals to the Metal, was released on July 14, 2020.[50] Crystal Kingdom, the fourth book in the series, was published July 13, 2021.[51]

Title Release Date Paperback ISBN Hardcover ISBN
Here There Be Gerblins July 17, 2018 9781250153708 not published
Murder on the Rockport Limited! July 16, 2019 9781250153715 9781250229281
Petals to the Metal July 14, 2020[52] 9781250232632 9781250232625
The Crystal Kingdom July 13, 2021 9781250232656 9781250232663

The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins, The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited!, and The Adventure Zone: Petals to the Metal have all become New York Times Bestsellers.[53][54]

Animated series[]

An animated adaptation of the Balance Arc is in development for the NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock.[55] It has not been picked up for a series as of January 2020.[56] In July 2020, the McElroys revealed that they are developing the pilot and that it will be different from both the podcast and graphic novel versions and possibly feature a different voice cast.[57]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ As a special episode of My Brother, My Brother, and Me. This episode was re-uploaded as the first entry of a separate show on December 3rd, after which it began its regular release schedule.
  2. ^ Also called "Dadlands".

References[]

  1. ^ Ahlin, Charlotte (May 2, 2018). "The One Podcast You're Guaranteed To Love, Based On Your Favorite Kind Of Book: If You Like Fantasy, Try 'The Adventure Zone'". Bustle. Retrieved January 28, 2021. Three brothers and their dad play Dungeons & Dragons together on this comedic fantasy podcast.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "How Music Helped "The Adventure Zone" Podcast Get Better". The Adventure Zone. Pitchfork. March 27, 2016. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  7. ^ "The Adventure Zone: Balance trailer". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  8. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ https://maximumfun.org/episodes/adventure-zone/adventure-zone-zone-maxfundrive-2019-special
  11. ^ Enlow, Courtney (July 17, 2019). "WITH 'AMNESTY,' THE ADVENTURE ZONE ENTERS A WHOLE NEW WORLD — AND BEYOND". SyFy Wire. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2019. Enlow: Do you guys have kind of an idea for what comes next after this campaign? / All: Yeah! No. Yeah. / Travis: Yeah. I've been working on an idea for the next arc that I'm really excited about and I'm excited to start playing. I'm sad to leave Amnesty behind, but I'm very excited to get into the next thing just because it's a different kind of thing and just an idea that I really like. / Enlow: Are you going to DM this one? / Travis: Yes.
  12. ^ "The Adventure Zone: Season 3 Trailer" – via www.youtube.com.
  13. ^ Rowntree, Em (January 23, 2020). "The Adventure Zone: Graduation Deals with Criticism". The Geekiary. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  14. ^ Jackson, Gita (March 30, 2021). "Everyone Loves the McElroys, So Why Is Everyone Mad at the McElroys?". Vice. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  15. ^ https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/dimension-20-mcelroys-dungeons-and-dragons-tiny-heist/
  16. ^ https://maximumfun.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/TAZ140-TTAZZ06-Amnesty-Wrap-Up.pdf
  17. ^ https://www.themarysue.com/grading-the-adventure-zone-graduation/
  18. ^ https://maximumfun.org/transcripts/adventure-zone/transcript-the-the-adventure-zone-zone-post-grad/
  19. ^ https://do617.com/events/2020/4/2/the-adventure-zone-tickets
  20. ^ https://www.themcelroy.family/2021/1/28/22250731/announcing-the-adventure-zone-live-virtual-interactive
  21. ^ Mulligan, Brennan (January 11, 2021). "Shout Out To Fluff (with Griffin McElroy) | Adventuring Academy Season 2 | Ep. 18". Retrieved April 3, 2021 – via YouTube. Griffin:...this next season, we're gonna do fifth edition, but with a lot of, basically like a whole add-on module that I've been working on to basically establish rules for ships and how ships work...
  22. ^ "The The Adventure Zone Zone: Post-Grad!". Maximum Fun (Podcast). Maximum Fun. April 29, 2021. Event occurs at 58:15. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Adventure Zone: Season 4 Trailer". May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
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  25. ^ McElroy, Travis [@travismcelroy] (December 2, 2019). "So, I need some items to stock a fantasy store with in #TheZoneCast. BEFORE YOU SUBMIT IDEAS: Keep in mind that the tone of Graduation is different than Balance. Also, nothing overpowered! Email adventurezonecast @ gmail and put ITEM SUBMISSION in the subject! Thanks all!" (Tweet). Retrieved July 18, 2021 – via Twitter.
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  27. ^ @griffinmcelroy (October 20, 2016). "a lot of folks assumed i was playing Zero Escape games while writing the last arc - they were wrong - It was while I was writing this arc" (Tweet). Retrieved October 21, 2016 – via Twitter.
  28. ^ "Setup - The Adventure Zone: Amnesty". www.maximumfun.org. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
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  33. ^ The Adventure Zone [@TheZoneCast] (August 30, 2019). "Hey Atlanta, we can't wait to see you tonight - we'll be playing Supernormal and it's gonna be a blast!" (Tweet). Retrieved July 18, 2021 – via Twitter.
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  41. ^ https://www.themarysue.com/the-adventure-zone-amnesty/
  42. ^ https://www.cbr.com/the-adventure-zone-amnesty-best-npcs/
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  47. ^ Bailey, Benjamin (December 1, 2016). "Enter The Adventure Zone with a New Graphic Novel Series (Exclusive)". Nerdist.
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  50. ^ McElroy, Clint (2020). The Adventure Zone: Petals to the Metal. McElroy, Griffin; McElroy, Justin; McElroy, Travis; Pietsch, Carey; Stone, Tess (1st ed.). New York: First Second Books. ISBN 978-1-250-23263-2. OCLC 1158149831.
  51. ^ The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom. July 13, 2021. ISBN 978-1-250-23265-6.
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  53. ^ "Best Sellers - Aug. 4, 2019 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  54. ^ "Paperback Trade Fiction Books - Best Sellers - Aug. 5, 2018 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  55. ^ "Peacock Sets Expansive Scripted Development Slate Ahead of Formal Unveiling". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  56. ^ The Adventure Zone [@TheZoneCast] (January 16, 2020). "@peacockTV To clarify, the TAZ animated series is currently in development at Peacock but has not as of yet been picked up as a series. Here's hoping!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021 – via Twitter.
  57. ^ Elderkin, Beth (July 14, 2020). "The Adventure Zone TV Show May Feature a New Voice Cast". io9. Retrieved October 8, 2020.

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