The Adventure Zone: Commitment is a super hero themed arc of The Adventure Zone Podcast featuring the McElroy Brothers (Justin, Travis, and Griffin) playing the Fate RPG system with their father Clint. Clint is the Game Master, Griffin plays the super-agile ninja warrior Chris "Remy" Rembrandt/Springheel, Travis plays the genius shapeshifter Nadiya Jones, and Justin plays the HR ace Irene Baker, who can become the host to the storm goddess Kardala.
This podcast contains these tropes:
- The Ace: Irene is the best... at Human Resources.
- Anti-Villain: Richard Pooer, King of the USA, is a genuinely nice guy who seems to only want to seize power for the greater good of all. Unfortunately, his wife Martine? Not so much.
- Big Good: The Do-Good Fellowship, a humanitarian organisation inspired by Benjamin Franklin's Junto
. - Contrasting Sequel Player Character: Nadiya was designed by Travis to be the opposite of Magnus in as many ways as possible.
- Combat Parkour: Remy uses gymnastics in combat.
- Damsel in Distress: Happens to Mary Sage (a.k.a. "Space Cadet") twice, first when her robotic Goliath went berserk with her still inside, then when Martine and Richard exploit her powers to hijack all the electronics in the United States.
- Deadpan Snarker: Nadiya has a very dry, sarcastic sense of humor. It comes out a lot when she feels that people are wasting her time.
- Establishing Character Moment: All the main characters have one in the first episode:
- Nadiya is introduced scribbling formulas on a cocktail napkin at a party and insults both of her team mates in the first couple minutes.
- Irene recites her part of the 24 questions from memory and excitedly asks to do one more.
- Remy makes a pyramid out of sliders and tears into his bag while everyone else is still reciting the questions.
- Eye Beams: Martine's super power. Remy, who wanted heat vision, is outraged.Remy: "This is BULLSHIT!"
- Expy: Kardala is, according to Justin, one of Thor, with heavy influence from the version from The Incredible Hulk Returns
- Foil: Irene and Nadiya. Both of them are very dedicated to their work and tend to fixate on it even when they should be relaxing, but while Irene's work brings her closer to people Nadiya tends to push people away. Also while Irene is shy and timid but chooses to work with people anyway, Nadiya has no trouble communicating with people but despises doing it. Lastly, when faced with opposition in an early challenge Irene tries to appeal to their better nature while Nadiya threatens her enemies into submission.
- Foreshadowing: During the party at the beginning of the campaign, Martine requests the song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears. By the arc's end, she's been revealed as a major player in the bid to take over America.
- Freudian Trio: Nadiya is very much the superego, being acerbic and very logical. Hyperactive impulsive Remy is the id. And Irene is the ego, balancing the other two out and getting them all to work together as a cohesive unit. When Irene becomes Kardala, brash, thundering Kardala is now the id, with Remy filling in as the ego, desperately keeping the peace between them.
- Grey-and-Gray Morality: Our "heroes" are on the whole focused on achieving their own goals and self-preservation, while the Do-Good Fellowship is a front for a cult seeking to install their leader as the King of America. While King Richard himself has good intentions, his second-in-command Martine is willing to torture Mary and threaten millions of people's lives to get what she wants.
- The Heart: Irene is dedicated to helping everyone to get along. Unfortunately, Kardala is... not.
- Hostage Situation: At the climax of episode 4 Nadiya takes Richard hostage and Martine responds by threatening to make Mary Sage disable all electronics in United States, killing millions.
- Incoming Ham: Kardala's first line after being released from "the Irene prison" starts her off as she means to go on.Kardala: "FINALLY! I DEMAND MEAT!"
- Insufferable Genius: Nadiya has a prominent ego and despises anyone and everything that does not live up to her standards.
- Never Live It Down: One of Remy's negative aspects is "humiliated self on national television". No prizes for guessing where he got it...
- Not So Stoic: Nadiya is easily flustered by Remy's antics, especially when he describes the Stimplant process as a "skin cocoon."
- Organic Technology: Nadiya's speciality as a scientist.
- Person of Mass Destruction: When Mary Sage's powers are enhanced by Addison and Flanagan, her former trio-mates, she becomes capable of controlling all technology in the United States at once. Even without the enhancement she can control an entire amusement park or sink the Berg with little effort.
- Science Hero: Nadiya, a genius in biochemistry and biotechnology.
- Shadow Archetype: Martine is basically Nadiya except with even less regard for human life. Emphasized in the climax of episode 4, where Nadiya takes Richard hostage and Martine retaliates by threatening the entire United States.
- Shoot the Hostage Taker: Martine attempts this but doesn't account for Nadiya's shapeshifting powers, causing her to inadvertantly Shoot the Hostage.
- The Spock: Nadiya, again, who prioritises logic over emotions.
- The Stinger: In the final scene of the mini-arc, Richard Pooer and Martine are shown in medical custody... with a doctor who has the Fellowship's logo hidden on her badge.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: Nadiya threatens a co-worker into giving them a hint for a puzzle, all while "Walking On Sunshine" plays in the background.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Taken to an extreme: Irene is "sugar", Kardala is "ice".
- Super-Powered Alter Ego: Irene doesn't have any powers on her own, but she can become a host to the goddess Kardala.
- Underwater Base: The 'Berg, note the aquatic base of the Do-Good Fellowship.
- Utopia Justifies the Means: Well-intentioned as he is, King Richard still ordered the abduction and torture of Mary to further his goals.
- Wonder Twin Powers: Operatives can only use their powers when three members are within 100 yards of each other.
