Pool of Radiance is a role-playing game that takes place in the Dungeons and Dragons universe of Forgotten Realms. Anyone familiar with the intricate story lines of Forgotten Realms will surely recognize many locations in this game. The primary setting for the game takes place in the City of Phlan, in and around the Moonsea region. The plot of the game is to defeat an evil Bronze Dragon known as Tyranthraxus, who is leading an attack against the city, and kill off the monsters that inhabit the city, which would allow the City Council to get their buildings back, and to restore the city’s population.
In the beginning of the game, you will be attempting to buy better equipment and gear from local shops, talking to the locals to learn rumours, hints and parts of the story, and eventually gain a contract with the clerk of the City Council to gain commissions which allow you to buy better equipment. You may also hire an experienced adventurer to join you on your missions. Once you enter the slums, you will be tasked to kill the local Goblins and Orcs, which yield experience that will make you stronger and better equipped to fight tougher monsters later on.
After the slums are cleared, you will proceed to an area known as Sokol Keep, which is filled with undead creatures,
and is lead, by a cursed specter. Once you remove the curse, the area will be cleared, which open up shipping lanes to the city. As you progress through the game, you will be asked to enter many different locations, such as catacombs filled with a group of bandits, or a pirate bar called the Pit, an old textile house with a mission to recover a council member’s treasure, and many other areas, such as temples, libraries and a graveyard. After various adventures and missions, a traitor of the City Council is revealed, and you are tasked with hunting him down. Near the end of the game, you will have to assault Stojanow Gate, and then Valjevo Castle. There the final battle will take place against the dangerous dragon boss. Like most RPG’s, the key to victory is killing as many of the monsters as possible, which in turn gives you more experience making it easier to defeat tougher monsters and bosses. This game is great and addictive, so I highly recommend it to everyone!
The first in a series of successful "gold box" AD&D games for SSI, you create your party and maneuver it through 1st-perspective dungeons and overhead-view turn-based sequences.
