Pool of Radiance is one of the first of its kind. AD&D RPG adapted to a computer game. It is the first of a set of 4 games released in the Forgotten Realms world. While not quite as in-depth as its sequels - Curse of the Azure Bonds, Secret of the Silver Blades, Pools of Darkness, this game offers the classic paper AD&D player a chance to enjoy a fully fledged storyline that allows you to make decisions of your own.
You can only choose from the character classes Cleric, Fighter, Magic-User and Thief in this game.
Pool of Radiance is one of the first of its kind. AD&D RPG adapted to a computer game. It is the first of a set of 4 games released in the Forgotten Realms world. While not quite as in-depth as its sequels - Curse of the Azure Bonds, Secret of the Silver Blades, Pools of Darkness, this game offers the classic paper AD&D player a chance to enjoy a fully fledged storyline that allows you to make decisions of your own.
You can only choose from the character classes Cleric, Fighter, Magic-User and Thief in this game. You can be multi-class depending on which race you select. You can later transfer these characters to those in its sequels. You can then do Human Dual
Class, but this game doesn't offer it. You have room for a party of 6 created characters, and for 2 hired mercenaries (you cannot control these 2 mercs in battle, but they fight on your side). This game is heavily combat based. There is very little puzzle-wise to solve, but it's not without its tricks.
You start out in New Phlan. The city has been troubled by attacks lately from the Slums, and you are hired by the City Council to accomplish missions in return for treasure. Each mission completed opens the door for more missions that will take you across the expanse of this games large realm.
As you progress further and further into the missions, you come to find there is much corruption and double-dealing going on throughout New Phlan and some of its neighboring cities. You start this game out fighting goblins and kobolds, end it fighting demons and vampires, and finally Tyranthraxus the Flamed One. He is the demon behind all the attacks and difficulty the settlers of New Phlan has gone through.
My first time seeing this game was watching my dad play it when I was 10. At the time I had never really heard of D&D, and I was fascinated. This game was my introduction to AD&D's basics. I still remember helping my dad map out various parts of the world on graph paper.
At the end of the day, this game offers decent gameplay and replayability with different class combinations or perhaps solo-challenge. While there are many games now, such as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights that blow this game away. Pools of Radiance was the original, and is worth a look.
