See also: Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor
Pool of Radiance is a computer role-playing game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc (SSI) in 1988. It was the first computer adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons ( AD&D or D&D ) fantasy role-playing game. It is the first in a four-part series of D&D computer adventure games. The other games in the "Gold Box" series used the game engine pioneered in Pool of Radiance , as did later D&D titles such as the Neverwinter Nights online game. Pool of Radiance takes place in the Forgotten Realms setting, with the action centered in and around the city of Phlan.
Just as in traditional D&D games, the player starts by building a party of six characters, deciding race, sex, class and ability scores for each. The player's party is enlisted to help the city by clearing out the marauding inhabitants which have taken over. The characters move on from one area to another, ultimately confronting the powerful leader of the evil forces. During play the player characters gain experience points, which allow them to increase their capabilities. The game primarily uses a first-person perspective, with the screen divided into sections to display pertinent textual information. During combat sequences, display switches to a top-down perspective.
Generally well-received by the gaming press, Pool of Radiance won the Origins Award for "Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Computer Game of 1988". Some reviewers criticized the game's similarites to other contemporary games and its slowness in places, but praised the game's graphics and its role-playing adventure and combat aspects. Also well-regarded was the ability to export player characters from Pool of Radiance to subsequent SSI games in the series.
Gameplay
Pool of Radiance is based on the same game mechanics as the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rule set. As in many role-playing games (RPGs), each player character in Pool of Radiance has a character race and a character class, determined at the start of the game. Six races are offered, including elves and halflings, as well as four classes (fighter, cleric, wizard, and thief). Non-human characters have the option to become multi-classed. During character creation, the computer randomly generates statistics for each character, although the player can alter these attributes. The player also chooses each character's alignment, or moral philosophy; while the player controls each character's actions, alignment can affect how NPCs view their actions. The player can also customize each character's appearance and clothing. Alternatively, the player can load a pre-generated party to be used for introductory play. These characters are combined into a party of six or less, with two slots open for NPCs. Players create their own save-game files, assuring character continuation regardless of events in the game. On an MS-DOS computer, the game can be copied to the hard-disk drive. Other computer systems, such as the Commodore 64, require a separate save-game disk.
The game's "exploration" mode uses a three-dimensional first-person perspective, with a rectangle in the top left of the screen displaying the party's current view; the rest of the screen displays text information about the party and the area. During gameplay, the player accesses menus to allow characters to use objects; trade items with other characters; parley with enemies; buy, sell, and pool the characters' money; cast spells, and learn new magic skills. Players can view characters' movement from different angles, including an aerial view. The game uses three different versions of each sprite to indicate differences between short-, medium-, and long-range encounters.
In combat mode, the screen changes to a top-down mode, where the player decides what actions the characters will take in each round. These actions are taken immediately, not after all commands have been issued (as is standard in some RPGs). Optionally, the player can let the computer choose character moves for each round. Characters and monsters may make an extra attack on a retreating enemy that moves next to them. If a character's hit points (HP) fall below zero, he or she must be bandaged by another character or the character will die. The game contains random encounters, and game reviewers for Dragon magazine observed that random encounters seem to follow standard patterns of encounter tables in pen and paper AD&D game manuals. They also observed that the depictions of monsters confronting the party "looked as though they had jumped from the pages of the Monster Manual ."
Different combat options are available to characters based on class. For example, fighters can wield melee or ranged weapons; magic-users can cast spells; thieves have the option to "back-stab" an opponent by strategically positioning themselves. As fighters progress in level, they can attack more than once in a round. Fighters also gain the ability to "sweep" enemies, effectively attacking each nearby low-level creature in the same turn. Magic-users are allowed to memorize and cast a set number of spells each day. Once cast, a spell must be memorized again before reuse. The process requires hours of inactivity for all characters, during which they rest in a camp; this also restores lost hit points to damaged characters.
As characters defeat enemies, they gain experience points (XP). After gaining enough XP, the characters "train up a level" to become more powerful. This training is purchased in special areas within the city walls. In addition to training, mages can learn new spells by transcribing them from scrolls found in the unsettled areas. Defeated enemies in these areas also contain items such as weapons and armor, which characters can sell to city stores.
Plot
Setting
Pool of Radiance takes place in the Forgotten Realms fantasy world. The main setting is the city of Phlan, located on the northern shore of the Moonsea, situated between Zhentil Keep and Melvaunt. The party begins in the civilized section of "New Phlan" that is governed by a council. This portion of the city hosts businesses, including shopkeepers who sell holy items for each temple's worshipers, a jewelry shop, and retailers who provide arms and armor. A party can also contract with the clerk of the city council for various commissions; proclamations fastened to the halls within City Hall offer bits of information to aid the party. These coded clues can be deciphered by using the Adventurer's Journal, included with the game.
There are three temples within Phlan, each dedicated to different gods. Each temple can heal those who are wounded, poisoned, or afflicted, and can fully restore deceased comrades for a high price. The party can also visit the hiring hall and hire an experienced NPC adventurer to accompany the party. Encounters with NPCs in shops and taverns offer valuable information. Listening to gossip in taverns can be helpful to characters, although some tavern tales are false and lead characters into great danger.
Plot summary
At the start of the game, the adventurers' ship lands in the ruins of Phlan, and they receive a brief but informative tour of the civilized area. The city is plagued with a history of invasions and wars and has been overtaken by a huge band of humanoids and other creatures. Characters hear rumors that one controlling force is in charge of these forces. A small settlement of humans is trying to build a new city from the ruins of old Phlan, and are hiring willing adventurers to reclaim the land. The characters begin a block-by-block quest to rid the ruins of monsters and evil spirits.
Beyond the ruins of old Phlan, the party enters the slum area—one of two quests immediately available to new parties. This quest requires the clearing of the slum block and allows a new party to quickly earn experience points. The second quest available to new characters is to clear out Sokol Keep, located on Thorn Island. This fortified area is inhabited by the undead, which can only be defeated with silver weapons and magic. The characters' adventure is later expanded to the outlying areas of the Moonsea region. Eventually, the player learns that an evil dragon named Tyranthraxus is at the root of Phlan's problems, and the characters fight the dragon in a climactic final battle.
Development
Pool of Radiance was the first official game based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. The scenario was created by TSR designers Jim Ward, David Cook, Steve Winter, and Mike Breault, and coded by programmers from Strategic Simulations, Inc's Special Projects team. The section of the Forgotten Realms world in which Pool of Radiance takes place was intended to be developed only by SSI. The game was created on Apple II and Commodore 64 computers, taking one year with a team of thirty-five people. This game was the first to use the game engine later used in other SSI D&D games known as the "Gold Box" series. The SSI team developing the game was led by Chuck Kroegel. Kroegel stated that the main challenge with the development was interpreting the AD&D rules to an exact format. Developers
Sheryl Wertz - Pool Party
Pool Party. the musicians I know set the place rockin’ as we gather for a late summer party by the pool. Gallery #4 Thumbnails Scrolling Page
BBQ / Pool Party Invitations from Evite -- Free & Easy
Browse free BBQ / Pool Party invitations. Create, send and manage your free online BBQ / Pool Party invitations and RSVPs -- all in one place.
Gallery :: Friday Night "pool" party. :: DSC_9108
Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: open(/home/users/web/b2432/as.naflorg0/phpsessions/sess_9913e55575e8e74bde5ddabda4bc18eb, O_RDWR) failed: No such file or ...
SocalSkateParks.Com Gallery - Archive :: Protec Pool Party 2005 & 2006
Click Here for 2006 Protec Pool Party Coverage Click Here for 2006 Protec Pool Party Coverage Protec Pool Party 2005 Photo Archive
Gallery :: Friday Night "pool" party. :: DSC_9120
Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: open(/home/users/web/b2432/as.naflorg0/phpsessions/sess_ee5275d67c2fd21c8b721dddd7044804, O_RDWR) failed: No such file or ...
944 pool party in Glendale | Quite the work out | Photo 1/17 ...
Strongman Kelly Liebermann, 28, of Glendale works out with Malibu Rum girls Liz Bentz, 24, and Adriana Garcia, 29, at the 944 p...
Session Saturday pool party at Hotel Valley Ho | DJ Mr. P-body hosts ...
Hotel Valley Ho hosts Session Saturday at the pool. DJ Mr. P-body is poolside every Saturday through Sept. 30, and the hotel of...
SHOTS Pool Party 8 2009 - Richard Arbuckle (DigitalPhotography)'s ...
SHOTS Pool Party fashion show and model contest with SlipperyGirl.com and Scintillating ... Gallery pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 >>> <
FINZ Dallas Dive Group - Pool Party Membership Drive
Subscribe now! Sign up for our E-mail News and Announcements. Keep up to date on all the latest news, trips and activities happening at FINZ!
Photo gallery: Pool Party Birthday Cake recipe - Canadian Living
Watch the Test Kitchen create one of our most popular recipes - Pool Party Birthday Cake. Our step-by-step images will show you exactly how to make this recipe at home.