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Barbarians are the hardiest form of warrior, trading off the ability to use heavier armors for their unique talents. Sorcerers take the place of the 2nd Edition mage in Pool of Radiance, and they can select from their entire repertoire of spells at any given moment, without worrying about the standard wizard's spell-memorization requirements. Monks are masters of unarmed combat, and at higher levels, they can outdo nearly any weapon with their bare hands. The character classes of monk, sorcerer and barbarian are also available. As in the 3rd Edition rules, half-orcs are available as a race, with penalties to charisma and intelligence offset by an incredibly useful strength bonus. Along with the initial four characters, two more NPCs may join the adventure. What's New in 3rd Edition Click for full-size imageĬharacter creation in Pool of Radiance II is a relatively simple affair that yields characters with the potential for extensive growth. On the other hand, the simplified descriptions for items are to the point and practical. During combat, actions other than the basic attack must be selected via hotkeys and pull-down menus-there is no icon-based interface for these functions. Currently, the menus are simple in appearance, for the most part white text over a black background. When examining a chest, for instance, you must right-click on the chest and select from a pull-down menu whether or not to open it, smash it, or just take a look. The map screen allows you to scroll and zoom through the maps, as well as attach small notes to specific areas.Ĭompared with other games in the genre, Pool of Radiance has adopted an unintuitive gameplay format for examination and performing actions. For instance, the area above the first dungeon houses a small tower, a trader's wagon, a secluded shrine, and a number of other surprises. The environments are expansive maps, heavily detailed and filled to the brim with encounter areas and special locations. Otherworldly beasts parley with your party, often allowing you to avoid combat, while others will merely taunt you before initiating attack. Orcs argue among themselves before attacking, and they can be overheard plotting if an ear is put to the proper door. Voice actors also take nearly every opportunity to bring the characters and creatures of Pool of Radiance to life. Getting your party caught in a cloudkill trap will fill the screen with shifting, hazy fog, replete with multiple layers of transparencies. Basic spells like magic missile and bless utilize impressive particle effects. Its characters come to life in true-to-scale 3D form and nicely reflect the feel of the fantasy setting, and attack animations vary widely based on the weapon and skills of the character performing them. Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor has adopted a look and feel that is unique within the genre. Who is behind these events is a mystery, although all indications lead one to believe that this new threat is an evil sorceress with a penchant for keeping the company of dragons. It's up to your party of adventurers to investigate their fate and take up the quest to destroy the Pool and the source of New Phlan's troubles. The mage Elminster summoned a band of adventurers led by the hero Athan to Myth Drannor, but Athan's band was horribly decimated shortly after its arrival. The Pool of Radiance is an artifact of great power that has been used as a portal to send all manner of beasts and monsters into the heart of New Phlan. The tale unfolds as the city of New Phlan, liberated by adventurers in the original game, is overrun by a malicious entity that has rekindled the magic behind the Pool of Radiance. By no means limiting, this part of the Realms makes for a varied environment-Myth Drannor was home to many races and cultures, including elves, dwarves, humans, and monsters. Myth Drannor is what remains of an ancient elven city, whose populace fell victim to some horrible fate. In keeping with the established gameworld, Stormfront Studios has converted authentic D&D maps of the area into accurate, explorable replicas of this section of the Moonsea. The setting and story behind Ruins of Myth Drannor are rooted deeply in the history of the Forgotten Realms, the popular D&D campaign setting. See it in motion! /gamespot/images/2001/pc/featurepreviews/poolradiance/motion.jpg Click one of the following links to see our video interview with associate producer, Chuck Yager.
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