Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor

Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor is a Forgotten Realms Dungeons &amp; Dragons role-playing game released in 2001 by Ubisoft.

Ruins of Myth Drannor is based on the AD&D module of the same name, but with rules updated for the third edition of AD&D.

Gameplay
Ruins of Myth Drannor takes place from an isometric third-person perspective, similar to the Baldur's Gate series. Unlike Baldur's Gate and other Infinity Engine games, Ruins of Myth Drannor features turn-based combat rather than real-time combat. The game uses three-dimensional characters over pre-rendered two-dimensional backgrounds.

The game is a dungeon crawl, with a focus on hack and slash combat and exploration of large dungeons with many bare, similar-looking rooms. Story progression and interaction with other characters is a minimum part of the game, although there is some interaction with NPCs and other in-game characters.

Reception
Sales for the game were initially low as it received lackluster reviews and was plagued with bugs, especially in the multiplayer part. The situation was so bad that uninstalling the unpatched game could wipe the user's system files. The main complaint about the game was that it was boring: as the AD&D module it was based on is intended for a large player group. This, in combination with the initial lack of multiplayer support, is understandable. And add to this some infinite and confusing dungeons, and an only one game style — hack and slash — to make this title a boring and repetitive one. Later patches fixed some of the stability issues, but by this time stronger competition such as Bioware's Neverwinter Nights had been released.

Story
A dracolich and his sorcerous queen have seized control of the Mythal, the ancient magic that once protected the long-abandoned elven city of Myth Drannor. Once the elven ruin is completely in their thrall, the cult intends to expand its domination one city — and one soul — at a time.

Four heroes are sent to Myth Drannor by Elminster to stop the dracolich and the sorcerer queen from using the power of the Mythal to conquer Faerûn. They must travel to all areas of Myth Drannor, from the dungeons below the city, the city itself, the catacombs beneath the city, et al, in an attempt to stop the evil from taking over the region.

Characters

 * Companions:
 * Athan &bull; Bronwyn &bull; Eadred &bull; Emmeric &bull; Faeril &bull; Jarial &bull; Kellan &bull; Tudo


 * Other:
 * Anorrweyn Evensong &bull; Beriand &bull; Bergos &bull; Caalenfaire &bull; Elena &bull; Elminster Aumar &bull; Flem &bull; Garras &bull; Geb &bull; Harldain Ironbar &bull; Inglore &bull; Malgi Hi &bull; Miroden Silverblade &bull; Mol &bull; Molostroi &bull; Nottle &bull; Obelinde &bull; Onglore &bull; Pelendralaar &bull; Plinshree &bull; Preybelish &bull; Pujik &bull; Samaj &bull; Tusk-Lord &bull; Volun &bull; Zud


 * Aeseder &bull; Durlin &bull; Faldis &bull; Garesh &bull; Hachaam Selorn &bull; Jelde Asturien &bull; Kluusar &bull; Ozama &bull; Sammaster &bull; Tyranthraxus

Creatures

 * arraccat (black, guard) &bull; baelnorn lich &bull; black naga &bull; dark naga &bull; dracolich &bull; dragon-kin &bull; drow &bull; dwarf &bull; dwarven statue golem &bull; elf &bull; gargoyle (margoyle, margoyle queen) &bull; ghast &bull; ghost &bull; ghoul &bull; guardian naga &bull; half-elf &bull; half-orc &bull; halfling &bull; human &bull; lich &bull; lizardfolk &bull; mohrg &bull; naiad &bull; orc &bull; ormyrr &bull; orog &bull; revenant · shadow · skeleton (knight, lord) &bull; spectre &bull; wight &bull; wraith &bull; zombie (lord)


 * alhoon &bull; derro &bull; dragon &bull; ogre &bull; phaerimm

Locations

 * Settlements:
 * Myth Drannor &bull; New Phlan


 * Ruins:
 * Avenue of Smiths &bull; Bedlam Prison &bull; Castle Cormanthor &bull; Central Ruins &bull; Deep Halls &bull; Dwarven Dungeons &bull; Dwarven Tombs &bull; Elven Catacombs &bull; Glim-Gardens &bull; Grand Avenue &bull; Great Hall &bull; Halls of Light &bull; Halls of Stone &bull; Hall of Wizards &bull; House of Gems &bull; Lizardfolk Row &bull; Nightingale Court &bull; Tavern of Health &bull; Hall of Wizards &bull; Rhonglyn Room &bull; Speculum Grounds &bull; Stillwater Ruins &bull; Turgild's Square &bull; Windrider Glade


 * Wilderness:
 * Cormanthor &bull; Sullymarsh


 * Hillsfar &bull; Moonsea &bull; Phlan &bull; Podol Plaza &bull; Sokol Keep &bull; Valhingen Graveyard

Organizations

 * Cult of the Dragon &bull; Elven Court &bull; House Freth &bull; Sharpstick clan &bull; Sisterhood of Silver Fire


 * House Ammath &bull; House Starym &bull; Knights of Myth Drannor

Magic

 * Magic Weapons:
 * axe of the phoenix &bull; Baneblade Faeruian &bull; blade of destruction &bull; blade of larceny &bull; blade of venom &bull; Bloodbow &bull; blunted dagger of armor &bull; Boghurt's Putrefication &bull; Borea's Blood &bull; bow of accuracy &bull; brewmaster's cudgel &bull; Crypt Cleanser &bull; dagger of defense &bull; dagger of ritual &bull; Deathbane &bull; Deathspike &bull; drow shortsword &bull; dwarven ceremonial staff &bull; dwarven great warhammer of death &bull; Fists of Ranman &bull; flame blade (short sword) &bull; greatsword of fire &bull; halberd of vigilance &bull; hammer of Martel &bull; the hammer of justice &bull; hammer of splintering &bull; Helm Cleaver &bull; Hextor's Cruelty &bull; Hextor's Might &bull; Hextor's Vengeance &bull; Inferno Knife &bull; Jaws of Malice &bull; Leraja's spear &bull; Libertas &bull; Luther's Protector &bull; marshbane dagger &bull; massive club &bull; miner's great hammer &bull; The Mountain Fist &bull; Obsidian Edge &bull; Orckiller &bull; orcish lead mace &bull; ritual battleaxe of blessing &bull; Roderick's walking stick &bull; the sacred staff of sunlight &bull; scimitar of slaying &bull; Silverleaf hatchet &bull; Silverleaf rod &bull; spear of skewering &bull; staff of firestorms &bull; staff of flame &bull; staff of flamestrike &bull; staff of harm &bull; Soul Biter &bull; sword of firebrand &bull; sword of marshbane &bull; talisman staff &bull; Twilight Guardian &bull; Wings of Diabolicus &bull; Winter Blade


 * Magic Armor:
 * ancient dwarven shield of protection &bull; arcane mail &bull; armor of shadows &bull; drow chainmail &bull; Faldis's Defender &bull; girdle of serenity &bull; lancer's guard &bull; miner's burnished light plate of protections &bull; miner's ward of invulnerability &bull; Olortynnal's Heartmail &bull; reptilian scale mail &bull; Ricimer's barrier &bull; runic shield &bull; sacred vestments &bull; shield of House Starym &bull; shield of purity &bull; stalwart shield &bull; windswept armor


 * Wondrous Items:
 * Alaric's charm &bull; amulet of constitution &bull; amulet of protection from paralysis &bull; amulet of strength &bull; Arknor's Vile Voice &bull; Beckon of Kelemvor &bull; Bone of Myrkul &bull; boots of health &bull; boots of mobility &bull; boots of stalking &bull; boots of the tortoise &bull; boots of wisdom &bull; boots of withering beauty &bull; Bright Bane of Mellifleur &bull; Breath of Kossuth &bull; Cegilune's Perfume &bull; cerulean ring &bull; crimson brooch &bull; Dymon's dutiful gloves &bull; Elena's pewter locket &bull; Eye of Ranman &bull; Feather of Shar &bull; Fist of Saint Cuthbert &bull; Fruhvogel's pendant &bull; gauntlets of dexterity &bull; gauntlets of light burden &bull; The Gauntlets of Moander &bull; gauntlets of ogre power &bull; gauntlets of ogre size &bull; Garras' Keen Sight &bull; Gears of Grumbar &bull; Ghoulstopper amulet &bull; gloves of archmage &bull; gloves of courage &bull; gloves of steadiness &bull; Gong of Tyr &bull; Gorgol's Asylum &bull; Ildacer's satin gloves &bull; Jewel of Sammaster &bull; Kluusar's bloodstone amulet &bull; Lenore's Sanctuary &bull; Lens of Oghma &bull; magician's boots &bull; medallion of defense &bull; Milla's Blessing &bull; Misery's Embrace &bull; necklace of the dead &bull; necklace of Odoacer &bull; necklace of protection &bull; necklace of safe footfalls &bull; Oberon's Airy Lash &bull; Olidammara's Whisper &bull; Onglore's amulet of war &bull; Onyx of the Richest Wort &bull; Pureblade &bull; ring of battering &bull; ring of brute strength &bull; ring of calling &bull; ring of calming &bull; ring of charisma &bull; ring of cloudy mind &bull; ring of cold &bull; ring of constitution &bull; ring of defense &bull; ring of dodging &bull; ring of intelligence &bull; ring of naga's kiss &bull; ring of protection &bull; ring of the protected &bull; ring of relinquishment &bull; ring of stamina &bull; ring of strength &bull; ring of teeth &bull; ring of whiskers &bull; ring of wisdom &bull; serpent's ring &bull; snakeskin boots &bull; Stillness of Dawn &bull; Talona's Lashing Tongue &bull; Theodore's token of luck &bull; thundergrip gauntlets &bull; topaz band &bull; Torm's Tiny Circlet &bull; Touch of Cyric &bull; Tremble Ring &bull; Turabin's Cleansing Trinket &bull; Tyr's locket of justice &bull; Veil of Vanity &bull; Whip-Ring of Loviatar


 * Potions:
 * healing salve &bull; naga blood &bull; potion of healing &bull; potion of neutralize poison &bull; potion of restoration &bull; potion of speed &bull; potion of strength


 * Wands:
 * wand of charm monster &bull; wand of chain lightning &bull; wand of fireballs &bull; wand of cold &bull; wand of healing &bull; wand of hold person &bull; wand of magic missiles &bull; wand of neutralize poison &bull; wand of restoration &bull; wand of resurrection &bull; wand of slay living &bull; wand of stinking cloud


 * Other:
 * ruby of earthborn wind &bull; Stone Mouth

Religion

 * Cegilune &bull; Cyric &bull; Dumathoin &bull; Gorgol &bull; Grumbar &bull; Kelemvor &bull; Kossuth &bull; Oberon &bull; Olidammara &bull; Oghma &bull; Lathander &bull; Loviatar &bull; Moander &bull; Moradin &bull; Myrkul &bull; Mystra &bull; Ramman &bull; Shar &bull; Shaundakul &bull; Talona &bull; Torm &bull; Turabin &bull; Tyr &bull; Velsharoon

Miscellaneous

 * Food and drink:
 * ale &bull; wine


 * Precious stones:
 * bloodstone &bull; onyx &bull; ruby &bull; topaz


 * Plants:
 * blueglow moss &bull; jasmine (plant)


 * Works:
 * Ranman's Meditations

Novelization
A novel based on the game, written by Carrie Bebris, was published by Wizards of the Coast and also included with the collector's edition of the game. Despite the many criticisms of the game itself, opinions on the novel have generally been positive.