Secret of the Silver Blades

Secret of the Silver Blades is the third title in the four-game Pool of Radiance series of computer role-playing games developed by Strategic Simulations, Inc.. It was published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. and WizardWorks. It is the sequel to Curse of the Azure Bonds.

Plot
The party is magically summoned to the mining town of New Verdigris, located in a valley deep in the Dragonspine Mountains, in hopes that they will save the town from the overwhelming evil that threatens it.

New Verdigris is located on the ruins of a much older city that was suddenly covered by a glacier three hundred years ago. However, the glacier is now receding, which led to the town being reestablished and the resumption of mining operations. While New Verdigris initially prospered, three months ago, a new mineshaft was opened and monsters began pouring through from an unknown source.



Previous efforts to stop the monsters have failed and they have made it to the ruins and are threatening to invade the town. The party is the town's last hope of finding the source of the evil and clearing the scourge.

Gameplay
To play Secret of the Silver Blades, one simply needs to create characters and form a party. The gameplay basics are identical to all games in the series. Characters can also be imported from Pool of Radiance and Curse of the Azure Bonds. Secret of the Silver Blades is similar to its two predecessors in gameplay and graphics. There is no overworld in this game, however. It takes place entirely in the first person maps. Graphics did improve slightly, though everything was still drawn in 16 colors.

The game includes some new features introduced with Champions of Krynn, and adds a difficulty selector that the player can used to change the power of the enemy creatures. The game world was the largest yet for a Gold Box game, and it included cut scene illustrations of the story. It is the first Gold Box game in which random encounters do not stop after a certain point.

Mages have the ability to use spells up to level 7, while clerics can reach level 6 spells.

The arrow keys are conveniently usable to select menu options as opposed to using hotkeys, which was the only way in earlier titles, though the hotkey option is still available.

Characters

 * Companions: Deric • Vala
 * Other: Derf Strongman • Dreadlord Eldamar • Marcus • Sargatha


 * Oswulf

Creatures

 * Basilisk • Bugbear • Yellow Canary • Centipede • Cloud Giant • Cockatrice • Displacer Beast • Drider • Dwarf • Elf • Ettin • Fire Giant • Frost Giant • Gargoyle • Giant Slug • Giant Snake • Giant Spider • Gnome • Griffon • Gynosphinx • Half-Elf • Halfling • Hell Hound • Hill Giant • Hippogriff • Human • Hydra • Iron Golem • Lizardfolk • Margoyle • Mastodon • Medusa • Minotaur • Mobat • Neo Otyugh • Ogre • Otyugh • Phase Spider • Purple Worm • Pyrohydra • Red Dragon • Remorhaz • Storm Giant • Umber Hulk • White Dragon • Worg • Wyvern

Locations

 * Buildings & Sites:
 * Inns & Taverns: Minotaur and Mermaid Pub
 * Shops: New Verdigris Magic Shop
 * Settlements: New Verdigris
 * Wilderness: Dragonspine Mountains
 * Regions: Moonsea


 * Phlan

Magic

 * Magic items: Amulet of Eldamar • Boots of Speed • Cloak of Displacement • Cloak of Protection • Elixir of Youth • Eyes of Charming • Gauntlets of Ogre Power • Girdle of Giant Strength • Necklace of Missiles • Periapt of Health • Potions of Extra Healing • Potion of Invisibility • Potion of Speed • Ring of Fire Resistance • Ring of Protection • Ring of Tyr • Ring of Wizardry • Scroll of Protection from Dragon Breath • Stone of Good Luck • Wand of Fireballs • Wand of Ice Storm • Wand of Lightning • Wand of Paralyzation
 * Spells: Barkskin • Bestow Curse • Bless • Blink • Burning Hands • Cause Blindness • Cause Disease • Cause Critical Wounds • Cause Light Wounds • Cause Serious Wounds • Charm Monster • Charm Person • Charm Person or Mammal • Cloudkill • Cone of Cold • Confusion • Cure Disease • Cure Critical Wounds • Cure Light Wounds • Cure Serious Wounds • Curse • Death Spell • Delayed Blast Fireball • Detect Magic • Detect Invisibility • Dimension Door • Dispel Magic • Disintegrate • Enlarge • Entangle • Faerie Fire • Fear • Feeblemind • Find Traps • Fire Shield • Flame Strike • Fireball • Friends • Fumble • Globe of Invulnerability • Harm • Haste • Heal • Hold Monster • Hold Person • Ice Storm • Invisibility to Animals • Knock • Lightning Bolt • Magic Missile • Mass Invisibility • Minor Globe of Invulnerability • Mirror Image • Neutralize Poison • Poison • Prayer • Protection from Evil • Protection from Good • Protection from Normal Missiles • Raise Dead • Ray of Enfeeblement • Read Magic • Remove Curse • Resist Cold • Resist Fire • Shield • Shocking Grasp • Silence • Slay Living • Sleep • Slow Poison • Snake Charm • Spiritual Hammer • Sticks to Snakes • Stinking Cloud • Stone to Flesh • Strength

Organizations

 * Black Circle • Silver Blades • Temple of Gond • Temple of Tyr

Religions

 * Bane • Gond • Tyr

Miscellaneous

 * Items: Brass Key • Gold Key • Silver Key • Staff of Oswulf
 * Weapons & Armor: Banded Mail • Bastard Sword • Battleaxe • Broad Sword • Chainmail • Club • Composite Long Bow • Dagger • Dart • Dart of the Hornet's Nest • Flail • Halberd • Hammer • Hand Axe • Javelin • Light Crossbow • Leather Armor • Longbow • Long Sword • Mace • Morning Star • Plate Mail • Ring Armor • Scale Armor • Scimitar • Shield • Shortbow • Short Sword • Silver Long Sword • Silver Shield • Sling • Spear • Staff Sling • Trident • Two-Handed Sword