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:
 * Aasirak &bull; Anorrweyn Evensong &bull; Azmark Duathel &bull; Beriand &bull; Bergos &bull; Caalenfaire &bull; Dreydre Freth &bull; Elena &bull; Elminster Aumar &bull; Flem &bull; Foluben &bull; Garras &bull; Geb &bull; Gorgat &bull; Greyanna Freth &bull; Gulrithi &bull; Hachaam Selorn &bull; Harldain Ironbar &bull; Inglore &bull; Kalannar &bull; Kya Mordrayn &bull; Malgi Hi &bull; Miroden Silverblade &bull; Mol the Great &bull; Molostroi &bull; Nathlilik Kilsek &bull; Nottle &bull; Obelinde &bull; Onglore &bull; Pelendralaar &bull; Plinshree &bull; Preybelish &bull; Pujik &bull; Retha &bull; Rivener &bull; Samaj &bull; Sleethur &bull; Skerndli &bull; Thyaast Ammath &bull; Tusk-Lord &bull; Volun &bull; Zud


 * Aeseder Ildacer &bull; Alea Aunglor &bull; Aolis Ammath &bull; Bodach Swan &bull; Durlin &bull; Faldis &bull; Fieryat Nierdre &bull; Finolas Ulondarr &bull; Garesh &bull; Gorgol &bull; Jelde Asturien &bull; Juliban Genshihir &bull; Kerym &bull; Kluusar &bull; Laele Ainésilver &bull; Mythanthar &bull; Ozama &bull; Penaal Thrist &bull; Sammaster &bull; Skerndli &bull; Turabin &bull; Tyranthraxus &bull; Ualair &bull; Victoria

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; fish &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 (archlich) &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 (gold, red) &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; Rhonglyn Room &bull; Speculum Grounds &bull; Shrine of the Silver Fire &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; Underdark &bull; Valhingen Graveyard

Organizations

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


 * House Ainésilver &bull; House Alastrarra &bull; House Ammath &bull; House Aulamyr &bull; House Aunglor &bull; House Ildacer &bull; House Nierdre &bull; House Starym &bull; House Ulondarr &bull; Knights of Myth Drannor

Magic

 * Magic Weapons:
 * Boghurt's Putrefication &bull; Borea's Blood &bull; Crypt Cleanser &bull; Drakulwyng &bull; Druul's Kiss &bull; great kife of Shyde &bull; Headsplitter &bull; Helm Cleaver &bull; Hextor's Cruelty &bull; Hextor's Might &bull; Hextor's Vengeance &bull; Inferno Knife &bull; Jaws of Malice &bull; Luther's Protector &bull; The Meat Cleaver &bull; Moonsplinter &bull; The Mountain Fist &bull; Morolith &bull; Obsidian Edge &bull; Orckiller &bull; Pureblade &bull; Samigel's Dead Slayer &bull; Seethre's Tongue &bull; Shadowhisper &bull; Ilrazor of Sholg'Gliath &bull; Soul Biter &bull; Sunderstone &bull; Twilight Guardian &bull; Valamir's Slayer &bull; Woundwulf &bull; Wroth's Executioner


 * Swords:
 * Baneblade Faervian &bull; Baneblade Morvian &bull; blade of destruction &bull; blade of larceny &bull; blade of venom &bull; Dreadsword Daemonic &bull; greatsword of fire &bull; flame blade (short sword) &bull; Ravensong&bull; scimitar of slaying &bull; sword of firebrand &bull; sword of marshbane &bull; Winter Blade


 * Daggers:
 * blunted dagger of armor &bull; dagger of angels &bull; dagger of defense &bull; dagger of magus &bull; dagger of ritual &bull; dagger of warding &bull; Delvendoor's chisel &bull; drow assasin's dagger &bull; marshbane dagger &bull; Thoggua's Tooth &bull; Venom (dagger)


 * Axes:
 * Artoth's Bane &bull; axe of the phoenix &bull; ritual battleaxe of blessing &bull; Silverleaf hatchet


 * Clubs and Hammers:
 * Asterfellon &bull; brewmaster's cudgel &bull; dwarven great warhammer of death &bull; hammer of Martel &bull; the hammer of justice &bull; hammer of splintering &bull; Hammer Veneficus &bull; massive club &bull; miner's great hammer &bull; orcish lead mace &bull; Wings of Diabolicus


 * Polearms:
 * Dawnpike &bull; Deathspike &bull; halberd of vigilance &bull; Leraja's spear &bull; Libertas &bull; Pigsticker


 * Staves:
 * Deathbane &bull; dwarven ceremonial staff &bull; Guulstav of M'Raelhorrid &bull; Roderick's walking stick &bull; the sacred staff of sunlight &bull; Silverleaf rod &bull; staff of darkness &bull; staff of deadly splinters &bull; staff of firestorms &bull; staff of flame &bull; staff of flamestrike &bull; staff of halt undead &bull; staff of harm &bull; talisman staff &bull; Thyaast's staff


 * Bows
 * Arrowflight of Angels &bull; Bloodbow &bull; bow of accuracy &bull; Prince Antonae's Stormbow


 * Missiles
 * arrow of dire flatulence &bull; arrow of second death &bull; drow assassin's arrow


 * Magic Armor:
 * ancient dwarven shield of protection &bull; arcane mail &bull; armor of shadows &bull; drow chainmail &bull; drow spidersilk armor &bull; Faldis's Defender &bull; gridle of serenity &bull; lancer's guard &bull; miner's burnished light plate of protections &bull; miner's ward of invunlerability &bull; Nezras's mysterious chainmail &bull; Nightshade &bull; Olortynnal's heartmail &bull; Ravenskin &bull; reptilian scale mail &bull; Ricimer's barrier &bull; runic shield &bull; sacred vestments &bull; shield of House Starym &bull; shield of purity &bull; Spellfoil &bull; stalwart shield &bull; Sylmorrir &bull; Victoria's veather corset &bull; vulcan mail &bull; windswept armor &bull; Wraithmael of Drenofiend &bull; Wraithmael shield


 * Magic Amulets:
 * Alaric's charm &bull; amulet of constitution &bull; amulet of invulnerability &bull; amulet of perfect health &bull; amulet of protection from paralysis &bull; amulet of strength &bull; Doomkin Scarab &bull; Elena's pewter locket &bull; Eye of Ranman &bull; Eye of the Witch &bull; Fruhvogel's pendant &bull; Garras' Keen Sight &bull; Ghoulstopper amulet &bull; Kluusar's bloodstone amulet &bull; Kluusar's chain of warding &bull; medallion of defense &bull; medallion of Lolth &bull; Mortissa's beads of rigor &bull; necklace of confidence &bull; necklace of the dead &bull; necklace of magic resistance &bull; necklace of Odoacer &bull; necklace of spiritual weapon &bull; necklace of prayer beads &bull; necklace of protection &bull; necklace of safe footfalls &bull; Onglore's amulet of war &bull; Theodore's token of luck &bull; Tyr's locket of justice


 * Magic Rings:
 * Aasirak's ebony twin ring of power &bull; Aasirak's ivory twin ring of power &bull; Arknor's Vile Voice &bull; Beckon of Kelemvor &bull; Bone of Myrkul &bull; Bright Bane of Mellifleur &bull; Breath of Kossuth &bull; Cegilune's Perfume &bull; cerulean ring &bull; Gorgol's Asylum &bull; Ring of Azular &bull; ring of battering &bull; ring of blessing &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 confusion &bull; ring of constitution &bull; ring of cursing &bull; ring of defense &bull; ring of dodging &bull; ring of equilibrium &bull; ring of Electra &bull; ring of freedom &bull; ring of harvest &bull; ring of health &bull; ring of hushing &bull; ring of intelligence &bull; ring of mothers &bull; ring of naga's kiss &bull; ring of precision &bull; ring of protection &bull; ring of the protected &bull; ring of restoration &bull; ring of relinquishment &bull; ring of searing light &bull; ring of silence&bull; ring of souls &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; Tremble Ring &bull; Whip-Ring of Loviatar


 * Wondrous Items:
 * crimson brooch &bull; Feather of Shar &bull; Gears of Grumbar &bull; Gong of Tyr &bull; Jewel of Sammaster &bull; Lenore's Sanctuary &bull; Lens of Oghma &bull; Milla's Blessing &bull; Misery's Embrace  &bull; Oberon's Airy Lash &bull; Olidammara's Whisper &bull; Onyx of the Richest Wort &bull; Stillness of Dawn &bull; Talona's Lashing Tongue &bull; topaz band &bull; Torm's Tiny Circlet &bull; Touch of Cyric &bull; Turabin's Cleansing Trinket &bull; Veil of Vanity


 * Gauntlets and Gloves:
 * Daemonclaws of Gr'Zak &bull; Dymon's dutiful gloves &bull; Fist of Saint Cuthbert &bull; Fists of Ranman &bull; gauntlets of destruction &bull; gauntlets of dexterity &bull; gauntlets of light burden &bull; The Gauntlets of Moander &bull; gauntlets of necromancy &bull; gauntlets of ogre power &bull; gauntlets of ogre size &bull; gloves of archmage &bull; gloves of courage &bull; gloves of steadiness &bull; Ildacer's satin gloves &bull; Theodore's Gloves of Kinship &bull; thundergrip gauntlets &bull; Victoria's gloves of electric touch


 * Magic Boots
 * Bernard's unforgivable boots &bull; boots of grace &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; drow boots of displacement &bull; magician's boots &bull; snakeskin boots &bull; Victoria's boots of beguiling gait


 * Potions:
 * healing salve &bull; potion of blink &bull; naga blood &bull; potion of bull's strength &bull; potion of cat's grace &bull; potion of delay poison&bull; potion of displacement &bull; potion of fireshield &bull; potion of freedom movement &bull; potion of haste &bull; potion of healing &bull; potion of insect plague &bull; potion of invisibility &bull; potion of mage armor &bull; potion of neutralize poison &bull; potion of poison &bull; potion of protection from poison &bull; potion of remove blindness &bull; potion of remove fear &bull; potion of restoration &bull; potion of sleep &bull; potion of speed &bull; potion of spell resistance &bull; potion of strength &bull; salve of remove paralysis &bull; potion of true seeing &bull; salve of undead repair


 * Wands:
 * Sceptre of Leogans &bull; Terrilan's Crimson Wand &bull; wand of cloudkill &bull; wand of command &bull; wand of cure serious wounds &bull; wand of charm monster &bull; wand of chain lightning &bull; wand of Electra &bull; wand of entanglement &bull; wand of fireballs &bull; wand of firestorm &bull; wand of flame strike &bull; wand of cold &bull; wand of healing &bull; wand of hold person &bull; wand of magic missiles &bull; wand of mass suggestion &bull; wand of Melf's acid arrow &bull; wand of neutralize poison &bull; wand of restoration &bull; wand of resurrection &bull; wand of slay living &bull; wand of stinking cloud &bull; wand of undead control


 * Other:
 * beacon of Grigori &bull; 'drow lamp of darkness &bull; Elhrain's lanthorn &bull; gem of the weave &bull; mythal &bull; phylactery &bull; pool of radiance &bull; ruby of earthborn wind &bull; Stone Mouth &bull; Stone of Fates

Religion

 * Cegilune &bull; Corellon &bull; Cyric &bull; Dumathoin &bull; Grumbar &bull; Haela Brightaxe &bull; Hanseath &bull; Kelemvor &bull; Kossuth &bull; Oberon &bull; Olidammara &bull; Oghma &bull; Lathander &bull; Lolth &bull; Loviatar &bull; Moander &bull; Moradin &bull; Myrkul &bull; Mystra &bull; Ramman &bull; Shar &bull; Shaundakul &bull; Talona &bull; Torm &bull; Tyr &bull; Velsharoon

Miscellaneous

 * Food and drink:
 * ale &bull; wine


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


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


 * Works:
 * Aasirak's Book of Dancing Dead &bull; Clerics' Tome of Truth &bull; Draude's Illustrated Codex Maleficus &bull; Drow Spinnan Trisagion &bull; Ranman's Meditations &bull; Sorcerers' Cyclopedia Illuminati

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.