''Pool of Radiance'' is a novel based on the '' Pool of Radiance'' computer role-playing game. It was written by

James Ward James Ward may refer to: Military *James Ward (Medal of Honor, 1864) (1833–?), American Civil War sailor * James Ward (Medal of Honor, 1890) (1854–1901), American Indian Wars soldier *James Allen Ward (1919–1941), New Zealand pilot and Vi ...

and Jane Cooper Hong, and published by TSR in November 1989. The novel is set in the Forgotten Realms setting based on the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

. This book was the first in a trilogy, followed by ''

Pools of Darkness ''Pools of Darkness'' is a role-playing video game published by Strategic Simulations in 1991. The cover art and introduction screen shows a female drow. It is the fourth (and final) entry in the ''Pool of Radiance'' series of Gold Box games, and ...

'' and '' Pool of Twilight''.

Plot summary

Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

'' described the novel's plot: "Five companions find themselves in the unenviable position of defending the soon-to-be ghost town against a rival possessing incredible power." Three companions, Shal Bal of

Cormyr ''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...

, Tarl Desanea, a cleric of Tyr, and Ren o' the Blade are brought together in Phlan by circumstance and encounter various threats as they work to purge the city of civilized Phlan, the restored part of the destroyed city of Old

Phlan ''Pool of Radiance'' is a role-playing video game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc (SSI) in 1988. It was the first adaptation of TSR's ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D'') fantasy role-playing game for home computers ...

, culminating in a faceoff with the Lord of the Ruins, Tyranthraxus.

Reception

In the '' Io9'' series revisiting older ''Dungeons & Dragons'' novels, Rob Bricken commented that "frankly, I'm unsurprised that ''Pool of adiance' rolls a straightforward 4—no bonuses, no penalties, just a simple, unquestionable failure."

References

1989 novels Fantasy novels Forgotten Realms novels {{ForgottenRealms-stub