''Pools of Darkness'' is a novel based on the ''

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 ...

'' 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 Anne K. Brown, and published by TSR in February 1992. The novel is set in the

Forgotten Realms ''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 ...

setting based on the ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became 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 second in a trilogy, preceded by ''

Pool of Radiance ''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 computer ...

'' and followed by ''

Pool of Twilight ''Pool of Twilight'' is a fantasy novel published by TSR, Inc. in November 1993. It is the third and final novel in the "Heroes of Phlan" novel trilogy, set in the Forgotten Realms setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game. Plot ...

''.

Plot summary

The city of

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 ...

has vanished, transported to parts unknown, and its citizens defend themselves from the minions of

Bane Bane may refer to: Fictional characters * Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman * Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series * Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy * Bane the Druid, a Gu ...

. Adventurers Ren, Shal, and Tarl band together with the sorceress Evaine to stop them.

Reception

One reviewer commented: "The evil wizard antagonist just seems kinda plopped in there for the sake of having a bad guy. He wasn't really threatening or scary, more like a child having a prolonged temper tantrum. The plan of the god he served and the pit fiend that was supposed to serve him seemed kinds tossed in there too, and I'm a little disappointed that the creature from the last book wasn’t there at all."

References

1992 American novels American fantasy novels Forgotten Realms novels Novels based on video games {{ForgottenRealms-stub