Pool of Radiance: An Interactive Adventure(?)

[Mister Loorg]

So a while back I got my hands on the module of the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Ruins of Adventure. Unfortunately for me, I quickly realized that I had no idea how to play AD&D. However, the module also served as a game manual for the 1988 game Pool of Radiance. After a bit of digging I ended up getting the old game myself.

Now I, being horrible at any kind of strategy game, failed miserably at playing it. And it turns out that the "guide" for it is full of misinformation that didn't help me at all. Then I realized, "Wait a minute, I have a whole forum of bigger nerds that can beat the game for me!" And here we are.

http://i.imgur.com/lRldgSG.png

http://i.imgur.com/FNKbeQB.png

Since DnD is more fun with others, I decided to make this a semi-interactive adventure as well. What I'm going to do is post screenshots until a large decision happens and choose the general consensus of the forum. This is my first time trying this, so bear with me.

http://i.imgur.com/o1x0D7F.png
...Oh yeah, we have to make characters first.

So, fellow forum-goers, give me six characters to be in the party.

Name:
Gender:
Race: (Dwarf, Elf, Half-Elf, Halfling, Gnome, Human)
Class: (Fighter, Cleric, Thief, Magic-User, or combination. Keep in mind that certain races can only be certain classes, so I may have to improvise a bit)
Alignment:

Repeat five times and you're done.

[Kish]

Will these characters be going forward to the other Gold Box games, or stopping at Pool of Radiance? It...makes a difference.

(Specifically, the harsh 1ed nonhuman level caps mean that if you're taking them forward, you'll want all humans. If you're stopping at Pool of Radiance you probably want all nonhumans.)

Also, huh. Didn't remember you could play a gnome.

[Mister Loorg]

Given that the probability of me not getting these characters killed is very low, I'd say that these characters will be stopping at Pool of Radiance.

Of course, whether or not you want to help or hinder me is entirely up to you.

[Kish]

These are my choices then:

Dwarf fighter/thief
Half-elf fighter/cleric/magic-user x 2
Human cleric x 2 (just in case you change your mind about not going forward)
Human magic-user (again)

[Mister Loorg]

Well, since I only had one reply on what characters to make, I simply went with all of Kish's characters.

http://i.imgur.com/MTNt3nF.png
Dobson the Drunken Dwarf

http://i.imgur.com/Q5xVpZI.png
Golradir the Over-Achieving Half-Elf

http://i.imgur.com/DrCLiBF.png
Lelan the Other Over-Achieving Half-Elf

http://i.imgur.com/zhMJipR.png
James the Disproportionate Cleric

http://i.imgur.com/37RhE7z.png
Ylvik the Cleric Who Doesn't Look Like a Cleric

http://i.imgur.com/u5PBsgQ.png
And Tobias the Generic Wizard

http://i.imgur.com/FNKbeQB.png
Let us begin.

http://i.imgur.com/wnn57Mq.png

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/edwikia/images/3/31/Rambling_ed_049_0002.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090104181311

http://i.imgur.com/IK6WxXG.png
In my short time playing this game (up to Sokol Keep) I never used these Cleric tents for anything besides resurrecting characters.

http://i.imgur.com/fyhJY7N.png
No, I'm pretty sure that the training schools are the most important building, Rolf.

http://i.imgur.com/2id1TNK.png
Government propaganda.

http://i.imgur.com/H0zJ4jE.png
And here's where we'll most likely be starting our adventure.

http://i.imgur.com/8lm6fMD.png
And we never saw good ol' Rolf again.

We'll be checking out the commissions soon, but first we must do something else if we're going to survive out in the cold, harsh Forgotten Realmstm.

http://i.imgur.com/XJp1aKa.png
We have to do some shopping.

http://i.imgur.com/EkPI8kR.png
Well, I hate to cut the update short (I actually don't, since I don't have to do much work) but it's time for another bout of decision making. What weapons and armor should our party buy? I'll be taking all suggestions into consideration.

[Kish]

My choices are:
Longswords for those who can use them.
Flails for those who can't use longswords but can use flails.
Shields for everyone who can use a shield.
Banded mail for each of the characters who can wear it in order, until you run out of money.

I'll keep posting, but I hope at least one or two other people jump in. I can totally steer you all the way through the game, but somehow I don't think that's what you were hoping for when you started this thread. :smalltongue:

[LibraryOgre]

The party I have used, with an eye towards advancing to the other Gold Box games

Human Male Fighter, LG, named something that starts with P (He will dual class to Paladin when we reach the 2nd game)
Human Male Fighter, CG, named something that starts with R (he will dual class to Ranger when we reach the 2nd game)
Human Male Fighter, NG, named Festus. He will remain a fighter in the 2nd game.
Human Female Mage, NG, named something that starts with C. She will dual-class to Cleric in the 2nd game.
Human Female Cleric, NG, named something that starts with M. She will dual-class to mage in the 2nd game.
Dwarven male Fighter/Thief, NG. Dwarves have the best Fighter level limit of the Demi-humans, and are unlimited as thieves. It also means your thief can sit back with a bow, if you don't want him backstabbing.

As a note, be flexible on weapons. This isn't 2e where you can specialize... any one of your fighters can easily switch from a longsword to a mace to a two-handed sword without issue, and several of the best weapons in the game are 2-handed swords.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

I support Team Knife. Daggers for everyone. No exceptions. No, it won't help, and I'm oddly okay with that.

[LibraryOgre]

Oh, no one told you about Modify Character! Before you take characters out, you can Modify their stats to stats you "rolled" yourself. It's amazing how often I roll straight 18s for the entire party...

[Mister Loorg]

Well, it seems that things have just gotten interesting (not that I wasn't for breezing through the game with Kish)

Kish: I would love to heed your advice, but I may be forced not to. I hope that you'll continue to give your advice, though.

Mark Hall: Your character ideas have been duly noted and will be used once some of the current ones die. As for stats, I'm not sure if the game randomly rolls them, but I'll probably be sticking with whatever I'm given.

Djinn_in_Tonic: Well, this will be interesting indeed. In a good way, of course.


I felt that the only fair way to decide what weapons to buy was to roll for it. Evens resulted in buying the actual good weapon and odds resulted in buying a dagger. Both ended up being bought.

http://i.imgur.com/yjt5rTW.png
http://i.imgur.com/EzKuYPv.png
So, who got lucky?

http://i.imgur.com/M8b0mNj.png
Dobson, our Fighter-Thief, rolled a dagger. Not a good start.

http://i.imgur.com/LLzLxU8.png
http://i.imgur.com/8rQnXtn.png
Out of the two Fighter/Cleric/Wizards, Golradir bought a dagger and Lelan got lucky and rolled a Long Sword.

http://i.imgur.com/ZLi0jQL.png
http://i.imgur.com/s8n5NbW.png
Both of the Clerics got their Flails, thankfully. At that point I didn't have enough money to buy anymore Banded Armor, so give suggestions on what they can wear.

http://i.imgur.com/1sNQscE.png
Tobias also got a Dagger, but he wouldn't have been able to use a Long Sword or Flail anyway, being a Magic User.

http://i.imgur.com/LPwCXi4.png
Once we get James and Ylvik some armor, the team will look alright.

http://i.imgur.com/0nFvMPG.png
http://i.imgur.com/cRgXN5B.png
Onto the Town Hall.

http://i.imgur.com/2yaWEBO.png
It's enough of a reward not to look at that ugly sprite again.

http://i.imgur.com/4A244ad.png
Here are your options on where to go first.

http://i.imgur.com/ZsROPhu.png
When I first played the game I did this mission first.

http://i.imgur.com/X16h6ev.png
I then tried to do this mission and failed miserably.

http://i.imgur.com/hcr4MJq.png
I never ended up finding something to give to the council.

http://i.imgur.com/uUkLTHt.png
And now, the final decision before the true adventure beings. Where should our party of adventurers head off to first? The Slums? Sokal Keep? Perhaps they should get some armor for their Clerics? Or maybe hire an NPC? The decisions are up to you, for better or worse.

I'll also be taking advice on what spells to give the spellcasters, but I'll probably stock up on Cure Light Wounds and Sleep for the Clerics and Magic-Users respectively.

[Emperor Demonking]

The sumsd seem like a sensible starting point.

[Kish]

Cure Light Wounds, Sleep, no armor for anyone who can't afford banded mail, a bunch of darts for Tobias, no hirelings yet...then head for the slums.