Beginning in 1988, SSI released four connected AD&D games known as The Pools Saga, with characters transferable from one game to the next.
I played Pool of Radiance as a kid on our family’s Amiga 500 but never beat it. So this is my first Floppy Files quest: take the same four adventurers through all four games and document the whole ridiculous thing as it happens—screenshots, hand-drawn maps, player commentary, dice rolls and all.
New to The Pools Saga? This is where the adventure begins.
▶ START READING — EPISODE 1: EVERY LAST FUCKING INCH
Want the full setup first? Read the optional Character Generation prologue.
Want to know the rules I’m playing by? Keep reading.
Before we get started, I’m giving myself a few simple rules.
I get what I’m given. There will be no endless rerolling in search of perfect stats, and I have to carry the same four adventurers through all four games.
The game allows you to create up to six characters while leaving room for two NPCs you can recruit along the way. I’ve decided, however, that it might be much more fun to tackle the entire saga using only the four classic classes: a fighter, a cleric, a magic-user, and a thief.
If a character dies, they die. If treasure is lost, it’s lost. In-game resurrection is allowed, but reloading to undo death isn't.
I can save whenever I want, but there’s no going back for better treasure or to prevent a character death. The only exception will be a total party wipe. Then, and only then, can I load a previous save.
I can only use the supplemental materials provided with the game—namely, the manual and the Adventurer’s Journal.
No walkthroughs and no Google!
I am aware that various “upgrades” have been tacked onto the game over the years to make life easier, including an automapper.
Fuck that.
I have actual physical grid paper, and I’ve been itching to use it!
And that’s it. Simple.
Coming soon.
Coming soon.
Coming soon.
All four games are available together in Forgotten Realms: The Archives - Collection Two: