Pool of Radiance was a 1989 novel set in the Forgotten Realms setting for Dungeons & Dragons. While in the slowly being rebuilt Moonsea city of Phlan, three individuals (former ranger to thief to waiter Ren o' the Blade, young Tyrian cleric Tarl Desanea, and apprentice wizard Shal Bal) come together in the middle of a bar brawl and, while having to do special missions for Phlan's council as restitution, come together as a Power Trio that helps Phlan recover, while each having to deal with unresolved issues with the help of each other.
Two sequels would later be published: Pools of Darkness and Pool of Twilight. Collectively, the three books have been called both the Pools Trilogy and the Heroes of Phlan Trilogy. There was also a video game, but instead of the trio the player created their own characters per 1st Edition AD&D rules.
- Amazonian Beauty: Due to an errant wish, Shal becomes one. She went from being frail to someone stronger than Tarl, and close to Ren's strength. Both men are instantly attracted to her, and never saw her original self.
- Bar Brawl: The trio meet this way, and as a result of the Escalating Brawl are made a trio due to community service.
- Body Surf: Tyranthraxus has this as one of his powers.
- Cool Horse: Cerulean, Shal's inherited horse familiar is intelligent, telepathic, and something of a Deadpan Snarker. He also somewhat obviously puts the lie to the notion that familiars should only be small creatures that their masters carry around with them rather than vice versa, although she can still put him into her (suitably enchanted) pocket if need be.
- Creepy Cemetery: Phlan has a notable one, and the culmination of Tarl's individual plot arc involves him rescuing the Hammer of Tyr from a vampire who lives there.
- Familiar: Cerulean was the familiar to Shal's mentor, and then to Shal herself.
- Fantastic Racism: Ren hates orcs with a passion, and doesn't care for gnolls as well. Justified due to being a ranger in a D&D novel, as rangers then had a "favored enemy" which they preferred to fight over any other enemy.
- Fighter, Mage, Thief: Shal, being an apprentice wizard who is now without a mentor, is definitely the Mage. Althro a cleric, Tarl starts off as more of a fighter as, other than his healing capabilities, is seen throwing his hammer over and over again as opposed to using holy spells. This compares to Ren who, before he decided to go back to his ranger ways, relied on his thief skills to help the party.
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: Played With, as this is literature and not a video game
- Wishes in early D&D could only add a point to someone's stats, but in the novel a wish granted Shal a big boost in strength and, presumable, constitution that in D&D terms would be 6-8 point gain at least.
- Ren was said to be a ranger, then a thief, and finally a ranger again. In D&D at the time once he became dual class (he turned from ranger to thief), while he might still have his ranger skills he would never again be able to advance as a ranger.
- Knight, Knave, and Squire: Tarl is an idealistic young cleric (knight), Ren is an experienced thief (knave), and Shal is an apprentice wizard who just lost her mentor (squire).
- Male Gaze: The female tailoress has to remind Tarl to stop looking at Shal while the young mage has to get new clothes made for her.
- Meaningful Rename: Shal decides to rename Cerulean to Mulberry as she is now the horse's mistress and is now a purple color representing Shal as opposed to his former master's preferred color of blue.
- Three Wishes: Shal was given a ring with three wishes. She accidentally uses the first two in her debut chapter, somewhat wastefully.
- Two Guys and a Girl: Shal is the one girl of the trio, and both Ren and Tarl are attracted to her.
- Weapon Specialization: Tarl and the rest of the clerics of Tyr rely on hammers and not swords for battle, due to the Tyrian belief that a sword becomes the welder's master and a Tyrian cleric should have no other master than Tyr.
