By: The Stratos Group
Designed By: Kevin Wu
In the tradition of Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale uses Bioware's versatile Infinity engine to transport you and your characters into the worlds of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D). The game takes place on the planet Toril in the northernmost part of the continent of Faerūn in a campaign setting better known as the Forgotten Realms. The game takes place 16 years before the appearance of the Drow hero Drizzt Do'Urden, made famous in R.A. Salvatore's Icewind Dale trilogy of books. These lands are most treacherous even in the best of times, and as you'll soon find out, we are far from the best of times.
To survive, you must know the intricate details of this harsh world. This guide contains everything you need, from tips on creating and developing your party of adventurers to information on all the spells, weapons, and denizens of this part of Faerūn to a detailed walk-through of the game. You'll learn how to make a killer party as well as discover the pitfalls of creating an unbalanced group. We'll tell you which weapons to use to bash your enemies' heads in and which to avoid. Before you start reading here, however, I highly recommend you take a good hard look at the game manual. The folks at Black Isle Studios did an outstanding job with the book, and as such, I've left out information that is well explained in the manual. (If you're new to AD&D RPGs, read the manual cover to cover before beginning the game).
Good luck, young adventurer. May the gods be with you.
-Zaxxon-
