Books Focusing on Dungeon Crawl?

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I started reading Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor and it got me thinking. I really like how it dives into the dungeon crawl in the first 40 pages or so and seems to balance the D&D dungeon crawl aspects vs. character development pretty effectively.

Of course its not War and Peace but it fits the bill - real old school D&D, in an actual dungeon .

Anyone know of any others like this? With an actual dungeon crawl?

BTW I've read Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy and Icewind Dale and thought it was hit or miss. I loved Homeland but the rest I found lacking.

 

the Greyhawk books based on D&D adventure modules fit the bill nicely - definite drawling

 

Thanks for the Greyhawk tip. I should have mentioned that when I bought POR I also picked up some Greyhawk:

Tomb of Horrors
Keep on the Borderlands
Temple of Elemental Evil

Taluntain, are you saying that the D&D series (vs. Forgotten Realms) are more likely to contain actual dungeons?

 

Excellent! I'm on it. As an aside - since you mentioned the name - I really need to pick up a copy of Planescape Torment (the game). Its the one glaring hole in my completist collection...

 

If you go for the Greyhawk books, start with Paul Kidd. Those books are a trilogy about a ranger, his animated hellhound pelt Cinders and a Escalla, the fairy princess, the fight scenes, the dialogue, the characters are just above and beyond anything WOTC ever printed.(Yes, Kidd blows Salvatore out of the water.) Be aware the books are drama but at the same time pokes some gentle fun at D&D genre, I know some people don't appreciate that.

I don't for the life of understand why WOTC isn't churning out Kidd's work like their other rather forgetable authors.

 

Well, the only other CRPG tie-in besides the Baldur's Gate I've seen was "Curse of the Azure Bonds" and the novel "Azure Bonds" by Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak. The novel was part of the "Finder's Stone" trilogy.

The game was also what actually got me started on RPGs. It made me go out and buy Pool of Radiance (NOT the version covered on this site, but the original one), though Silver Blades or Pools of Darkness never did make it to the Apple II.

 

Thanks for the Paul Kidd recommendation. I read a few pages of White Plume Mountain the other day since I had already picked it up and I thought it was written pretty well and I immediately liked the low charisma Ranger character.

I also read a few pages of Temple of Elemental Evil and I was equally impressed.

I'll buy Kidd's other two books right now.

The Azure Bonds and Finder's Stone trilogy don't appear to be related? Great reviews though - although Azure Bonds looks like its Out of Print. I'll grab it used.

I got a good chuckle out of the withering reviews of the T.H. Lain D&D series. I read a few pages of The Savage Caves and... LOL!
Literally it reads like my 5 year old son talks.
Have a good chuckle. Note BTW, I might still buy it

http://www.wizards.com/books/dnd/samples/88220.pdf

 

A pseudonim eh? I'll have to check them out individually then.

You mention "Azure Bonds" books in plural? There is more than one?

 

So I picked up Azure Bonds as well as the remaining Greyhawk books used:
Descent into the Depths of the Earth
Queen of the Demonweb Pits
Keep on the Borderlands

The only problem is that Against the Giants is OOP and $16 is the cheapest I can find. The reviews are horrid. Anyone think its worth $16?

hmmmm....I hate having 6 of the 7! Its just driving me nuts! Someone give me good reason to waste the $16 + shipping