Dungeons & Dragons: Order of the Griffon

Westwood Associates

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	United States
Products	Order of the Griffon

Order of the Griffon is a tactical role-playing game created for the TurboGrafx-16 by Westwood Associates, inspired by the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). The title is set in Karameikos, a region within the D&D Mystara universe, appealing primarily to enthusiasts of strategic RPGs and fans of Dungeons & Dragons.

Gameplay

Combat in the game is turn-based and reminiscent of Gold Box series such as Pool of Radiance, but it employs the D&D BECMI system rather than AD&D. Players assemble a party of four pre-designed characters, selecting from classes like fighter, dwarf, mage, thief, halfling, cleric, and elf. Each class includes three distinct variants, each with unique abilities. Characters begin at level 1 and can progress up to level 8. The gameplay alternates between a first-person view in cities and dungeons and an overhead perspective for exploration and battles.

Important magical artifacts include the Four Stones (ruby, onyx, death gem, diamond), which possess the power to raise victims as undead; the Staff of Life, granting entry to Koriszegy Crypt; the Chalice, which cures poison; and the Staff of Halav, the only weapon capable of slaying Vampire Koriszegy.

Plot

Under orders from Lord Korrigan of Radlebb Keep, the adventuring group investigates alarming reports involving vampires, lycanthropes, and undead menacing Karameikos. Their mission reveals assassination schemes and dark conspiracies aimed at assembling undead forces, culminating in a decisive battle against the ancient vampire Koriszegy.

The storyline takes players through three key locations—Specularum, Radlebb Keep, and Kelvin—as well as various ruins to collect the Four Stones and disrupt Koriszegy's ambitions. The narrative features factions such as the noble Order of the Griffon, a brotherhood of paladins and knights; the Iron Ring, an illicit organization serving Koriszegy's interests; and a malevolent wolf pack led by Collum, a dire wolf allied with Koriszegy. After overcoming Collum and obtaining the Staff of Life, the adventurers join forces with the Order of the Griffon.

Reception

Andrew Schultz from Honest Gamers observes that although Order of the Griffon is "unambitious and still hardly perfect," it shines when it departs from conventional AD&D templates to engage players more effectively. He points out that while early RPGs were heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons, by the era of computer adaptations, changes in game design rendered basic mechanics and a weak storyline less appealing.

See also

• Mystara
• Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun