Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor Spells Guide

The game includes over 90 spells, and characters who level to 16th level can cast spells up to 8th level according to the official Steam page for the 2026 re-release. Spellcasting splits between arcane casters (Sorcerer) and divine casters (Cleric/Paladin), and both are meant to be in your party: the game manual recommends building a party with a good fighter, a character who casts aggressive spells, a healer, and a Rogue — the default Sorcerer, Cleric and Paladin fill those roles.

The spell list in overview

The official page confirms the total count and the ceiling but does not enumerate every spell. What can be listed concretely is the wide range of spells that appear in play, both cast by your party and by items:

• Offensive arcane: Magic Missile, Melf's Acid Arrow, Shocking Grasp, Stinking Cloud, Fireball (also on a wand with 10 charges), Chain Lightning (Wand of Electra, 4 charges at level 20), Lightning Bolt (Ring of Electra, 6 charges at level 20), Cone of Cold (Borea's Blood dagger, 3 charges at level 15), Cloudkill, Disintegrate, Finger of Death, Bestow Curse, Slow, Confusion, Dispel Magic.
• Divine attack and control: Flamestrike, Slay Living, Harm, Halt Undead (Staff of Halt Undead, 3 charges at level 20), Command, Raise Dead, Remove Paralysis, Find Traps.
• Buffs and protection: Bless, Aid, Prayer, Shield of Faith, Spell Resistance, Resistance, Mage Armor, Haste, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Freedom of Movement, Protection From Evil, Improved Invisibility, Displacement, Prayer, Charm Monster, Hold Person, Hold, True Seeing, Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Globe of Invulnerability, Entangle.
• Healing: Cure Minor/Moderate/Serious/Critical Wounds, Heal, Full Heal, Lay on Hands (Paladin ability), Cure Light Wounds.

Spell levels run from 1 to 8 as characters advance; individual spells appear in the game at "levels" from 1 up to 20 on scrolls and items (for example a Sorcerer's Scroll of Dispel Magic Level 20 or a Cleric's Scroll of Raise Dead Level 5), where the number reflects the caster level of the effect, not the spell tier.

How spellcasting actually works

• Two caster traditions. Arcane spells come from the Sorcerer class; divine spells from Clerics and Paladins. A veteran player walkthrough of the game notes that enemy casters — Orc Warlocks, Orog Healers, Cult Archmages, Dark Naga — are usually the first targets, because their magic can wipe a party quickly.
• Armor interferes with arcane casting. One player tested this: with armor carrying a 10% arcane spell failure rate, their Sorcerer failed 6 of 20 casts — well above the advertised 10%. Keep arcane casters out of armor, or expect spells to fizzle.
• Resting restores spells. Most rooms with closed doors can be rested in — look for a green rest icon. The walkthrough writer rests before and after nearly every major fight, since the game has no time limit and sleeping is free.
• Spells bypass some enemies but not others. Magic Missile is useless against enemies immune to it (the walkthrough's joke about quitting to Windows after a Magic Missile reads "Immune!"), and the final dracolich, Pelendralaar, is described by the same player as immune or highly resistant to most magic — melee fighters carry that fight.
• Items cast spells too. Many weapons, rings, scrolls and staves store charges of specific spells at fixed caster levels, so non-casters can throw Fireballs, Raise Dead or Heal without a caster class.

The boss-fight buffing order that worked for one player

The walkthrough gives a concrete pre-fight sequence for the final two battles, using Ctrl plus a Function key as a key map to speed it up:

1. Rest first

   The Pool Cavern cannot be rested in, so rest and save before entering. Preserve Cleric spells — use potions and salves for routine healing instead.

2. Physical buffs on everyone

   Sorcerers cast Bull's Strength and Cat's Grace on all six party members.

3. Immunity and protection

   Cleric casts Freedom of Movement, then Aid, Shield of Faith and Spell Resistance on all six.

4. Party-wide combat buffs

   Cleric casts Bless and Prayer; Sorcerer casts Haste on all six.

5. Save a separate slot

   Make a dedicated save with the powered-up party so you can reload and retry the fight without re-buffing.

The same player reports Spell Resistance greatly reduces the Fireball damage Kya Mordrayn deals in her ambush round, and that closing to melee with enemy casters stops them from casting.

Early-game spell priorities

For the opening fights against Orcs, the walkthrough recommends: Magic Missile for quick damage, Bless to improve your chance to hit, Shield of Faith and Resistance to lower enemy accuracy, and Cure Minor Wounds or the Paladin's Lay on Hands to keep characters above -10 HP — characters at -10 are out and unconscious characters earn no experience.

Next steps

• If you want to know how far characters and spells can go, see the page on the game's level cap, since 16th level is what unlocks 8th-level spells.
• Scrolls and wands make up a large share of the spell economy, so the items list helps you identify which magic items carry charges of which spells.
• Spells behave differently when several people play one party, so check the multiplayer page if you plan to cast cooperatively.

FAQ

How many Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor spells are there?

Over 90, per the official Steam page. The page does not list every spell by name, but individual spells are documented in community playthroughs of the 2001 original and its 2026 re-release.

What is the highest spell level in the game?

Characters reach 16th level and can cast 8th-level spells. Separately, items and scrolls can carry effects at caster levels up to 20, such as a Level 20 Chain Lightning wand.

Why do my Sorcerer's spells keep failing?

Armor with an arcane spell failure chance is the likely cause. A player who tested 10%-failure armor recorded 6 failures out of 20 casts, so keep arcane casters unarmored.

How do I regain spent spells?

Rest in any room with a green rest icon — most rooms with closed doors qualify. There is no time penalty for resting, so rest before and after fights freely.

Check note: the spell count, level cap and party-recommendation facts come from the official Steam page for Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor (checked 2026-11-07). Spell names, the armor-failure test and the buffing sequence come from a player-written walkthrough of the original 2001 game posted on a community site; they describe the same ruleset but are not confirmed by the developer.