The follow-up to Pool of Radiance, Curse of the Azure Bonds continues the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventuring across the Forgotten Realms. After saving the city of Phlan, your party of six heroes decides to travel to Tilverton for some much needed rest and relaxation. Soon after you embark, however, you are ambushed and knocked unconscious. You awake in Tilverton, stripped of your equipment and left with five mysterious symbols displayed on your right arm. The azure colored symbols will periodically glow, leaving you powerless over your actions until the aura subsides. The bonds cannot be removed by conventional means or through magical spells, so you must discover who created the bonds in order to remove them.

Curse of the Azure Bonds features the same presentation and play mechanics found in SSI's best-selling Pool of Radiance. Once again the action is primarily viewed from a first-person perspective, with individual panels displaying a list of your party members as well as description of key areas. Combat switches the screen to an overhead, isometric perspective that involves alternating turns with characters as they move, attack, use items, or cast spells. Transfer existing characters from either Pool of Radiance or Hillsfar, or create a new party of heroes starting at level five. Choose from additional character classes, learn more than 24 new spells, travel across a full-screen overhead map, and slay an assortment of deadly new monsters. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide