Dungeons & Dragons: Order of the Griffon

Order of the Griffon is a tactical role-playing game for the TurboGrafx-16, created by Westwood Associates and adapted from the tabletop Dungeons & Dragons. Its story unfolds in the nation of Karameikos, part of D&D's Mystara setting.

Gameplay

The game’s turn-based combat resembles the Gold Box series, such as Pool of Radiance, but it uses the BECMI ruleset rather than AD&D. Players pick four pre-generated characters from seven classes—fighter, dwarf, mage, thief, halfling, cleric, and elf—with three variations per class, each offering distinct strengths and weaknesses. Characters begin at level 1 and can reach level 8. The perspective shifts between a first-person view in cities and dungeons, similar to Eye of the Beholder, and a bird’s-eye view for the overland map and battles.

Several powerful magic items appear. The Four Stones (ruby, onyx, death gem, and diamond) let the user turn living victims into undead.

The Staff of Life grants access to Koriszegy Crypt. The Chalice neutralizes the poison that nearly kills Duke Stefan. The Staff of Halav is the only weapon capable of slaying the Vampire Koriszegy.

Plot

The plot begins when Lord Korrigan, ruler of Radlebb Keep, hires a party to investigate rumors of vampires, lycanthropes, and undead. The adventurers soon uncover assassination plots against Karameikan leaders, a conspiracy to turn innocents into undead, and prophecies of an ancient vampire’s return. They travel to three cities—Specularum, Radlebb Keep, and Kelvin—along with ruined sites, keeps, caves, and forests, seeking the four stones and trying to stop the Vampire Koriszegy from raising an undead army. The game ends with a final confrontation against the vampire.

Competing factions drive the story. The Order of the Griffon is an honorable society of paladins, knights, and fighters with branches across Karameikos.

The Iron Ring is a criminal network of bandits, cutthroats, and lycanthropes hired by Koriszegy to carry out assassinations and kidnappings of political leaders; its main base hides deep in the Karameikan forests. An evil wolf pack, led by the sentient dire wolf Collum, is also hired by Koriszegy to deliver the Staff of Life to the Iron Ring after the pack eliminates the rival Dosmo pack. The party joins the Order of the Griffon after defeating Collum and retrieving the Staff of Life.