Avadon 3: The Warborn

Lore & Background

The Avadon series is set on the fictional continent of Lynaeus, divided between two warring factions: the Pact, an alliance of five nations, and the Farlands, a group of faded empires and barbarian territories. The fortress of Avadon serves as a force within the Pact, a small army of warriors, spies, and assassins tasked with protecting the Pact and eliminating threats. Servants of Avadon have great power and are not bound by the Pact's laws, which can lead to corruption and abuse.

As Avadon 3 begins, Lynaeus has been invaded. The player must help repel hordes of monsters and vicious raiders. The mad commander has a plan for defeating the invaders, and the player must choose whether to help or betray him. The player assumes the role of one of five classes: Blademaster, Shadowwalker, Shaman, Sorcerer, or Tinkermage (a class added in Avadon 2). Later, the player can recruit two other characters from the same set of classes and embark on missions assigned by the leaders of Avadon.

Each character class has its own set of several dozen abilities, including spells to inflict damage or summon aid, blessings and curses, and rituals that heal wounded party members. Combat is turn-based, with creatures taking turns to move, use abilities, and attack. The game features elaborate scripted encounters intended to encourage a variety of tactics.

Reader's Guide

Avadon 3: The Warborn concludes the Avadon trilogy, a series of single-player role-playing games developed by Spiderweb Software. Its significance lies in providing a narrative conclusion to the conflict between the Pact and the Farlands on the continent of Lynaeus, with the player's choices affecting the outcome of an invasion. The game expands on previous entries by including the Tinkermage class, introduced in Avadon 2, and offers a turn-based tactical combat system with scripted encounters that reward varied strategies. Early critical reception was generally positive, with OPN praising its depth, quality art, and gameplay, and RPGWatch commending its writing, story, and party-based tactical combat. The game's legacy is as the final chapter of a trilogy that explores themes of power, corruption, and loyalty within the fortress of Avadon, where servants operate outside the Pact's laws. It remains a notable example of indie role-playing game design from the mid-2010s, particularly for its focus on party-based tactics and narrative choice.

Did You Know?

• Avadon 3: The Warborn is the third and final game in the Avadon trilogy.
• The game was released for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows in September 2016, with an iPad version in late 2016.
• The Tinkermage class was added in Avadon 2 and is available in Avadon 3.
• Combat in Avadon 3 is turn-based, with creatures taking turns to move, use abilities, and attack.