Demon Stone snags top voice talent

Captain Picard in a Dungeons & Dragons game? Once a hypothetical in Star Trek: The Next Generation forums, this scenario will become a reality in Atari's upcoming Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone. Patrick Stewart has signed on for a major vocal role in the upcoming D&D-based role-playing game, which is due out for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox this fall. Stewart will play Khelban "Blackstaff" Aunsun, "a wizard of legendary power and wisdom," according to Atari.

One of Demon Stone's major characters will also be voiced by a Hollywood actor known for his distinctive voice. Michael Clarke Duncan, the towering star of The Green Mile and Daredevil, has agreed to provide the voice of the evil Slaad Lord Ygorl, "a bloodthirsty conqueror from a mystical realm of chaos" and the game's major villain.

Dungeons & Dragons fans will also be pleased to know that Atari has signed seasoned author R. A. Salvatore to help craft Demon Stone's storyline. Besides crafting several original fantasy novels, Salvatore has written dozens of novels set in the Forgotten Realms universe and other D&D-related settings.

Arguably, Salvatore's most famous character is Drizzt Do'Urden, the so-called "lone drow" and hero of the author's Dark Elf trilogy. Drizzt will also appear in Demon Stone and will join Khelban "Blackstaff" Aunsun in aiding players on their quest to defeat Ygorl's Slaad hordes.

Unlike Atari's last console D&D game, the poorly received Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes, Demon Stone will be developed by Stormfront Studios, creators of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Demon Stone's gameplay will have players switch control of each member of a party of three characters--a fighter, a sorcerer, and a rogue. GameSpot got some hands-on time with Demon Stone at this year's E3. Check out our impressions for more on the game.