Terrain
Terrain typically refers to one of the eight basic land types, which are grass, dirt, lava, subterranean, rough, sand, snow or swamp. Water and rock may also be considered as one of the basic terrains, although they cannot be traveled on by ordinary means as traveling on water requires a boat and rock is impassable. In addition to basic terrain types, there are several types of magical terrains, that typically affect combat or spellcasting, with the exception of favorable winds, which increases movement over water if the hero has Navigation secondary skill.
Basic Terrains
Grass:
- Grass is native terrain for Castle, Rampart and Conflux.
- Movement cost: 100% (Other terrains movement costs are compared to grass.)
Dirt:
- Dirt is native terrain for Necropolis and Neutral alignment troops.
- Movement cost: 100% (Compared to grass.)
Lava:
- Lava is native terrain for Inferno.
- Movement cost: 100% (Compared to grass.)
Subterranean:
- Subterranean is native terrain for Dungeon. It is usually found on the underground layer.
- Movement cost: 100% (Compared to grass.)
Rock:
- Impassable even with flying - can be tarvelled through with Dimension Door.
- Typically found in underground areas.
Rough:
- Rough is native terrain for Stronghold.
- Movement cost: 125% (Compared to grass.)
Sand:
- Sand is not a native terrain for any faction, armies including nomads do not receive a terrain penalty.
- Movement cost: 150% (Compared to grass.)
Snow:
- Snow is native terrain for Tower.
- Movement cost: 150% (Compared to grass.)
Swamp:
- Swamp is native terrain for Fortress.
- Movement cost: 175% (Compared to grass.)
Water: Water is typically considered as one of the basic terrains. A hero can only travel on water covered terrain with a boat. Boats can be can be built in shipyards, created or summoned with the Summon Boat spell or they can be found on Adventure Map. Only one hero at the time may be aboard the boat.
Additionally, heroes can get across water squares with Water Walk and Fly spells, or by wearing Boots of Levitation or Angel Wings. The diffrence is, that only hero in a boat can end their movement on water while crossing the water requires that they end their movement on dry land. It should be noted, that shroud on the water between two squares of dry land does not prevent hero from walking or flying across it and mapping the shrouded area. However, the hero must be able to see both land squares before starting the trip.
Hero on a boat can also visit and pick up objects on water. While sailing on boat the hero can:
- gather Flotsam, which may provide
wood and/or 
gold - gather Sea Chests, which may provide gold or an treasure class artifact
- rescue a Shipwreck Survivor, who will always provide an artifact as a reward
- search Shipwrecks and Derelict Ships to fight guardians for gold and artifacts
- meet up with Mermaids for a luck bonus
- investigate Buoys and get better morale
- visit Sirens, which causes the hero to lose 30% (rounded down) of each stack in hero's army and gain experience equal to the health of the lost troops.
- go through one Whirlpool and end up in another.
- read Ocean bottles.
Almost all adventure map objects that are normally placed on dry land can be also be placed on water square and still function normally. The exceptions are Towns, Subterranean Gates and Monoliths, which can not function if visited with a boat.
The speed of the creatures in the hero's army does not affect movement in a boat, unlike movement on land.
Magical Terrains
Clover field:
- Increases the luck of all neutrally aligned creatures by +2.
Cursed Ground:
- Prevents hero or creatures from casting of spells above level 1, includes both adventure and combat spells.
- All native terrain bonuses, morale and luck effects are disabled.
Evil Fog: Increases evil aligned creatures morale by +1 while decreases good aligned creatures morale by -1.
Favorable Winds
| Navigation | Movement | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 100% | |||||||
| Basic | 200% | |||||||
| Advanced | 250% | |||||||
| Expert | 300% |
- Increases the effect of Navigation secondary skill - has no effect if a hero does not posses Navigation skill.
- Can only be found from water tiles
- Unlike other magical terrains, it does not affect combat in any way.
Fiery Fields:
- Fiery Fields is a type of Magical Terrain that makes all Fire Magic spells be cast at expert level, regardless of the heroes' skills. This include both Adventure spells and spells cast by creatures.
Holy Ground:
- Holy Ground is a type of Magical Terrain that gives all Good Aligned creatures +1 Morale , all Evil Aligned creatures -1 Morale.
Lucid Pools:
- Lucid pools is type of magical terrain that causes all water magic spell to be cast at expert level (whether or not the hero has water magic as a secondary skill). This includes combat spells, adventure spells and spells cast by creatures.
Magic Clouds:
- Magic Clouds is a type of Magical Terrain that makes all Air Magic spells be cast at expert level, regardless of the heroes' skills. This include both Adventure spells and spells cast by creatures.
Magic Plains:
- Magic plains is a type of magical terrain that causes all spells to be cast at expert. This includes both adventure spells, combat spells as well as spells cast by creatures.
Rockland:
- Rockland is a type of Magical Terrain that makes all Earth Magic spells be cast at expert level, regardless of the heroes' skills. This include both Adventure spells and spells cast by creatures.