Spell

From Heroes 3 wiki
Revision as of 04:54, 15 September 2016 by Ibraesil (talk | contribs) (Spelling. "Recognaissance" -> "Reconnaissance")
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Spell is a term for the form of forces of magic, that heroes use to aid their journey. Typically heroes use spells to aid their travels, reveal hidden knowledge about their surroundings, or in combat to help their troops or bring harm to their adversaries. Before heroes can cast spells, they must possess a spell book. The spell book is where the hero records the spells he or she has learned. Spell books can be bought from Mage Guilds for 500 Gold.

Each spell has a level which represents how difficult it is to cast. Higher level spells are usually only obtainable by heroes with higher Wisdom secondary skill. Heroes without Wisdom can only learn 1st and 2nd level spells, while Wisdom enables them to learn 3rd, 4th and 5th level spells depending on the level of Wisdom skill. When heroes visit a town with a Mage Guild, they automatically learn any unknown spells to them the guild has to offer and their wisdom rating allows them to cast. Heroes may also learn spells as they explore map locations (e.g. Shrine of Magic Incantation). Each spell belongs to one of the four schools of magic: Air, Earth, Fire, or Water, or all of them.

Heroes may learn the Air Magic, Earth Magic, Fire Magic and Water Magic secondary skills to increase the effectiveness at which they cast the spells of each school. Heroes without such expertise may cast a school's spells at normal level (resulting in the same effect as the basic level spell). Additionally, holding an expertise in a school enables hero to cast spells at reduced cost. The reduction is depend on spell level, as can be seen from the table on the right. This cost reduction is the same regardless of whether a hero holds the skill at basic, advanced, or expert level.

Cost reduction
 Lvl 1   Lvl 2   Lvl 3   Lvl 4   Lvl 5 
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5

Spells cost spell points to cast. A hero's maximum spell points is equal to 10 times their Knowledge skill. As a hero casts spells, their spell points are diminished. A hero cannot cast a spell costing more spell points than he or she has available. Each hero regains one spell point per day, or can be completely replenished when he or she starts a new day in a town with a mage guild or visits a magic well on the Adventure Map. Heroes with the Mysticism skill regain spell points more rapidly, heroes with the Intelligence skill get a bonus to their maximum spell points.

In the hero's spell book, spells known to the hero are listed by school and divided into combat spells and adventure spells.

Adventure spells

Adventure spell is term that refers to a spell which may only be cast on the Adventure Map. Furthermore, the adventure spells can be (unofficially) categorized as follows:

Charting:

Reconnaissance:

Boats:

Enhanced Movement:

Combat spells

Combat spell is term that refers to a spell which may only be cast during combat. Furthermore, the combat spells can be (unofficially) categorized as follows:

Direct damage spells:

Direct damage spell is a term that typically refers to a spell which effects cause instantaneous damage to creature stack(s) on the battlefield. Typically direct damage spells target single creature stack, of which Implosion is the most powerful damage-wise. However, there are also direct damage spells that affect more than a single stack at the time or has an area of effect. For example, Chain Lightning "arches" from one target to another, Fireball and Meteor Shower have an effect radius of one hex and Armageddon affects the whole battlefield.

Enhancing spells:

Enhancing spells, or stat-enhancing spells, are spells that increase the stats of allied troops. Many enhancing spells affect only one stack at Basic and Advanced expertise, but become mass spells at Expert level. Enhancing spells may only be cast on your own units.

Debuffing spells:

Opposite to Enhancing spells (above), debuffing spells are spells cast on enemy units to make them less effective. Additionally, some Enhancing/debuffing spells counter each other, like Haste and Slow, meaning that when cast, they will dispel the other, if present.

Obstacle spells:

Obstacle spells do not affect creatures directly, but instead change the battlefield itself. For some, like Fire Wall, the caster may choose where the obstacle is created. For others, like Quicksand, placement is random.

Spell tables

Spell Name School Single Target Bonus damage at Basic Bonus at Adv Bonus at Expert Variable Damage
Destroy Undead Air No, Whole Battlefield (Undead Only) 10 dmg (1x) 20 dmg (2x) 50 dmg (5x) 10 dmg / spell power
Armageddon Fire No, Whole Battlefield (Safe Spell immunity or likewise) 30 dmg (0.6x) 60 dmg (1.2x) 120 dmg (2.4x) 50 dmg / spell power point
Magic Arrow *Any* Yes 10 dmg (1x) 20 dmg (2x) 30 dmg (3x) 10 dmg / spell power point
Lightning Bolt Air Yes 10 dmg (0.4x) 20 dmg (0.8x) 50 dmg (2x) 25 dmg / spell power point

See also