Heroes of Might and Magic IV (PC) Hero Skills and Classes Guide v2.12 By: Lena LeRay E-mail: crowbeak@gmail.com November 29, 2004 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TABLE OF CONTENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Introduction ....... ZX01 2) Skill List ......... ZX02 3) Starting Classes ... ZX03 4) Hero Recruitment ... ZX04 5) Full Class List .... ZX05 6) Legal Shiznit ...... ZX06 7) Contact Me ......... ZX07 8) Updates/Thanks ..... ZX08 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZX01 INTRODUCTION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Most of the information in this FAQ can be found in the manual. This guide started out as a compilation of that info so that it would all be in one spot. I hated having to flip back and forth throughout the manual to find what I needed. I have since added things that aren't in the manual, like information on how exactly the taverns work. But you don't really care about that, so on to the real reason you're here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZX02 SKILL LIST ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Knowing how the skills in Heroes of Might and Magic IV (HOMM IV) work is an important part of understanding how to get the most out of the hero classes. It's the skills your hero has that define which class he takes on and, subsequently, which class bonus he receives. In HOMM IV, your heroes can learn up to twenty skills in total; however, fifteen of those will be offshoots of the other five. In other words, You can choose up to five paths of learning for your character to walk, and three other skills get built up on top of each of those foundations. For instance, the Tactics skill increases the speed and movement of all the friendly units traveling with the hero. In addition, it makes it possible for the hero to learn the Offense, Leadership, and Defense skills. Each of these has its own separate function. All four of these skills depend on each other; some upgrades of a given skill can't be learned until other skills in the Tactics skill group are learned or upgraded first. When a hero gets two or more skills in a group, he's considered to have specialized in that group of skills. Every hero you get in the game starts with one skill group, even the already higher-level heroes that join you at certain points in the single-player campaigns. This first skill defines the hero's starting class. Once a hero specializes in two skill groups, a higher class is determined for him. If you manage to get his other skills up in level, you CAN change to a different higher class. This is, however, rather difficult due to the fact that once a character takes on a certain class, he will almost always only get to upgrade his specialized skills upon leveling up. Without other influences (beast masters' huts, witches' huts, seminaries and other learning institutions), chances of gaining new skills are small. There are two classes which require three skill specializations to attain; these are the Archmage and Witch King classes. The Archmage class is defined by specializing in three different types of the five magic skill sets. The Witch King Class requires Chaos Magic, Death Magic, and Nobility. The following list of presents a general overview of what each skill does and which classes each skill group is needed to obtain. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Chaos Magic -------------------------------------------------------------------- Chaos Magic allows the hero to cast Chaos spells. Conjuration ........ Increases the hero's spell points and spell point regeneration Pyromancy .......... Increases the effectiveness of Chaos Magic Sorcery ............ Increases hero's spell damage Classes ............ Archmage (optional) Fire Diviner Fireguard Heretic Lich Pyromancer Sorcerer Warlock Witch King Wizard -------------------------------------------------------------------- Combat -------------------------------------------------------------------- Combat increases hero's melee and ranged defense. Melee .............. Increases the hero's melee attack and lowers the target's defense against it Archery ............ Increases the hero's ranged attack and lowers the target's defense against it Magic Resistance ... Increases the hero's magic resistance Classes ............ Archer Assassin Barbarian Battle Mage Beastmaster Fireguard General Paladin Ranger Warlord -------------------------------------------------------------------- Death Magic -------------------------------------------------------------------- Death Magic allows the hero to cast Death spells. Occultism .......... Increases the hero's spell points and spell point regeneration Demonology ......... Increases the effectiveness of Death Magic Necromancy ......... Allows the hero to raise skeletons from the dead of a defeated army Classes ............ Archmage (optional) Assassin Dark Lord Dark Priest Demonologist Lich Necromancer Ninja Reaver Shadow Mage -------------------------------------------------------------------- Life Magic -------------------------------------------------------------------- Life Magic allows the hero to cast Life spells. Healing ............ Increases the hero's spell points and spell point regeneration Spirituality ....... Increases the effectiveness of Life Magic Resurrection ....... Allows the hero to resurrect some of his dead troops; some restrictions apply Classes ............ Archmage (Optional) Cardinal Crusader Dark Priest Heretic Monk Paladin Priest Prophet Summoner -------------------------------------------------------------------- Nature Magic -------------------------------------------------------------------- Nature Magic allows the hero to cast Nature spells. Herbalism .......... Increases the hero's spell points and spell point regeneration Meditation ......... Increases the effectiveness of Nature Magic Summoning .......... Allows the hero to summon varying creatures Classes ............ Archmage (optional) Bard Beast Lord Beastmaster Demonologist Druid Enchanter Summoner Warden Warlock -------------------------------------------------------------------- Nobility -------------------------------------------------------------------- Nobility allows a hero to become governor of a town, increasing creature growth. Estates ............ The hero earns extra gold for his kingdom Mining ............. The hero earns extra resources for his kingdom Diplomacy .......... Allows the hero to bribe some outnumbered enemy units into joining his side Classes ............ Beast Lord Cardinal Dark Lord Guildmaster Lord Lord Commander Warlord Witch King Wizard King -------------------------------------------------------------------- Order Magic -------------------------------------------------------------------- Order Magic allows a hero to cast Order spells. Enchantment ........ Increases the hero's spell points and spell point regeneration Wizardry ........... Increases the effectiveness of Nature Magic Charm .............. Allows a hero to convert a small number of outnumbered troops to his side Classes ............ Archmage (optional) Battle Mage Enchanter Illusionist Mage Monk Seer Wizard Wizard King -------------------------------------------------------------------- Scouting -------------------------------------------------------------------- Scouting increases the hero's scouting radius. Pathfinding ........ Makes it easier for the hero to travel in the adventure map Seamanship ......... Makes it easier for the hero to travel in the adventure map Stealth ............ Allows the hero to travel without being seen when by himself and not adjacent to others; Allows the hero to see others with an equal or lower level of stealth Classes ............ Bard Field Martial Fire Diviner Guildmaster Ninja Prophet Ranger Seer Thief -------------------------------------------------------------------- Tactics -------------------------------------------------------------------- Tactics increases the speed and movement of all friendly creatures. Offense ............ All friendly creatures get +10% to melee and ranged attacks Defense ............ All friendly creatures get +10% to melee and ranged defense Leadership ......... All friendly creatures get +1 Luck and Morale Classes ............ Crusader Death Knight Field Martial General Illusionist Knight Lord Commander Pyromancer Reaver Warden -------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZX03 STARTING CLASSES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Every hero starts out with one skill group under his belt. This group defines his starting class. Starting classes only require one skill, and give no special class abilities. Of the six factions (Life, Order, Death, Chaos, Nature, and Might), all but Might have a starting magic-using class and a starting non-magic class. Might, finding magic distasteful, has no default magic class. Below is a list of all of the skills, what starting class they correspond to, and to which faction that starting class belongs. In the case of the Barbarians/Archers and the Knights/Death Knights, the only difference between them are their original factions. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skill Starting Class Faction -------------------------------------------------------------------- Combat .............. Archer ................... Nature Combat .............. Barbarian ................ Might Nobility ............ Lord ..................... Order Scouting ............ Thief .................... Chaos Tactics ............. Death Knight ............. Death Tactics ............. Knight ................... Life Life Magic .......... Priest ................... Life Order Magic ......... Mage ..................... Order Death Magic ......... Necromancer .............. Death Chaos Magic ......... Sorcerer ................. Chaos Nature Magic ........ Druid .................... Nature -------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZX04 HERO RECRUITMENT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You will always start a map with at least one hero. What sort of "Heroes" game would it be without them? However, as the war wages on, chances are good that you will want to expand your hero repertoire. This is done through taverns. You can recruit one hero a week from any given tavern. Every town has a tavern. You do not have to build them. In the tavern of a town, however (unlike the taverns you will occasionally encounter on the adventure map), you will only be able to recruit heroes from certain factions. When you enter an adventure map tavern, you are shown a diagram something like the following: ~~~~Knight---Priest~~~~ / \ / \ / Barbarian \ Archer---Druid Lord---Mage \ / \ / Thief---Sorcerer~~~~D. Knight---Necromancer Any of these heroes can be recruited. You even get to pick their gender and what background story you want them to have. A town tavern is set up in similar fashion. However, you will not have a full range of heroes to choose from. The only heroes available will be those of the town's faction and of that factions' natural allies. Natural allies of a faction can be determined by looking at the following list, finding said faction, and looking at the factions above and below it on the list. For instance, Chaos' natural allies are Nature and Death, while Life's natural allies are Order and Nature. Life Order Death Chaos Nature Life The Might faction is not in this list. Might has no natural allies. Any tavern in a Might town will be unable to recruit any magic-users; instead, they can recruit non-magic heroes from any other faction. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZX05 FULL CLASS LIST ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is an alphabetical list off all of the classes, their skill specialization requirements, and their special abilities. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Archer -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Combat Class Ability ..... None -------------------------------------------------------------------- Archmage -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Any 3 Magic Types Class Ability ..... Hero gets +20% to all spell effects -------------------------------------------------------------------- Assassin -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Combat Death Magic Class Ability ..... Hero's speed and movement increase by 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Barbarian -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required....Combat Class Ability ..... None -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bard -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Nature Magic Scouting Class Ability ..... Hero has maximum Luck at all times -------------------------------------------------------------------- Battle Mage -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Combat Order Magic Class Ability ..... Automatically learns Magic Fist spell; Hero gets +20% to Magic Fist and Ice Bolt spells -------------------------------------------------------------------- Beast Lord -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Nature Magic Nobility Class Ability ..... Hero gets +20% to Summon Wolf and Summon White Tiger spells -------------------------------------------------------------------- Beastmaster -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Combat Nature Magic Class Ability ..... Hero gets +20% to Summon Wolf -------------------------------------------------------------------- Cardinal -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Life Magic Nobility Class Ability ..... Hero gets +5% to resurrection skill -------------------------------------------------------------------- Crusader -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Life Magic Tactics Class Ability ..... Hero has maximum Morale at all times -------------------------------------------------------------------- Dark Lord -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Death Magic Nobility Class Ability ..... Hero's melee attack causes target maximum negative morale -------------------------------------------------------------------- Dark Priest -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Death Magic Life Magic Class Ability ..... Hero gains 1 hit point for every 2 melee damage he deals -------------------------------------------------------------------- Death Knight -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Tactics Class Ability ..... None -------------------------------------------------------------------- Demonologist -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Death Magic Nature Magic Class Ability ..... Hero gets +50% to all demon summoning spells -------------------------------------------------------------------- Druid -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Nature Magic Class Ability ..... None -------------------------------------------------------------------- Enchanter -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Nature Magic Order Magic Class Ability ..... Hero gets +20% to all summoning and illusion spells -------------------------------------------------------------------- Field Marshal -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Scouting Tactics Class Ability ..... All friendly creatures get +10% to melee and ranged attack -------------------------------------------------------------------- Fire Diviner -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Chaos Magic Scouting Class Ability ..... Hero gets +20% to the effects of all fire-based spells -------------------------------------------------------------------- Fireguard -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Chaos Magic Combat Class Ability ..... Hero is immune to fire-based spells; Hero takes half damage from fire-based melee attacks -------------------------------------------------------------------- General -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Combat Tactics Class Ability ..... All friendly creatures get +1 morale -------------------------------------------------------------------- Guildmaster -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Nobility Scouting Class Ability ..... Hero's melee attack has a chance of Stunning the target -------------------------------------------------------------------- Heretic -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Chaos Magic Life Magic Class Ability ..... Hero can ignore the effect of all wards -------------------------------------------------------------------- Illusionist -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Order Magic Tactics Class Ability ..... Hero gets +20% to the effects of all illusion spells -------------------------------------------------------------------- Knight -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Tactics Class Ability ..... None -------------------------------------------------------------------- Lich -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Chaos Magic Death Magic Class Ability ..... Hero's melee attack has a chance of Aging the target -------------------------------------------------------------------- Lord -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Nobility Class Ability ..... None -------------------------------------------------------------------- Lord Commander -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Nobility Tactics Class Ability ..... All friendly creatures get +2 morale -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mage -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Order Magic Class Ability ..... None -------------------------------------------------------------------- Monk -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Life Magic Order Magic Class Ability ..... Hero has Chaos Ward at all times -------------------------------------------------------------------- Necromancer -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Death Magic Class Ability ..... None -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ninja -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Death Magic Scouting Class Ability ..... Hero's melee attack becomes poisonous -------------------------------------------------------------------- Paladin -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Combat Life Magic Class Ability ..... Hero has Death Ward at all times -------------------------------------------------------------------- Priest -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Life Magic Class Ability ..... None -------------------------------------------------------------------- Prophet -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Life Magic Scouting Class Ability ..... Hero has Spiritual Armor at all times -------------------------------------------------------------------- Pyromancer -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Chaos Magic Tactics Class Ability ..... Any unit using a melee attack on Hero takes fire damage -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ranger -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Combat Scouting Class Ability ..... Hero gets ranged ability and +5 ranged attack -------------------------------------------------------------------- Reaver -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Death Magic Tactics Class Ability ..... Hero has Bloodlust at all times -------------------------------------------------------------------- Seer -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Order Magic Scouting Class Ability ..... Hero's scouting radius increases by 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Shadow Mage -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Death Magic Order Magic Class Ability ..... Hero has Blur at all times -------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorcerer -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Chaos Magic Class Ability ..... None -------------------------------------------------------------------- Summoner -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Life Magic Nature Magic Class Ability ..... Hero can summon +20 experience points worth of creatures per day -------------------------------------------------------------------- Thief -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Scouting Class Ability ..... None -------------------------------------------------------------------- Warden -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Nature Magic Tactics Class Ability ..... All friendly Creatures get +10% to melee and ranged defense -------------------------------------------------------------------- Warlock -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Chaos Magic Nature Magic Class Ability ..... Hero gets +10 spell points and can regenerate 1 extra spell point per day -------------------------------------------------------------------- Warlord -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Combat Nobility Class Ability ..... Hero gets +5 to melee attack -------------------------------------------------------------------- Witch King -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Chaos Magic Death Magic Nobility Class Ability ..... Hero's attack keeps target from retaliating; target runs away for a short distance -------------------------------------------------------------------- Wizard -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Chaos Magic Order Magic Class Ability ..... Hero's spell costs decrease by 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Wizard King -------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Required ... Nobility Order Magic Class Ability ..... Hero's melee attack gives target maximum bad Luck -------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZX06 LEGAL SHIZNIT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have nothing to do with the developers and publishers of this game. You know what? I don't really care what you do with this as long as you don't try to say its yours and don't try to sell it. After all, as I mentioned in the intro, I just collected most of this info and put it in one spot anyway. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZX07 CONTACT ME ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I can be contacted at crowbeak@gmail.com. I also have a web site at http://www.sasdomain.us/, but at the time of this writing the site hasn't been updated recently and the only reason to go there is (shameless plug!) to check out the video game and anime desktop wallpaper I have made. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZX08 UPDATES/THANKS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Updates" is pretty self-explanatory. "Thanks" refers to the people who've pointed out little errors I made, which will be noted next to the update they inspired. The exception to that is the first dude to point out a typo, but that's only because I lost the e-mail he sent me. -_-' Sorry! v2.12 - Fixed/Modified - Tables - Added - Easy-Find Codes v2.02 - Fixed/Modified: - Table of Contents - Formatting v2.01 - Fixed/Modified: - Formatting - A couple of typos v2.00 - Fixed/Modified: - Formatting - A couple of typos - Skill List section - Legal Shiznit section - Starting Classes section - Full Class List - Added: - Hero Recruitment section v1.12 - Fixed/Modified: - Typo under Battle Mage class (Thanks to justin@cs.duke.edu) - Contact Me section v1.10 - Fixed/Modified: - A couple of typos - The Legal Shiznit section - Added - Contact Me section - Updates Section v1.00 - Created the FAQ