Skills and Attributes

Every hero -- like the units he commands -- has a series of statistics that govern his effectiveness during battle or exploration. Attributes are the numbers that determine outcomes of probability and skills are the numbers that determine effectiveness of actions.

Hero-specific Attributes

• Health
  Health is more complex than you think. It improves three universal attributes for the hero: hit points, stamina, morale. All classes need to make sure they occasionally upgrade this skill to keep from being overwhelmed later in the game. However, if you play your hero as a tank, then this is probably the only attribute you need to level up.
• Magic
  How many spells the hero can learn. This stat is critical for mages.
• Command
  How many units a hero can have with him on the battlefield. This stat is particularly important for commanders.

Universal Attributes

• Hit Points
  Total damage a unit can absorb before dying; <50%, unit attack is weakened; =0, unit dies. Regenerate 10% per turn when out of combat; more with certain buildings.
• Attack
  Damage dealt by a unit to an enemy during an attack by said unit.
• Counterattack
  Damage returned to an enemy by the unit after it is attacked by said enemy.
• Defense
  Reduces damage the unit takes from melee.
• Ranged Defense
  Reduces damage the unit takes from arrows and missiles.
• Resistance
  Reduces damage the unit takes from magic attacks and all counterattacks.
• Speed
  Total action points for attack or movement during each turn; altered by certain types of terrain.
• Attack Range
  Ranged-only damage dealt by a cast projectile.
• Range
  Ranged-only maximum distance of attack with projectile or healing actions.
• Ammo
  Ranged-only, =0, ranged attacks cease until more ammo is found. Ammunition is restored instantly after combat.
• Stamina
  Unit energy reserve spent on attacking, special skills, and movement; <5, attack and speed decrease; =0, the unit must rest (skips a turn). Energy is instantly restored after combat.
• Morale
  Increases when a unit kills an enemy or an enemy dies on a neighboring hex; decreases when the unit is heavily wounded or an ally dies on a neighboring hex; if morale >15, boosts attack; <5, weakens attack; =0, the unit panics and retreats. When out of combat, this attribute gradually returns to its base level.

Battlefield Travel Skills

Some units fair better in adverse terrain conditions than others.

• Hovering
  unit immune to terrain consequences; unit can share a hex with friendly troops and can be trampled.
• Flying
  unit immune to terrain consequences and trampling; unit cannot share a hex with friendly troops.
• Forest Knowledge
  travel through forest hexes only costs 1 movement point and no stamina; unit obtains additional defense.
• Hills Knowledge
  travel through hill hexes only costs 1 movement point and no stamina; unit obtains additional defense.
• Swamp Knowledge
  travel through swamp hexes only costs 1 movement point and no stamina; unit obtains additional defense.

Ranged Attack/Defense Skills

These are skills that are specific to ranged class fighting units.

• Armor-piercing Shot
  ranged, enemy ranged defense -50%
• Heavy Ammo
  ranged, enemy ranged defense -1. Duration: 3 turns.
• Petrification
  ranged, unit freezes enemy, preventing movement but increasing defense; duration reduced by enemy resistance skill.
• Poison Shot
  ranged, unit poisons enemy, reducing hit points; amount depends on skill level. Duration: 3 turns.
• Precise Shot
  ranged, unit attack ignores some enemy ranged defense; amount depends on skill level.
• Web
  ranged, unit entangles enemy, preventing movement; duration reduced by enemy attack skill.

Melee Attack/Defense Skills

These are skills that are specific to melee class fighting units.

• Armor-piercing Strike
  melee, enemy defense -50%
• Bloodsucker
  melee, unit restores hit points based on damage dealt; amount depends on skill level.
• Cause Disease
  melee, causing damage adds poison effect
• Charge
  melee, if attacking on the move; bonus damage based on distance traveled.
• Crippling Strike
  melee, enemy speed -1. Duration: 2 turns.
• Crushing Blow
  melee, special strike, +50% damage at the cost of some stamina.
• Damage Armor
  melee, enemy defense -1. Duration: 3 turns.
• Damage Weapon
  melee, enemy attack -1. Duration: 3 turns.
• Does Not Fight
  melee, unit can’t attack or counterattack
• Intimidation
  melee, unit decreases the enemy morale; amount depends on skill level.
• Mass Attack
  melee, unit attacks all enemies in neighboring hexes.
• Parry
  melee, for the first time in a turn, its defense is increased; amount depends on skill level.
• Poison Attack
  melee, unit poisons enemy, reducing hit points; amount depends on skill level. Duration: 3 turns.
• Poison Flesh
  melee, poisons attacker when damaged
• Precise Strike
  melee, unit attack ignores some enemy defense; amount depends on skill level.
• Roots
  melee, unit entangles enemy, preventing movement. Duration: 3 turns.
• Round Attack
  melee, unit attacks all enemies in neighboring hexes at the cost of some stamina.
• Soul Stealing
  melee, on enemy death, unit steals its soul to restore hit points; amount depends on skill level.
• Steal Ammo
  melee, unit decreases enemy ammunition reserve by several units; amount depends on skill level.
• Stunning Blow
  melee, unit attacks reduce enemy stamina; amount depends on skill level.
• Trample
  melee, unit can trample enemy if enemy hit points remaining after the attack are equal to or less than the level of the ability; on death, unit moves to enemy hex. Flying enemies are immune.

Magic Skills

Some units have a small amount of natural magical affinity.

• Cause Vulnerability
  melee magic, the unit bestows "Vulnerability" spell on the enemy.
• Energy Control
  ranged magic, ignore some enemy resistance; amount depends on skill level.
• Fire Arrows
  ranged magic, normal and bonus magic damage; amount depends on skill level.
• Magic Shot
  ranged magic, ranged damgage instead counts as magic damage; countered by enemy resistance.
• Magic Strike
  melee magic, melee damgage instead counts as magic damage; countered by enemy resistance.

Activated Action Skills

Some units have bonus actions they can activate during battle.

• Collect Ammo
  activated, unit will scavenge for ammo. Duration: 1 turn.
• Extra Shot
  activated, spend stamina to use ranged attack twice per turn
• Forced March
  activated, unit’s speed +1, cost: stamina. Duration: 1 turn.
• Healing
  activated, heal a unit within shooting range; effectiveness depends on level of ability; collectively, all units possessing this ability boost the healing rate of the entire army when not in combat.
• Master of the Undead
  activated, unit raises dead enemies as skeletons.

Buffs

Boosts to friendly unit stats and attributes.

• Agility
  buff, unit immune to counterattacks
• Berserker
  buff, unit immune to fear; when activated by heavy damage, attack increases by level of ability and wounds do not reduce these effects
• Feels No Pain
  buff, wounds have no impact on unit’s attack.
• First Aid
  buff, hit points while resting; buff to out-of-combat HP regeneration rate
• First Strike
  buff, unit counterattacks before enemy attack; negated if both units have first strike.
• Forager
  buff, reduction in unit upkeep cost; amount depends on skill level.
• Intrepid
  buff, unit morale always remains unchanged.
• Mediation
  buff, unit recharges several units of magic while at rest; amount depends on skill level.
• Poison Immunity
  buff, unit immune to poison.
• Recuperation
  buff, unit recovers more stamina when resting; amount depends on skill level.
• Regeneration
  buff, unit recovers some hit points per turn; amount depends on skill level; hit point restoration boost when not in combat.
• Reincarnation
  buff, upon death, unit rises with full health once per battle
• Necrophagy
  buff, unit recovers some hit points by eating a corpse; amount depends on skill level.
• Smite Evil
  buff, unit inflicts extra damage on enemies with tainted souls.
• Spell Immunity
  buff, unit immune to spells.
• Tireless
  buff, unit immune to fatigue caused by travel or combat.
• Tolerance
  buff, unit immune to morale decrease caused by conflicting alignments with hero or fellow soldiers.

Debuffs

Reductions to enemy unit stats and attributes.

• Hex
  debuff, single enemy attack, armor, and resistance skills -1. effected by enemy resistance. Duration: 4 turns.
• Siege
  debuff, enemy fortification defense reduced; amount depends on skill level.

Toxic Troops

Reductions to friendly unit stats and attributes.

• Marauder
  reduces income from post-battle loot by a certain percentage.
• Plunderer
  reduces income from province in which the unit is located by a certain percent.