Lords of Magic: Special Edition (LOM:SE)
Guide Version: 0.5
Written By: MangoMan (Dave Cousineau)
Email:
[email protected]
ICQ: 1378431
Please feel free to send me any questions you may have that were not answered
here.
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General Game Concepts:
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LOM:SE is a hybrid RPG/Strategy game. There are eight Faiths(factions/races),
which are Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Order, Chaos, Life, and Death. Your goal as
one of these faiths is to build up a strong military force, and ultimately
eliminate the Death faith. (If you ARE Death, your goal is to eliminate ALL of
the other Faiths)
Armies consist of Champions, and Units(Military and Magical). An army consists
of three groups, each group having at most one Champion, and at most three
Units. All Champions and Units have Statistics, including Attack, Defense,
Hit Points, Mana, Movement Points, Ranged Attack and Strength, Strength,
Dexterity, and Wisdom. There are also many other statistics that you cannot
see(such as Luck, Rate of Fire, Missle Speed, Sight Range, etc...) This is
important because many items will increase these, even though you cant see
them. Many Units will actually contain three individuals, but they will
respawn as long as one individual remains.
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Statistics:
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Level:
All Units, including Champions, Military Units, and Magical Creatures, have an
Experience Level. Only Magical Creatures are unable to increase their
Experience Level(exception: the Lich, and Sir Lancelot). As Units win battles,
they gain Experience. Once they have accumulated enough Experience, they gain
a level. The tougher the encounter, the more experience your army will
receive. NOTE: Experience is divided between ALL Units in your army,
regardless of whether the unit actually uses any of it! If your army contains
12 units, but only one of them can gain Experience, (ie: the other Units are
either Creatures, or Units that have maxed out their levels) he will receive
only 1/12th of the Experience, and the other 11/12ths will be wasted. If in
the same example, he was the only surviving unit, then he would receive 100%
of the Experience.
Maximum Experience Levels are Level 5 for Military Units (except Knights which
can gain level 6), level 10 for Champions, and level 12 for Lords. Magical
Creatures can range anywhere from Level 1 to Level 15. (except for the Lich
and Sir Lancelot which max out at Level 10, i think)
When a unit gains a level, any of its other stats may increase in various
amounts. NOTE: A Unit's level will make a large difference, regardless of any
other stats. ie: a level 8 Unit will be stronger than a level 5 Unit, even if
their other stats are identical.
Attack and Defense:
Attack determines how much melee damage the unit does. Without enough Attack,
you may not even be able to damage an opponent. Defense is the counterpart to
Attack. When two or more Units engage in melee combat, their Attack and
Defense values determine which Units are able to damage other units. If a
target has more Defense than the attacking Unit, the attacker will have a hard
time causing any damage, and may even be unable to damage it at all. For
example, a Unit with 30 Defense being attacked simultaneously by 10 units that
each have only 8 Attack will most likely be unharmed, even after fighting for
a long time.
Hit Points:
The more HP a unit has, the more successful hits it will take to kill the
unit. Once HP reaches zero or less, the unit dies.
Mana:
Only Mages will have Mana. Mana is used to cast spells. Each spell has a Mana
Point cost, and when cast, the cost is subtracted from the remaining Mana. You
may not cast a spell if you do not have enough mana. Mana regenerates
completely every turn. So the more mana you have the more spells you can cast
per turn. You can also purchase Mana Potions that will replenish your Mana by
up to 12pts.
Movement:
This value is only used on the World Map. Depending on your Faith, and the
terrain that you're traveling over, each point will let you move a certain
distance. An army is limited by the unit with the least amount of movement
points. Armies that only consist of Units, and no Champions, will receive a
severe movement penalty.
Ranged Attack and Strength:
The top number is the Attack value of the Unit's Ranged Attack. This is
identical to the Attack stat. The second number is the range of the Attack.
Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom:
No one knows exactly what these stats do. After tinkering around with stats
for a few hours in the custom editor, I have come to the following
conclusions:
Strength:
Seems to relate to the Attack stat most, but in no consistent manner. Usually
1pt STR = 1pt Attack, but this is not always the case, and other stats seem to
be affected too.
Rest assured more Strength is good, and it's (probably) most important for
Warriors/Melee Units.
Dexterity:
Seems to relate mostly to Defense (I would also guess ranged attacks). Like
Strength it behaves in no consistent manner, but is close to
1pt DEX = 1pt Defense, though other stats also seem to be affected.May play a
part in to-hit chances.
Like Strength, more Dexterity is better, and it's (probably) most important
for Thieves/Ranged Units.
Wisdom:
The only consistency I have observed with any of these three stats is Wisdom.
While I still can't be 100% sure, it seems that (for Mages only) 1pt Wisdom
always = 1pt Mana. (NOTE that there is a base amount of mana, so they are not
usually the same number)
Obviously Wisdom is (probably) most important to Mages.
There are three types of Champions, and three types of Units:
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Military Units:
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Cavalry and Infantry:
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These are standard melee fighting units. Cavalry tends to be stronger than
Infantry, but more costly. Specifically, Cavalry tend to have higher Attack
and Defense values, as well as more Movement points, while Infantry tend to
have slightly more hit points. (not sure why though). Every Faith has one
Infantry Unit, and one Cavalry Unit.
Abilities: (these all apply to Warriors as well)
Berserk:
When fighting, melee units have the option to Berserk. When Berserking, your
Defense stat becomes 0(zero), and half of your original Defense is put towards
Attack.
The reason you would want to do this is when the enemy is stronger than you
are. If you fight a strong enough opponent, you may be unable to damage him.
In this case, use Berserk and you will have a much better chance. BE CAREFUL
though because your Defense will be zero, so you will take extreme damage from
any incoming attacks. Most useful to take out one or two very strong opponents
quickly. Sometimes Berserk is the difference between winning and losing.
(NOTE that units with very low Defense stats (Fire and Chaos) will not see a
large difference when Berserking, while units with very high Defense stats
(Earth) are the best Berserkers.)
Defend:
Choosing Defend and selecting another unit or a location will cause the unit
to move to that unit/location and defend it by waiting and attacking any enemy
that draws near. The unit will not chase down an enemy, but will remain at the
location specified.
Parry:
The opposite of Berserk. To Parry, choose Defend, but select yourself.
Parrying does the same thing as Berserk, but in reverse. Your Attack becomes
zero (you wont be able to attack anyway) and half of your original Attack
value is added to your Defense. In effect, the unit is concentrating all of
it's weapon skills in order to deflect incoming attacks. Logically, a unit
that is very skilled with a weapon would be better at this. Units with very
high Attack stats (Fire and Chaos) would be able to Parry very well, but units
with very low Attack stats (Life, Air) would not.
(NOTE: In order to use Parry with Units that contain three individuals, you
must first deselect any Units you have selected by right-clicking on open
terrain, then ctrl-clicking on the desired individual to select only that one.
Then select Defend and left-click on him.)
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Ranged Units:
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Every race has one Ranged Unit. Obviously their usefulness lies in the ability
to attack from afar without actually enaging the enemy. They can also fight
hand-to-hand, but it is never a good idea unless there is no alternative.
Abilites:
Defend/Parry: (Thieves do not have defend/parry)
Same as above. (Ranged Units will not tend to see a large effect from
Parrying)
Aimed Missle: (Thieves do have this)
Aimed Missle works very similar to Berserk, but not exactly. You receive 50%
more Ranged Attack, at the cost of most of your attack speed. The reason is
the same as Berserk, if you are unable to damage your enemy properly, then use
Aimed Missle and you will start to do much more damage.
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Magical Creatures:
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Every Faith has four Magical Creatures. These vary widely, and follow no set
pattern. Some come with cool abilities, some are nigh invulnerable, some are
actually Champion Units, and others are the equivalent of an entire army in
one unit.
Usually a Faith has a standard Creature, a strong Creature, a very strong
Creature, and an incredibly strong Creature. The latter one is known as a
Legendary Creature, and each one may only be summoned once per game. (except
for Water's Giant Spiders; you can have as many as you want, and they come in
groups of two)
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Other Units:
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Each Faith also has one scout unit, and one ship unit. Scouts are for
scouting, Ships are used to transport Units over water. (or to scout over
water if you have no air units.)
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Champions:
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Warriors:
Warriors are always melee fighting units and have no ranged attack. Their
main purpose is to be an exceptionally strong melee unit. They tend to have
the highest Attack and Defense statistics.
Rally:
The only special ability that Warriors get is Rally. Using Rally will increase
the Attack and Defense statistics of Units in the same group by 1 point,
although only certain units are affected. This means that it is important to
choose which units fight along side the Warrior.
Mage:
Mages are the only units in the game that have spell casting abilities. They
have a limited amount of mana points, and a set of Spells that they can cast,
each casting using up some amount of mana points. They are incredibly weak
melee fighting units, and receive no ranged attack, except for their spells.
Other than spells, they receive no special abilities.
Thief:
Thieves are the only Champion unit that has a ranged attack. They are not very
strong melee fighters, but make up for it with their large amount of special
abilities:
Thief Abilities:
Stealth:
You can use Stealth both in combat and on the main map. If you successfully
sneak, you will be 100% invisible. If you attack you will immediatly become
visible again. If you are failing to sneak there will be a red targeting
circle drawn over you to show that you've been detected. Moving and getting
too close to the enemy will lower your chance of successfully sneaking. You
also must be sneaking in order to Spy, or Steal
(NOTE: Most of the following abilites will tend to both reduce your fame, and
also lower other Faith's opinions of you. The game will let you know of any
changes. Also, if you are caught spying or stealing, you may be attacked
or even taken prisoner)
Spy:
While Sneaking, move into an enemy army. (If you seem to simply attack the
army, the unit failed) From there choose Spy and if you are successful, you
will be able to see detailed information on the army you are spying on, such
as Experience levels, artifacts, statistics, and resources. This is useful if
you are unsure if you want to attack that particular army. You may also be
able to garner information about the Faith as a whole.
Steal:
If you choose Steal instead of Spy, you can try to steal Resources or
Artifacts. In order to know what there is to steal, try Spying first.
Subdue:
In combat only, you can try to Subdue an enemy Champion. When Subduing you
will appear to be melee attacking the enemy. Each time you strike, you have a
chance of succeeding. If you are repeatedly unsuccessful you may end up
killing your target. Once you have succeeded, and if you also win the battle,
the Champion will become your prisoner. (NOTE you cant subdue an enemy Lord,
if you do, its the same as if you killed him)
Knockout:
Each turn, any prisoners you have will get a chance to escape. If you Knockout
the prisoner, he will not be able to escape, but you will not be able to use
him for anything either.
Interogate:
The main reason to capture an enemy Champion is to Interogate him. After a
successful interogation, there are many things you might learn about their
Faith, such as updated map areas, military strengths, artifacts in their
possession, spells they have learnt, resource amounts, etc...
Torture:
Has a better chance of obtaining more information, but the political
ramifications are much worse, and you might also kill the prisoner.
Execute:
The only way to get rid of the prisoner without letting him go. Don't expect
other Faiths to like you much if they find out though.
Free:
The only way to get rid of the prisoner without killing him. There is a chance
other Faiths will like you more if you Free a prisoner.
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Selecting a Leader Type:
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When starting a new game the first thing you will have to do is choose a
leader type. When you play the game, you are a Lord Unit. A Lord is just like
any Champion and is either a Warrior, Mage, or Thief. The main difference
between Champions and Lords is that Champions can only reach 10th level,
whereas Lords can reach 12th level (although it takes a really long time). See
the above section about the three different classes to determine which one you
want to pick.
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Selecting a Faith:
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Next you must choose one of the eight Faiths (you must beat the game once
before you can try Death)
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Air:
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Storm Giants and Faeries.
Strengths: Very powerful Mages, very strong Magical Creatures, many flying
units, very fast Units, best stealth
Weaknesses: Weakest Military Units
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Earth:
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Dwarves, Hobbits, and Gnomes.
Strengths: Strongest Military Units, Very strong Legendary Creature.
Weaknesses: Slowest Units. Not very good Mages. No air units.
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Fire:
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Fire Giants and Fire Dwarves.
Strengths: Highest Attack scores. Extremely good Mages. Very strong Magical
Creatures.
Weaknesses: Most Units have very low Defense scores, and low Movement points.
No air units.
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Water:
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Amazons and LizardMen.
Strengths: The best Ships, as well as the only two water Units in the game, as
well as an amphibious unit.
Generally solid troops. They start surrounded by water, so they encounter far
less of the enemy at their capital.
Weaknesses: Weakest Magical Creatures.
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Order:
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Humans(Civilized)
Strengths: Best Cavalry(Knights). Very Balanced.
Weaknesses: No specific weaknesses, except maybe, their lack of strengths.
No air units.
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Chaos:
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Humans(Barbarians)
Strengths: Most Units have extremely high Attack scores. Very powerful Mages.
Spells are very Chaotic.
Weaknesses: Worst Ranged Units. Units tend to have very low Defense scores.
Spells are very Chaotic...
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Life:
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Elves
Strengths: Very good Mages, the best ranged units, flying Magical Creatures.
Weaknesses: Second weakest melee units.
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Death:
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Dark Elves
Playing as Death is different than the other Faiths. As Death, you are given a
lot of freebies, but every single Faith is your enemy and they all start
somewhat strong.
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Spells:
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Standard Attack Spell: (Combat)
Damages one Unit. Effect increases with Level
Faith Name Effect Cost
----------------------------------------------------------
Air Lightning 3 + 1/2 Level 2
Life Spirit Arrow 3 + 1/2 Level 2
Order Righteous Bolt 3 + 1/3 Level 2
Water Ice Bolt 3 + 1/3 Level 2
Death Curse 3 + 1/3 Level 2
Fire Flamedart 3 + 1/3 Level 2
Earth Rocksling 3 + 1/4 Level 2
Chaos None n/a
Minor Regenative Spell: (Map)
When cast on an army, the army heals faster when not traveling.
All effects last 3 turns.
Faith Name Effect Cost
----------------------------------------------------------
Life Purify Wounds +3hp/turn 2
Water Cleanse Wounds +3hp/turn 2
Order First Aid +2hp/turn 2
Fire Cauterize Wounds +2hp/turn 3
Chaos Tourniquet +2hp/turn 4
Air Ether Gauze +1hp/turn 3
Earth Poultice +1hp/turn 4
Death Purge Wounds +1hp/turn 4
Travel Buff Spell: (Map)
Increases an armies movement points by some percentage.
Effects last 1 turn
Faith Name Effect Cost
----------------------------------------------------------
Earth Trailblaze +33% Movement 2
Fire Wildfire +33% Movement 4
Order Forced March +30% Movement 2
Death Funeral March +30% Movement 2
Water Riptide +25% Movement 2
Life Invigorate +25% Movement 4
Chaos Wanderlust +15-55% Movement 4
Air Windwalk +15% Movement 2
Teleport Artifact: (Map)
Teleports All Unequipped items from the caster to the target army.
Faith Name Effect Cost
----------------------------------------------------------
Air 3
Chaos 4
Life 5
Water 5
Earth 5
Order 7
Death 7
Fire 7
Terraforming Spell: (Map)
Changes the selected terrain into some other terrain type.
Faith Name Effect Cost
----------------------------------------------------------
Air Ice Tundra 4
Chaos Wind of Change Random Terrain 4
Fire Lava Flow Lava 6
Life Create Plain Meadow 8
Order Survey Plain 8
Water Make Land Land from Water 8
Earth Clay Earth *Mountain 8
Death Pestilence **Swamp 10
*- Also elevates the land
**- Pestilence also targets an army and damages its units 5 + 1/2 Level
Detect AntiFaith: (Map)
Detects nearby armies on the map within 20 tiles of caster.
Faith Name Cost Effect
----------------------------------------------------------
Water Detect Fire 4
Order Detect Chaos 4
Earth Detect Air 4
Death Detect Life 4
Chaos Detect Order 4
Fire Detect Water 4
Air Detect Earth 8
Life Detect Death 8
Seer: (Map)
Reveals map where targeted. Also shows evil Faith's armies, but no
AntiFaiths
Faith Name Cost Effect
----------------------------------------------------------
Water Seer 4 Chaos, Death, Earth
Order Seer 4 Death, Fire, Earth
Air Seer 4 Chaos, Death, Fire
Life None n/a
Earth None n/a
Death None n/a
Chaos None n/a
Fire None n/a
Dispel Magic: (Map or Combat)
Removes effects from target(unit or army) if caster is one level
less than original caster, or greater.
Faith Name Cost Effect
----------------------------------------------------------
Death Dispel Magic 2
Chaos Dispel Magic 2
Air Dispel Magic 3
Water Dispel Magic 4
Order Dispel Magic 4
Life Dispel Magic 4
Earth Dispel Magic 4
Fire Dispel Magic 4
Capital Spells: (Map)
Provides various bonuses when cast on a capital.
Effects are permanent, but the same spell wont stack.
Faith Name Cost Effect
----------------------------------------------------------
Life Holy Enchantment 2 1 + 1/3 Level Fame/turn
Life Sanctuary 4 +1 Sight; works 3x max
Order Watch Tower 4 +1 Sight; works 3x max
Order Inspire 4 +1 Fame/Gold/Ale/Crystal
Chaos Invoke Fate 4 +1 Random
Air Windmills 4 +1 Ale
Fire Fireworks 4 +1 Fame
Earth Gold Rush 4 1 + 1/3 Level Gold/turn
Water None n/a
Death None n/a
Party Spells, Offensive: (Map)
Causes some bad effect to each unit of the selected enemy army.
Faith Name Cost Effect
----------------------------------------------------------
Death Pestilence 10 5 + 1/2 Level Damage; makes swamp
Death Locust 8 4 + 1/5 Level Damage
Fire Meteor Shower 10 3 + 1/2 Level Damage
Earth Earthquake 8 4 + 1/4 Level Damage
Air Sandstorm 4 2 + 1/2 Level Damage; -4Move Pts
Water Fog 4 -50% Movement, -2 Sight for 3 Turns
Chaos None n/a
Order None n/a
Life None n/a
