So why not tinker with them a bit and make them more useful and desirable?
Might heroes
1. Tactics/Combat: GENERAL - All units gain +1 Morale
+1 morale? Oh, goody, well break me off a piece of that! How about we raise the morale bonus to some +3 or/and add another quirk, such as - the hero gains +5 attack/defense,
and +1 speed.
2. Tactics/Nobility: LORD COMMANDER - All units gain +2 Morale
Similar to the above, only here instead of the hero bonuses we could have some sort of nobility boost: some mines/town hall produce more resources? E.g. 10% more gold from your town and gold mine, and 50% more wood and ore from those mines.
3. Tactics/Scouting: FIELD MARSHAL - All units gain a 10% increase in Ranged and Melee Attack
I guess this is relatively solid, perhaps add a small boost to scouting (a further +2 to radius) and maybe pathfinding (5%) or seafaring (10%)?
4. Combat/Nobility: WARLORD - Hero gains +5 Melee Attack
Add +5 Defense and +1 speed, or some such. For the nobility side of it, we could improve the diplomacy skill, or make it cheaper, so that more creatures would want to join the great warlord for a smaller fee.
5. Combat/Scouting: RANGER - Hero gains the ability to shoot (if it didn't already) and gains +5 Ranged Attack
Gains +10 Ranged Attack and no ranged penalty even without the archery skill or any level of it before expert archery, and any Ranged creatures in the hero's army get a 10% bonus to their Ranged Attack.
6. Nobility/Scouting: GUILDMASTER - Hero has a certain chance of stunning an enemy in melee fighting. Stunned enemies cannot do anyting (including retaliate) for one turn
I've never seen the sense in imbuing the hero with such abilities if he didn't have combat to start with. If a combat-less hero engages in combat himself, he'll perish swiftly, stun or no stun.
Something original could be real nifty here, like the hero gets a small tribute from the nearby populace (both mines and towns) in a certain radius (double his current radius?). I'm not sure this would be easy to implement, though, so maybe a more traditional bonus from the nobility and scouting skills instead.
Magic heroes
7. Any 3 magic schools: ARCHMAGE - The effectiveness of all spells increases by 20%
I guess this one is better than most, perhaps just crank it up a notch, say to 25%? If that's not strong enough to match the other (improved) skills, we could also make each spell cost -1 spell points and give an increase in mana (20 spell points), though I'm not sure this is needed (especially the boost in spell points).
8. Order/Life: MONK - Hero gains Chaos Ward: 50% resistence to Chaos spells and 50% protection (increase to Ranged and Melee Defenses) against Chaos aligned units
This is severely lacking. In addition to the hero having Chaos Ward, maybe imbue his creatures with it as well? Increase their attack against Chaos opponents? Give the hero a guardian angel at the start of every combat (being a monk)?
9. Order/Nature: ENCHANTER - The effectiveness of all Summoning and Illusion spells is increased by 20%
Again, raise this, but I'm not sure by how much. Perhaps 25% AND a random stack of creatures (level 1-3) is summoned or illusion-ed at the start of each combat to aid the enchanter. Though perhaps this would fit the summoner better.
10. Order/Chaos: WIZARD - The cost of all spells is reduced by 2
Perhaps also increase the effectiveness of both magic schools by 20/25%?
11. Order/Death: SHADOW MAGE - Hero is constantly surrounded by a cloud which interferes with aiming, increasing Ranged Defense by 50%
Also imbues the hero's army with blur? Casts a random lvl 1-3 death spell on a random enemy target at the start of combat (not interfering with the hero's turn)?
12. Life/Nature: SUMMONER - Increases the effectiveness of the Summoning Skill: Hero can raise +20 XP more creatures per day
+50 HP? Or more, to include the griffin/waspwort/unicorn as well? Could also decrease the cost of all summoning spells by -2 (minimum of 1) and increase the effectiveness of healing spells by 20/25%?
13. Life/Chaos: HERETIC - Hero gains the ability to ignore all effects from Wards
In addition to that, the hero is granted all the level 1 spells from the other 3 schools, despite not having any skills in them. Also, the sorcery subskill, which increases the effectiveness of direct damage spells of any school, now also pertains to level 1-3 life spells (bind wound, holy word, retribution, heal, heavenly shield, holy shout, regeneration, mass healing), increasing their effectiveness.
14. Life/Death: DARK PRIEST - Hero gains Vampirism: for every 2 HP Damage to the enemy, 1 HP is recovered
In addition, the dark priest can 'sing' the spells song of peace, unholy song, mass fervor and mass sorrow.
15. Nature/Chaos: WARLOCK - The Spellpoints of the hero increase by +10 and Spellpoints regenerate +1 per day
The hero's spell points are doubled and he regenerates an additional +2 per day. The hero and any friendly spellcasters are under the effect of mana flare.
16. Nature/Death: DEMONOLOGIST - Increases the effectiveness of the Summon Imps, Summon Cerberi, Summon Venom Spawn, Summon Ice Demons, and Summon Devils spells so that they summon +50 XP more creatures
The above spells summon 20% more creatures. In addition, a stack of cerberi is summoned at the beginning of each combat to guard the demonologist.
17. Chaos/Death: LICH - Hero can temporarily age enemies: Aged enemies have their Attack reduced by 25%, their Defense reduced by 20%, and their Speed and Movement reduced by 50%
In addition to aging, the lich hero is also immune to any mind spells since he is undead. The lich drains mana from the enemy each turn, and causes any spell cast by the enemy to cost double the Spell Points. Also, the lich gains 1 Spell Point per 2 Spell Points used by the enemy
Might and Magic Heroes
18. Order/Tactics: ILLUSIONIST - The effectiveness of Illusion spells increases by 20%
Increases by 50% (or 100%?). Illusions are also affected by positive morale.
19. Order/Combat: BATTLE MAGE - The force of the spells Magic Fist and Ice Bolt are increased by 20%. Magic Fist is automatically learned (if not already known)
The force of those spells is increased by 100%. The hero gains +10 Attack/Defense, and the effects of Flight.
20. Order/Nobility: WIZARD KING - Melee attack reduces the Luck of the enemy to the minimum
Ditch the above. The hero has a greater chance to sway more enemy spellcasting creatures (of any alignment) into his army at a reduced cost. The odds increase with the hero's expertise in the diplomacy and charm subskills.
21. Order/Scouting: SEER - The radius of vision of the hero increases by +2
Radius increases by 5. Movement on sea and land increases by 20%. The town gate spell becomes instantly available.
22. Life/Tactics: CRUSADER - Hero always has maximum Morale
In addition, the hero's creatures get +3 morale/luck, +2 speed and +1 movement.
23. Life/Combat: PALADIN - Hero gains Death Ward: 50% resistence to Death spells and 50% protection (increase to Ranged and Melee Defenses) against Death aligned units
In addition, give friendly creatures death ward and increase their attack against Death aligned opponents by 20%
24. Life/Nobility: CARDINAL - Hero obtains +5% to the Resurrection skill
+50% to the Resurrection skill. An additional 50% increase of the base growth of monks (and crusaders?) in the chosen town.
25. Life/Scouting: PROPHET - Hero has Spiritual Armor which increases Ranged and Melee Defense by 25%
Hero's army (including the hero himself) is imbued with Celestial Armour, the hero's scouting radius increases by 5, and the Endurance spell is cast at the beginning of each turn at no cost to the hero.
26. Nature/Tactics: WARDEN - All units obtain a 10% increase in Ranged and Melee Defense
20% increase. Plus, 20% to summoning spells.
27. Nature/Combat: BEASTMASTER - The effectiveness of the spell Summon Wolf increases by 20%.
This is perhaps the worst advanced class ever. How about we increase the effectiveness of all level 1-2 nature summoning spells by 100%. It may sound like a lot, but it will lose it's appeal when the hero learns higher level spells. The hero's attack and defense are increased by 10.
28. Nature/Nobility: BEAST LORD - The effectiveness of the spells Summon Wolf and Summon White Tiger increase by 20%
Almost as bad as the beastmaster class. We could give the hero the effects of snake strike and giant strength. The base growth of wolves, tigers, unicorns/griffins is further increased by 50%.
29. Nature/Scouting: BARD - Hero always has maximum Luck
Grants fortune to the hero's army as well? I guess this is powerful enough. If not, we can add some more, i.e. the hero can cast song of peace, or increase the morale of his troops by +2, or something to that effect.
30. Chaos/Tactics: PYROMANCER - Hero constantly has a Fire Shield which inflicts damage on any who attempt a melee attack
The Pie Romancer.
All of the hero's units have fire shield and bloodfrenzy, their melee and ranged attack increases by 10%.31. Chaos/Combat: FIREGUARD - The hero gains complete immunity to fire-based spells. Fire-based attacks inflict only half damage
In addition to that, the hero's Attack/Defense increase by 10, and he gains +2 speed. Creatures in the hero's army receive a 10% bonus to their melee and ranged defense.
32. Chaos/Nobility: WITCH KING - Melee attack induces Fear: the enemy does not retaliate and flees several spaces
In addition, gold mines/town halls produce 25% more gold, out of fear of the witch king's reprisal. Direct damage spells do 25% more damage.
33. Chaos/Scouting: FIRE DIVINER - The effectiveness of all fire-based spells increases by 20%
...by 100%. (Too much?) The hero and his army receive only 50% damage from fire-based spells and enemies with a fire attack.
34. Death/Tactics: REAVER - Hero constantly has Bloodlust (+25% Damage)
In addition, the hero's army gains 10% to their attack and defense, and the effects of poison and plague are doubled.
35. Death/Combat: ASSASSIN - The Speed and Movement of the hero are increased by +3
In addition, the hero gains +10 to his Attack and Defense. At the beginning of each combat, mass curse and mass weakness are cast.
36. Death/Nobility: DARK LORD - Melee attack reduces the Morale of the enemy to the minimum
Nobility further increases the growth of death creatures: imps and skeletons receive 100% growth, cerberi/ghosts 50%. Raise spells (Skeletons, ghosts, vampires, Animate Dead, Death Call) bring back 50% more creatures.
37. Death/Scouting: NINJA - The weapon of the hero becomes poisoned: the posioned enemy takes damage every round from the time of injury until the end of combat
Also, the hero's radius increases by +2 and the Stealth skill gives twice as much experience, and the hero's movement increases by 10% on land and sea. At the beginning of each combat round, the spell Life Drain is cast (if there are Life or Nature opponents present) at no cost to the ninja.
Phew, this was exhausting! And since all of those were off the top of my head, some of my propositions are bound to be over/under-powered, so your feedback is more than appreciated.
Let's make the advanced classes useful, fun and unique!
