Let's Design some Alternative Hero specialities (Skill and misc. edition)

[u/9Gardens]

So, last time we tried to invent some more interest spell specialists, and before that some creature specialists.
This time is for Skill specialists... or just any other weird non-combat ability.

One of the (very few) elements of H3 which always seemed underutilized was the Hero specialties; they're a thing, but none of them stand out as all that interesting (Except Dessa and Company)

So, let's invent some alternative Hero specialties and see if we can spice things up!
For this post, I wanted to focus on "Skill specialties", or alternatively any other map-world bonus that you think would be fun to tack on to a creature.

* Would you like a navigation specialist who is immune to whirlpools?
* A Tactics specialist who can cast one spell during the tactics phase?
* Do we want a Scouting specialist who automatically has "spying" within their scouting radius?
* How about one who ADDS this scouting bonus to any Redwood observatories or eye of the magi you happen to visit?
* A Truely inspiration leader who can lead the undead?
* A Beastmaster with wildly high diplomacy... but only while mastering beasts?

Or for some weirder bonuses:
* A hero who counts as an extra marketplace for the sake of determining your rate of trade.
* A Hero who can turn gemstones into spell points.
* A hero who "Surronds" the enemy Whenever they attack an enemy hero (Similar to attacking a creature bank)

What are peoples thoughts? What wild and woolly things can we come up with... or alternatively, what is something which you seriously think should be in the game?

[u/imnotsospecial]

I like the marketplace specialty. That should be a boost for every estate specialist to make the specialty worth it.

Tactics specialist casting an extra spell is OP, but them getting the first spell (apart from siege with artillery skill) might be more balanced.

Navigation specialist who can embark/ disembark without losing movement points.

Pathfinding specialist who negates all terrain penalties. Another pathfinder specialty where the heroe treats non penalty terrain as dirt roads.

Leadership specialist that never suffers negative morale even in presence of events/artifacts that negate morale.

Luck specialist: a n% chance to double luck (2x damage) for every creature in the stack. N being 7 - creature level.

Sorcery specialist: if casted spell kills a creature, heroe recieves temporary n spell power that lasts until the end of the battle, n being targeted creature level (doesn't work on summoned elementals)

Mysticism specialist: regenerates 4 mana for each spell opponent casts

Learning specialist: can level up a skill one extra time every 5 levels.  Another learning specialty is choosing the 8th secondary skill from all available skills. Another one would be to choose from 3 skills every 3rd level up. 

First aid specialist: can permanently res dead units

[u/9Gardens → u/imnotsospecial]

These are fun!

I especially like the sorcery special and the idea of snowballing the spellcasting (Very tactical. Especially powerful at low levels vs weak stacks when your power is 2 or 3, and like... +3 power across a battle is a BIG DEAL)

The "Learning gives 3 skills to select" honestly feels like what learning should do EVERY level in order to make it worthwhile.

Navigation giving better Embarking/disembarking also feels like it really should be part of the base skill (Maybe Basic lets you keep some movement, Expert lets you keep lots of it?)

Mysticism and Leadership bonus both very fun.

EDIT: I guess, for the tactics specialist, I could see the tactics spell counting as their spell for Round one of combat?

[u/guest_273]

A specialist that gives 1 wood & 1 ore would be spicy, but not out of place.

[u/9Gardens → u/guest_273]

Out of interest, would you accept a champion that gave +1 wood, but no ore (or vice versa)
The resource is less valuable, but more commonly used, so.... not sure of the game balance there.

[u/guest_273 → u/9Gardens]

100%.

Usually a sawmill (wood mine xD) and an ore pit (stone mine xD) gives +2 per turn, while the other mines give +1 (Gold Mines giving +1000) BUT then there are the resource artifacts that give 1 Wood & 1 Ore. Also the gold artifacts give 500, 750 & 1000, so it doesn't have to be 'perfectly aligned'.

Fortress could 100% use a specialist that gives either +1 or +2 or even +3 wood per turn. Or maybe Rampart.

Now, a specialist that would give 2 wood & 1 ore would feel weird, but otherwise I feel like these heroes would fit into the game.

[u/9Gardens → u/guest_273]

"All woodmills gives +1 wood per day"...
... okay, that feels more like a building a town would have, not a specialty a character would have... but still feels pretty good.

[u/Bu11ett00th]

I've always thought Scouting should also give you spying at least within a certain range. Love the whirlpool immunity and marketplace heroes as well!

A few of mine:

* Siege specialist - troops gain +1 morale when attacking a castle

* Medic - First aid can now revive a set HP amount of creatures

* Unifier - no morale penalty for 3 different creature alignments (undead still demoralize the living)

[u/goldenfro]

Would be tough to maintain balance but I appreciate the creativity! A couple more ideas:

• Miner specialist who gets +10% from resource piles and/or double mine income on day 1

• Tactician who can invoke one additional retaliation per round in battle

[u/9Gardens → u/goldenfro]

Oh- I like these!
The Tactician with extra retaliation per round is very cool,in that... like you have to correctly guess where your enemy is going to aim their troops.

10% resource collection bonus is pretty cool (Or maybe gaining a resource on the day you claim the mine??) Possibly even have the resource gathering scale with their luck skill or something?

[u/LisanneFroonKrisK]

A scouting specialist with view air always on

[u/Nederbird]

A Scholar specialist who can teach and learn 5th level spells.

An Eagle Eye specialist who also has Magic Channel as a permanent ability.

[u/9Gardens → u/Nederbird]

Okay, how's about the scholar (or Eagle eye???) Specialist who learns shit from monsters.

Fight some basilisks? Learn petrify.
Fight some Archangels? Learn resurrection.

See a Automata explode? Bam- free fireball.

[u/Nederbird → u/9Gardens]

That sounds awesome! Loving it!

[u/peiserzzubonja]

How about a WarMachine specialized Hero or hero class:

For the hero, they may start with one or more war machine units (balista, ammo cart, healing tent) And for the special abilities of each war machines specific hero, they may receive a similar bonus like in Heroes 5 (more health, better efficiency, etc) and one specific hero would have all war machines with the skills already learnt at the beginning

[u/tLxVGt]

Town Portal specialist that starts with the Expert Town Portal spell.

I’m not even sure if it’s /s or not

[u/9Gardens → u/tLxVGt]

Okay, I got it:

A town portal "Specialist"; whenever any opponent casts town portal, they don't portal home, instead they portal to you, and you get to fight them. (IF they win the fight, your hero dies, and they appear in your spot of the map).

Actually wait a sec, that sounds way better as either a artifact (Relic), or as a spell "Disrupt portal".

[u/danieldeceuster]

A tactician who gets to place ALL troops on the field would be so much fun, but totally broken. So after using tactics on yours, you get to do the same to theirs. Still within the regular tactics range so you wouldn't put any stacks anywhere you want.

[u/9Gardens → u/danieldeceuster]

I will tactics all of your archers outside the city walls. Lol.

(This is a fun, and completely busted idea).

One slightly less broken possibility is just... any units are placed in a random order out of position, (So like, if your opponent had their liches in the corner, in position 1 or 7, now they can be in any random position)