Magic
Magic in Olden Era works differently from the earlier games. This guide covers the essentials: how to regenerate your mana, how to take your spells to maximum level, an overview of the four schools, and how cooldowns work.
Mage guild and mana regeneration
Sleeping in your castle no longer automatically restores your mana points, especially early in the game. To regenerate mana at the castle, you first need to build a mage guild, then sleep there.
You also benefit from passive regeneration: you recover 10% of your total mana each turn.
Unified guilds and buying spells
Mage guilds are now unified: you no longer need to travel from one castle to another to learn new spells.
Randomness is also controlled: you can buy the spells you are missing, at any school level, as long as you own the guild of the matching level.
If you build several guilds of the same level, the spells you get in duplicate stack and gain power. These reinforced spells are recognizable by their blue crystal. This is the biggest difference in spell management compared to the earlier games.
Raising your spell levels
Taking your spells to maximum level is decisive to face your opponents in good conditions. Each level adds an effect, often minor at the first tier and sometimes major at the second or third, on top of a power gain. For example, Blessing at level 3 affects all allied creatures instead of just one.
The ways to gain spell levels
| Method | Effect |
|---|---|
| Arcane dust | Manually raises a spell by +1 level, once per spell. |
| School level and sub-skill | Raise the relevant school of magic, then take its "+1 level" sub-skill. |
| Thaumaturgy and Sorcery | At maximum level, +1 level to all your learned schools of magic. |
| Artifacts | The Seven Gods set adds +1 to all schools (+2 if the equipment is enchanted), orbs add +1 in one school and remove 1 level from the opponent, and the magic wand in the secondary weapon slot adds +1. |
| Infinite scrolls | Picked up throughout the campaign, they grant extra spell levels. |
| Heroes with a unique passive | Some heroes add +1 to all spells of a set school, with an extra +1 every 10 hero levels, and completely block that school for their opponents (except against a hero with the same passive). |
In addition, each faction boosts one school of magic through its law points:
| Faction | Boosted school (+1 level) |
|---|---|
| Temple | Light |
| Necropolis | Belladonna |
| Hive | Primordial |
| Schism | Arcane |
| Grove | Temporary spells (scrolls, artifacts) |
| Dungeon | All schools of magic |
- 1Buy the spell in the mage guild: it is level 1.
- 2Raise it with arcane dust: it becomes level 2.
- 3Add faction affinity, or the Dungeon's dedicated building: it becomes level 3.
- 4Raise your school and take the "+1 level" sub-skill: it reaches level 4.
Reaching +3 levels does not guarantee the maximum level in every situation, because your opponent can reduce your spell levels:
- ›A school of magic at advanced level removes 1 level from enemy spells of the relevant school.
- ›The Resistance skill, through its Absorption sub-skill, removes 1 level from all enemy spells.
- ›Magic Absorption, a Necropolis law, removes 1 level from all enemy spells.
- ›The Soul Summoner's Ring artifact removes 1 level from all enemy spells.
It is therefore advisable to aim 1 to 2 levels above the maximum, especially if you play a school that is not your faction's. Thaumaturgy and Sorcery help you reach this surplus.
The four schools of magic
The four schools were founded by four scholars so powerful that they are worshipped as gods. Each has its own identity:
Each school has its strengths and weaknesses. Explore the spell details in the encyclopedia to build your own combinations.
Browse all spellsCooldowns
Every spell now has a cooldown, a mechanic absent from the demo, added to prevent recasting the same overpowered spell every turn. The cooldown depends on the spell's level, not on the spell itself:
| Spell rank | Cooldown |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 5 |
| 5 | 6 |