Blood & Magic

Blood & Magic is a real-time strategy computer game released by Interplay Productions in 1996. Set in the Utter East region of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting and using the Dungeons & Dragons license, it was the first strategy computer game in D&D.

Plot
The single-player mode includes a tutorial and five standard campaigns of increasing difficulty, with three maps each and two sides to each conflict that the player may choose to play. Completing one campaign at least once unlocks the next, and so on. These are followed by a long randomized campaign across every map three times, followed by a final epic battle. In total, there are 77 matches to play through, but with each standard map played at least five times.

The campaigns each have their own, independent storylines, ranging from traditional to epic and dark to comedic. Before and after each map, the story of each campaign is told by a voice-over narrator, partially in verse, over a series of gradually uncovered images.


 * Tutorial:
 * Voice-over: Steve Kramer
 * In this tutorial set in the Doegan Capital, the player is instructed in gameplay by the Great Mage.


 * Howl of Vengeance:
 * Illustrations: Peter Ledger; Voice-over: Mike Forest
 * Stated Difficulty: Beginner
 * In Howl of Vengeance, the barbarian leader Rathgar the Raider has conquers the kingdom of Doegan, but the dying king curses him, and the princess escapes to enlist the aid of Aelric the Avenger and his undead army. The player chooses either Rathgar to defend the realm or Aelric to retake it.


 * Matchmaker Mayhem:
 * Illustrations: Maurice Morgan & Dan McMillan; Voice-over: Wendee Lee
 * Stated Difficulty: Intermediate
 * In Matchmaker Mayhem, Princess Roxanna of Edenvale duels would-be suitors for her hand in marriage. The player chooses either Roxanna to fend off her suitors or Bryan the Bold to win her affections.


 * Tartyron Unbound:
 * Illustrations: Maurice Morgan; Voice-over: Mike Forest
 * Stated Difficulty: Experienced
 * In Tartyron Unbound, Tartyron, the Lord of Chaos, escapes his subterranean prison and is opposed by the lords of Order, in a conflict of law versus chaos. The player chooses either Tartyron in his fight to escape, or the Circle of Order in their effort to drive him back to his prison.


 * Nuts and !Bolts
 * Illustrations: Brian Menze; Voice-over: Steve Kramer
 * Stated Difficulty: Veteran
 * In Nuts and !Bolts, two feuding, treasure-hunting brothers, Garrulos the Occasionally Good and Wormskull the Artificer find a magical pearl, which Garrulos steals. The player chooses either brother as they fight over the pearl.


 * This is the most overtly cartoonish and comedic of the campaigns. It introduces a new threat, the Juggernaut, a large-sized neutral unit that rampages through the final map and cannot be controlled by the player.


 * Harvest of Horrors
 * Illustrations: Alex Nino; Voice-over: Steve Kramer
 * Stated Difficulty: Expert
 * In Harvest of Horrors, the monsters of the Kingdom of Nix, led by Redfang the Reaper, prey upon the villagers of Vanesci Hamlet. The mage Haradan the Hermit shows up to defend the folk. The player chooses either Haradan as they defend the village and take the fight to the enemy, or Redfang as they defend against invaders and pursue them to the village.


 * This campaign introduces new units on Redfang's side, with the Goblin, Harpy, and Enchanter. There is also a cauldron that converts captured creatures to mana.


 * Legendary/Random Campaign
 * Illustrations: Brian Menze; Voice-over: Mike Forest, Steve Kramer, Wendee Lee
 * In the Legendary Campaign, the player creates their own character (or accepts a randomised one with a selection of names) and begins a campaign across the whole land. The first map is chosen, the rest are random, and each is taken three times. Finally, the player character has conquered all the realms and rules as overlord, before going to the Hall of Legends to face the Immortals and become one.

Gameplay
Blood & Magic is a real-time strategy game, where players take on the role of wizards, using blood magic to create monsters. The game is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting in an area called the Utter East.

The basic units of the game are the basal golems, which are created at the Bloodforge. They provide mana for the production of new units and can be turned into buildings or monsters. When four are placed on a foundation, they may transform into a mystical site dedicated to the kind of magic the player’s choosing. Placing a basal golem adjacent to a friendly mystical site will allow them to change into a different creature, based on the type of mystical site. The player automatically is only able to use the weakest transformation, and can unlock more by researching. Researching costs experience, which is gained by creating or transforming basal golems, creating or destroying structures, casting spells and slaying enemies.

While this approach is original compared to the usual Dune-like system where the player had to harvest or mine resources, it brings its own set of problems. There are no limits on basal golem and almost no limits mana production (the only one being that a player can not have more than 300 mana at one time) and the stationary golems are much easier to protect than moving harvesting units meaning that unhindered exponential growth can easily occur. Also, not having to protect supply routes means less opportunities for strategic thinking, as does the lack of any defensive structures (with the exception of passive walls).

The most egregious deviation from normal RTS gameplay is the extreme micromanagement required for the collection of the game's resources. The golems charge mana individually, and collecting the mana requires a continuous cycle of selecting individual golems and clicking a "transfer" button (or, alternatively, the right mouse button). Golems will eventually transfer mana on their own if they reach their maximum capacity and are left unattended for a long period of time, but this severely impacts their efficiency.

The game's pacing is similar to that of vintage RTS games like Dune II and Warcraft: Orcs & Humans. By comparison, the gameplay is very slow compared to Warcraft II which came out the year prior.

Bases
In order to transform your Basal Golems into higher order units you will need to create bases. A base can be created when by moving four Basal Golems onto a foundation point and selecting the transform option, this will open up a menu with various base types; the type of base you create will affect the units available.

Base options are: Barracks, Temple, Arbor Lodge, Runestone and Crypt.


 * Barracks:

Typically strong and virtuous, the units main traits include power and stamina.

Units: Warrior, Ranger, Paladin (Goblin available in specific levels).


 * Temple:

Combining healing with damage, the temple supplies a range of tools from the healing hand of the Cleric to the might of the Fury.

Units: Cleric, Fury, Paladin (Enchanter available in specific levels).


 * Arbor Lodge:

Although many of their units are not particularly strong, the Arbour Lodge units are nimble and agile. They perform best in woodland terrain, being immune to the damaging effects of poor ground.

Units: Druid, Ranger, Griffon, Nymph.


 * Runestone:

Providing a complete solution of power, range and restoration. Whilst the Wizard and Wyrm units provide the ranged attacks, the power Stone Golem is a suitable 'tank-like' unit, suitable for taking on several opponents at once, with the Gnome repairing the Golem's stone-skin to maintain HP.

Units: Wizard, Gnome, Stone Golem, Wyrm.


 * Crypt:

The more sinister selection of units to choose from in the game, units are typically evil and as such the counterpoint to all other units in the game. Whilst they have many advantages, including the health restoration of the Ghouls and the 'fear' of the Wraith, Crypt units (with the exception of the Gargoyle) can not be healed, making them less likely to survive large battles.

Units: Zombie, Gargoyle, Ghoul, Wraith (Harpy available in specific levels).

AI
The AI is on similar level as in most other RTS games from the 1990s. It can assemble and send small strike forces quite well, can cast spells, find and use magic items, making it a dangerous opponent in the early game. However, it does not coordinate its defences very well, making the endgame an easy cleanup exercise once the player has managed to gain a foothold. Fortunately, the AI does not abuse the possibilities of exponential growth.

Critical reception
The Herald-News gave a mostly positive review of Blood & Magic, saying the variety of units and terrain were two of the game's strong points. It also called the game "habit-forming". Weaknesses noted in the review included the enemy AI and the large number of clicks required for resource management via the basal golems. The Buffalo News gave the game a C rating, calling the storyline "deep".

According to GameSpy, "It didn't take long before gamers started to realize that -- even as the RTS genre was exploding -- there was nothing here that should drag them away from Warcraft II or Red Alert."

Characters

 * Player/Computer Characters:
 * Aelric the Avenger • Bryan the Bold • Garrulos the Occasionally Good • Haradan the Hermit • Lady of Tides • Lord of Flame • Lord of Lands • Rathgar the Raider • Redfang the Reaper • Roxanna of Edenvale • Tartyron • Wormskull the Artificer
 * Randomized Computer Characters:
 * Galen Addakal • Brigitte Bannal • Gim Blacktongue • Wyrin Bloodclaw • Hjerik Broadkin • Moria Chantel • Kala Danirith • Anson Darkeye • Deliah Deguerre • Madja Djiid • Drago Dreadloch • Illnar Dreth • Turik Dumark • Wurt Dumire • Patric Fulgirth • Gareth Gimorrin • Fegg Gnash • Jesse Hearthe • Hariah Highkin • Ebon Lefash • Shari Lightfoot • Adan Longstride • Niro Longtooth • Dawn MacDare • Moro Mitedigger • Eldura Moreen • Sean Mulhaven • Shandra Mystahr • Korr Odahn • Venar Orknal • Stivanu Pantel • Raven Remahr • Tyranis Shagal • Saja Stillwater • Ibin Stormrider • Dumar Sturmarik • Timmis Taern • Darah Thorne • Amber Vikdotter • Willem Warblade • Wulfgang Warts • Olgala Zug •
 * Other Characters:
 * Connor the Clever • Grubkern • King of Doegan • King of Edenvale • Princess of Doegan


 * Baykon the Bard • the Epic Urus • Grey Shian • Haliph Axe • Pavisi the Prophet • Tok Ville the Traveler • Great Mage (Bloodforge)

Creatures

 * Basal Golem Forms:
 * Basal golem: cleric • druid • enchanter • fury • ghoul • gnome • goblin • griffin • harpy • nymph • paladin • ranger • stone golem • warrior • wizard • wraith • wyrm • zombie
 * Other Creatures:
 * brigand • gorgon (Utter East) • guardian (Hall of Legends) • Juggernaut (Wormskull) • peasant • roc • snapping turtle • troll • wolf

Locations

 * Buildings & Sites: Edenvale Castle • Hall of Legends • Hall of Wonder • High Cradle Keep • Old Stone Keep • Puzzle Palace
 * Settlements: Doegan Capital • Vanesci Hamlet
 * Mountains: Forbidden Plateau • Web Mountains • Wu Pi Te Shao Mountains • Yehimal Mountains
 * Wilderness: Herne's Wood • Mines of Mystery • Phantom Pass • Sempadan Forest • Serpent Valley
 * Realms: Doegan • Edenvale • Kingdom of Nix • Konigheim • Realm of Lands • Realm of Fire • Realm of Tides
 * Regions: Utter East • Great Sea

Organizations

 * Circle of Order

Magic

 * Powers: mana
 * Sites: bloodforge • mystical site • (Arbor Lodge • Barracks • Crypt • Runestone • Temple)
 * Items: berserker brew • boar burger • bog boots • daemon's bane • drift disc • frost cape • healing salve • mana orb • might mantle • map • mason mix • Pearl of Power • sacred urn • shrub sprite • storm bracers • teleport tome • trailfinder • verdant shield • virtue veil • weird wand • weird ward

Gallery
Main: Images from Blood & Magic

Game Credits
From the Blood & Magic game manual. This game is dedicated to the memory of Peter Ledger
 * Head Honcho: Brian Fargo
 * Big Cheese: Phil Adam
 * Producer: William Church
 * Assistant Producer: Christopher M. Benson
 * Art Consultant: Todd J. Camasta
 * MAC Consultant: Bill Dugan
 * TSR Foreman: Feargus Urquhart
 * Lead Marketer: Craig Owens
 * Lead Public Relations: Genevieve Waldman
 * Story Prologue Writer: Zeb Cooke
 * Art Director: David Gaines
 * Documentation Designer: Patrizia Scharli
 * Cover artwork based on painting "Deadlock" by: Larry Elmore
 * Localisation Manager: Julian Ridley
 * Traffic Manager: Bill Hamelin
 * Additional Translation: Gary Burke, Sylvie Nguyen
 * Audio Translation: Charles Deenen
 * Music Director: Brian Luzietti
 * Audio Technician: Craig Duman
 * Music Composer and FM Translation: Rick Jackson, Ronald Valdez
 * Sound Effects Composer: Gregory R. Allen
 * Voice Processing: Sergio A. Bustamante II
 * Director of QA: Chad Allison, Jim Boone
 * Assistant Directors of QA: Marvic Ambata, Ronald Hodge, Jason L. Nordgren, Colin Totman, Darren L. Monahan
 * Lead Testers: Erick Lujan, Matthew Golembiewski, Douglas W. Avery, Steve Baldoni, Richard Barker, Jeremy S. Barnes, Greg Baumeister, Evan Chantland, Casey Fawcett, Bill Field, David Hendee, Greg Hersch, Rod Hodge, Darrell Jones, Chris Keenan, Amy Mitchell, Matthew Murakami, Glenn Murray, David Gene Oh, Stephas Reed, Usana Shaddy, Kyle Shubel, Shelby Strategier, Anthony Taylor, Kaycee Vardeman, Steve Victory
 * Director of Compatability: John Werner
 * Compatability Technicians: Marc Duraan, Dan Forsyth, Phuong Nguyen, Aaron Olaiz, Jack Parker, Derek Gibbs, Marc Duran
 * Game Designer, Project Manager, Art Director, Lead Writer: Vasken N. Sayre
 * Lead Programmer (Tigre Game Engine): John Hamilton, Vangelis Van Dempsey
 * Applications Programmer (Cinematics and Support Screens): Kevin Sherrill
 * Character and Environment Animator, Opening Cartoon Designer and Animator: Tramell Ray Isaac
 * Inset and Portrait Artist, Map Designer and Artist: Brian Menze
 * Map Designer and Artist: Jana Darkoski
 * Map Designer and Artist, Campaign Portrait Artist: Leigh Kellogg
 * Background Illustrator (Opening Cartoon): Tramell Ray Isaac
 * Background Illustrator (Tatyron Unbound, Matchmaker Mayhem, Nuts and Bolts): Maurice Morgan
 * Background Illustrator (Howl of Vengence): Peter Ledger
 * Background Illustrator (Harvest of Horrors): Alex Nino
 * Background Illustrator (Nuts and Bolts), Computer Artist (all stories): Brian Menze
 * Tigre Engine Programmers: Vangelis Van Dempsey, John Crane, John Hamilton, Brian K. Hughes, Chris Iden, Kimberly L. Bowdish, Kevin Sherrill, Russell Woods
 * Mac Programmers: John Crane, Kimberly L. Bowdish
 * Mac Artitis: Tramell Ray Isaac, Eric C. Heitman, Robert Collier, Deena Ellias, W. Bryan Ellis, Jay Christopher Esparza, Cheryl Loyd, Brian Menze, Ernst Shadday, Ila Shadday
 * Support Staff (Head Honcho): Chris Iden
 * Support Staff (Big Cheese): Marie Iden
 * Support Staff (Story Prologue Writer, Paycheck Fairy): Nancy Grimsley
 * Support Staff (Office Wrangler): Sonia Graves, Shelly Sischo
 * Support Staff (Assistant Wrangler): Rachel Ackerman
 * Support Staff (Paycheck Fairy): Donna Wyatt
 * Lead Music Composer, Sound Effects Composer: Ron Saltmarsh
 * Music Composer, Sound Effects Composer: Andy Warr
 * Cartoon Colorist Manager: Shaun Mitchell
 * Voice Performance (Main Game, Howl of Vengence, Tartyron Unbound, Legendary Campaign): Mike Forest
 * Voice Performance (Tutorial, Nuts and Bolts, Harvest of Horrors, Legendary Campaign): Steven M. Kramer
 * Voice Performance (Matchmaker Mayhem, Legendary Campaign): Wendee Lee
 * Voice Performance (Voice Director): Melodee M. Spevack
 * Voice Performance (Sound Technicians): Greg Gill, Randy Vandegrift
 * Voice Performance (Voiceworks Liason): Michael McConnohie
 * TSR (Head Honcho): James M. Ward
 * TSR (Forgotten Realms Manager): David Wise
 * TSR (Forgotten Realms Consultant): Julia Martin
 * Additional Graphics / Artwork (Matchmaker Mayhem): Daniel B. McMillan, Richard Morgan
 * TSR Lead: Mark O'Green
 * Additional Translations, German Version: JBI Localization; Los Angeles
 * Quality Assurance Technicians: Bill Delk, Aaron Meyers