Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor is a role-playing video game released in 1999 for Windows computers. It was created by New World Computing and published by 3DO as part of the Might and Magic science fantasy series. The game was released again in 2011 on GOG.com. The story continues the events of Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven and Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia. Players create a group of four characters who win a castle during a scavenger hunt. They become involved in important events on the continent of Antagarich, part of the world of Enroth. Later, players choose between two story paths and join other characters whose story continues from Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra. The follow-up game to For Blood and Honor is Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer.
Gameplay
In Blood and Honor, many aspects of the game are similar to The Mandate of Heaven, but several updates and changes were made to important parts of the game. Character creation now allows players to choose a race for each character—Dwarf, Elf, Goblin, or Human—and adds three new classes: Thief, Monk, and Ranger, which join the existing classes. The skill system was also updated. New skills were added, and a new level of expertise called "Grandmaster" was introduced. However, the system became more limited compared to the previous game. A character’s class now determines not only which skills they can learn but also the highest level of expertise they can reach. For example, a Thief can become a Master of the Sword skill, while a Knight can train the same skill to the Grandmaster level. These changes also affect the Magic system. Some spells were removed, and new ones were added. A character’s expertise level in a magic school determines which spells they can learn. Weaker spells gain more benefits when trained to higher levels of expertise. For example, the "Fly" spell can only be learned by Masters of Air Magic, and those who reach Grandmaster in Air Magic do not use magic points when casting it. The game also updated the visual designs of enemy characters, player models, and items.
In addition to these changes, the game includes new features. Players must make two important choices related to the political conflict between Elves and Humans in the story. One choice is optional but can affect the fate of the party’s realm if completed within a time limit. The other choice is mandatory and significantly impacts the story’s direction. This decision involves selecting a successor to Harmondale’s Arbiter, which determines whether the party follows the Light or Dark path for the rest of the game. This choice changes the game’s display color (white for Light, black for Dark), unlocks new quests based on the chosen alignment, and affects relationships with cities. For example, if the Light path is chosen, guards in Darkness-aligned towns become hostile, and vice versa. This choice also affects the Promotion quest system. While characters can earn promotions to advanced class tiers without choosing a path, reaching the final tier requires selecting a path. This delays promotions until later in the game and determines the quests players must complete and the titles they earn. For example, a Paladin who becomes a Crusader can later become a Hero if they choose the Light path or a Villain if they choose the Dark path.
Another major addition is the minigame Arcomage, which is linked to two side quests. Players must collect a set of Arcomage cards and play the game in all taverns in Antagarich. During the game, both players start with towers of a set height and a wall. The goal is to meet one of two victory conditions set by each tavern: either build a tower to a specific height or destroy the opponent’s tower. Players take turns playing or discarding cards until one side achieves victory.
Story
The game takes place on the world of Enroth, across the continent of Antagarich. The continent is divided into several regions, including the elven lands of AvLee and Tularean Forest, the barrens of Deyja, which contain the necromancer stronghold of The Pit, the swamps and snow-capped mountains of Tatalia, the Bracada desert and cloud city of Celeste, Mount Nighon, the islands of Emerald Isle and Evernmorn, the dwarven lands of the Barrow Downs, the human kingdom of Erathia, and the realm of Harmondale. By the time the game begins, the aftermath of the war in Heroes of Might and Magic III has caused the elves of AvLee and the humans of Erathia to be in a political dispute over the boundaries of Harmondale, with tensions growing slowly.
Following the events of Might and Magic III, where they were part of the player’s party, the eight heroes of Terra—Sir Caneghem, Crag Hack, Maximus, Resurectra, Dark Shade, Kastore, Robert the Wise, and Tolberti—tried to pilot a seedship called the Lincoln to find the Guardians, Corak and Sheltem, who were traveling to the world of Xeen. However, an unknown problem caused the Terrans to drift off course and crash-land near Antagarich on Planet Enroth. Around the same time, two war parties—one of elves and the other of goblins—stopped fighting when the heroes emerged from the sea wearing wetsuits. Both sides saw the eight "sea monsters" arguing before splitting into two groups of four and leaving. The elves reported what they saw to Gavin Magnus, the immortal Grand Vizier of Bracada, while the goblins told the same story to Archibald Ironfist, now the leader of the Necromancers’ Guild of Deyja. Archibald, the brother of King Roland, had fled from the continent-kingdom Enroth (named after the planet) to Antagarich when adventurers from Might and Magic VI freed him from petrification. Both leaders ordered searches for the strange beings.
Meanwhile, on Emerald Isle, Lord Markham organized a scavenger hunt for adventurers, with the prize being the deed to Castle Harmondale on the mainland and its surrounding township. A new group of four player characters won the competition, becoming the new Lords of Harmondale. However, upon arriving, they found the castle in a terrible state of disrepair. After clearing goblins and rats and getting help from Hothfarr IX, the king of the dwarves of Stone City, to repair the castle, the new Lords returned to find diplomats from the human kingdom of Erathia and the elven kingdom of AvLee waiting. Both envoys asked the party to meet their leaders: King Eldrich Parson of AvLee and Queen Catherine Ironfist of Erathia. Through them, the party learned why Markham offered Harmondale as a prize: the castle was located in disputed territory claimed by both AvLee and Erathia, leading to skirmishes despite the efforts of Judge Grey, an Arbiter.
After noticing the castle had been restored, both Catherine and Eldrich asked the party to help settle their dispute by performing a task that could give them an advantage. The party had to decide whether to complete the task within a month or reveal it to their rival. Eventually, a major battle erupted in the Tularean Forest over an important artifact, Gryphonheart’s Trumpet. If the player arrives in time, they must decide whether to give the trumpet to one of the leaders, granting that kingdom victory over Harmondale, or to Judge Grey, making Harmondale independent. If the player does not act, Erathia wins Harmondale by default. Regardless of the outcome, the larger conflict over the Contested Lands continues. A few months after the war begins, Judge Grey dies of natural causes, leaving the party to choose a new judge.
Faced with choosing between Judge Fairweather, a representative of the wizards of Bracada, or Judge Sleen, a representative of the necromancers of Deyja, the party’s decision determines the war’s outcome. If Judge Sleen is chosen, he fails to stop the war, leading to an undead army and placing the party on the Dark path. If Judge Fairweather is chosen, he helps the humans and elves reach a peaceful agreement, ending the war over the Contested Lands and placing the party on the Light path. Once the party chooses a judge, their alignment with Light or Dark cannot change. Afterward, the party travels to the city of their chosen path—Celeste (with Gavin Magnus) or The Pit (with Archibald)—to meet the leader and complete a trial before working on tasks for four mysterious advisors. These advisors are later revealed to be off-worlders and the Terrans who arrived on Enroth.
What the elves and goblins witnessed was not the full story. When the Terrans emerged from the sea, they disagreed about their mission. Resurectra, Robert the Wise, Crag Hack, and Sir Caneghem wanted to rebuild a forgotten Gate built by the Ancients, which could help them reach the Guardians or the Ancients themselves. The others—Kastore, Tolberti, Dark Shade, and Maximus—wanted to revive the Ancients’ broken Heavenly Forge to create powerful weapons and conquer Enroth. Eventually, the two groups split into two parties—one "good" and one "evil"—and began exploring Antagarich. Before separating, each group set traps on the Lincoln to prevent the other from controlling it. Kastore, the elven sorcerer, led the "evil" party and secured a place in Deyja with Archibald to continue researching the Forge. Resurectra, the gnomish cleric, led the "good" party and formed an alliance with Gavin to rebuild the Gate. Both groups discovered they needed champions to control the seedship and recover an important device called an Oscillation Overthruster to complete their goals.
Before the party can retrieve the device needed by Resurectra or Kastore, they must first battle the Kreegan, a devil-like alien race from Might and Magic VI, and defeat their leader, Xenofex. Traveling to the Land of the Giants in Eeofol, the party receives a message from Archibald (regardless of their alignment), informing them that Kastore has taken control of the Necromancers’ Guild. Feeling guilty for his past actions, Archibald asks the players to enter the Kreegan’s fortress, Colony Zod, in the Land of the Giants to rescue his brother, Roland, in hopes of saving Archibald from a death sentence imposed by Catherine. After rescuing Roland and defeating Xenofex, the party watches the Ironfists reunite. Archibald then gives up his claim to Enroth’s throne and leaves peacefully. Roland’s rescue leads into Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon’s Blade.
With the Kreegan…
Reception
The game received good reviews from the website GameRankings. Aaron John Loeb of NextGen wrote, "If you have a strong desire for a new RPG, Might and Magic VII provides a good temporary solution, but it does not offer anything beyond what is expected."
The game was nominated for the 1999 "Role-Playing Game of the Year" awards by Computer Games Strategy Plus and Computer Gaming World. Both awards were won by Planescape: Torment.