Heroes Chronicles

Heroes Chronicles is a series of eight stand-alone campaign episodes built on the Heroes of Might and Magic 3 engine, released from Sep 27, 2000 to Jun 1, 2001 by New World Computing and The 3DO Company. They follow Tarnum, a barbarian tyrant made immortal by the gods of his people and sent through the centuries to atone for his crimes. Each episode is a short campaign of linked maps that plays like Heroes 3 itself, but needs no copy of the game, has no multiplayer and is not part of the Complete Edition.

Quick facts

The episodes in order

Wikipedia gives these dates and the order GOG uses, which puts the two download episodes after the first four retail discs rather than following the release order. The four retail chapters came out in two pairs, in September and November 2000, at about half the price of the original game; The World Tree and The Fiery Moon were free downloads from 3DO's website for owners of two and three retail chapters; the last two were sold together on one disc, The Final Chapters, in June 2001.

The downloads only installed on US copies of the retail episodes, so outside the United States they were first playable in GOG's 2011 release, Wikipedia says.

Tarnum's story

Wikipedia describes Tarnum as "a barbarian judged unworthy of Paradise due to his crimes". In Warlords of the Wasteland, set centuries before Heroes 3, he leads his people against the Bracadan wizards who rule them, but enslaves the Mudlanders and slaughters innocents along the way, and is brought down by Sir Rion Gryphonheart, who becomes Erathia's first king. The Ancestors refuse him Paradise and make him immortal instead, sending him on quest after quest as punishment: as a knight to rescue Rion's soul, as a wizard against the Elemental Lords, and as a beastmaster to free the Mudlanders, who become the nation of Tatalia seen in Heroes 3.

The episodes jump around the timeline. Clash of the Dragons and The Sword of Frost come after Armageddon's Blade, and the last one ties the series to the main story: Gelu, who holds Armageddon's Blade, seeks the Sword of Frost despite a prophecy that the world will end if the two blades ever clash. Tarnum poses as an overlord of Nighon to lead armies of monsters against Gelu and the barbarian king Kilgor, only to find that Kilgor's wife Kija has already taken the sword. Wikipedia says the ending sets up the destruction of Enroth in Heroes 4, where Tarnum returns. The wider story is on Story.

How it differs from Heroes 3

The engine is essentially unchanged, so towns, heroes and battles work as in Heroes 3. The differences are in the package: Wikipedia says the episodes were "intended for newcomers to the franchise", short and easy, with towns limited to a few types at a time (as Eurogamer noted) and more generous resources; each is a fixed campaign with short cutscenes; and there is no multiplayer. They were not included in Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete, which came out while the series was still being released. For the main game's own campaigns, see Campaigns.

Reception

Wikipedia reports mixed reviews: critics praised the familiar gameplay but called the series a cash grab for adding nothing new, and noted that the Complete edition offered far more content for the price of two chapters. The Spanish magazine Extreme PC gave the first four chapters 79%, citing the missing multiplayer, and Eurogamer called the writing "fairly poorly written, at times long-winded, and rather stilted".

Where to buy

All eight episodes were re-released on GOG on Jun 23, 2011 as one pack, "All Chapters", according to Wikipedia; that is the way to play them today. They are not part of the Steam or GOG Complete edition. Where they sit in the series is on Heroes of Might and Magic Series.

Frequently asked questions

What is Heroes Chronicles? Heroes Chronicles is a series of eight stand-alone campaign episodes built on Heroes of Might and Magic 3, released from 2000 to 2001, that follow the immortal barbarian Tarnum and need no copy of Heroes 3 to play.

In what order should I play Heroes Chronicles? GOG orders Heroes Chronicles as Warlords of the Wasteland, Conquest of the Underworld, Masters of the Elements, Clash of the Dragons, The World Tree, The Fiery Moon, Revolt of the Beastmasters and The Sword of Frost; the story jumps in time, so Revolt of the Beastmasters is set between the second and third episodes.

Who is Tarnum in Heroes of Might and Magic? Tarnum is the hero of Heroes Chronicles: a barbarian tyrant judged unworthy of Paradise, made immortal by the Ancestors and sent on quests as a knight, wizard, beastmaster and overlord across the history of Antagarich, who returns in Heroes 4.

Does Heroes Chronicles have multiplayer? No: Heroes Chronicles has no multiplayer, unlike Heroes of Might and Magic 3; each episode is a single-player campaign.

Is Heroes Chronicles part of Heroes 3 Complete? No: the Heroes Chronicles episodes are not in Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete; GOG sells all eight separately as Heroes Chronicles: All Chapters.

Sources

• Heroes Chronicles, Wikipedia (episodes, dates, plot, format, reception, GOG release), revision of Oct 8, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade, Wikipedia (The Sword of Frost continues the Blade's story), revision of Oct 4, 2026
• Heroes of Might and Magic III, Wikipedia, revision of Oct 19, 2026