Hi there,
So, with GOG having done us and HoMM3 a great favor by gifting us a nifty installer for Horn of the Abyss (if anyone doesn't know, it's an absolute must for playing HoMM3 in 2025), I decided to also share a gift with all the potential new HotA (and maybe even H3) players.

At the moment it is not possible to officially play original H3 campaigns (Shadow of Death, Restoration of Erathia and Armageddon's Blade) in HotA, which is a shame because HotA adds many quality of life features on top of HD Mod.

Some of you may be aware that the original campaigns are extractable and can be launched in Horn of the Abyss as custom campaigns. However, what most people don't know is that HoMM3 actually hardcodes some campaign mechanics that will simply not work if these campaigns are played as custom campaigns - these range from stuff like heroes having a certain artifact in their inventory at the beginning of a scenario to borked victory/loss conditions, like losing the game when *any* of multiple heroes dies, while normally in the map editor you can only place a loss condition on a single hero.

However, I edited those extracted campaigns some time ago to make them work as custom campaigns. I had to workaround these limitations and I did so in many different ways (the full changelog is available in the download), but other than these necessary changes these are still the same campaigns, only fully playable in HotA. I also unlocked their difficulty so that it can be changed. (I also prepared Heroes Chronicles campaigns this way, but because they are a separate purchasable product, I cannot really share them with you guys.)

So, without further ado, here's a link:
https://mega.nz/file/zttHDDxa#TqVle_tLP1-uo9VNh_zWnsGn_n-oFqTFQ2vwNlKAh0Q

Note that the GOG release of HotA has intentionally replaced the original VIDEO.VID file in the Data folder with a smaller one that results in all the original H3 cutscenes being replaced with a black screen. This was to preserve space, as these cutscenes are not used by HotA itself. If you play the above H3 campaigns and want to have cutscene animations visible, you need to copy the original file from the HoMM3 Complete install over to your HotA install. More info here: https://www.gog.com/forum/heroes_of_might_and_magic_series/bad_videovid_file_in_horn_of_the_abyss_install/page1

Hope you like them.

Let me be the first to thank you for this.

The GOG release of HotA has intentionally replaced the original VIDEO.VID file in the Data folder with a smaller one that results in all the original H3 cutscenes being replaced with a black screen. This was to preserve space, as these cutscenes are not used by HotA itself. If you play the above H3 campaigns and want to have cutscene animations visible, you need to copy the original file from the HoMM3 Complete install over to your HotA install. More info here: https://www.gog.com/forum/heroes_of_might_and_magic_series/bad_videovid_file_in_horn_of_the_abyss_install/page1

I can't seem to get it work. No matter where I put the extracted files I can't find any custom campaigns. Is there a tutorial for this please?

Hi, sorry, could have mentioned it in the original post. Custom campaigns, like custom maps, go to the "Maps" directory. You need to copy the files from extracted subdirectories (RoE, SoD, AB) and put them directly in the "Maps" directory. Let me know if it works.

Yes I know that I must extract the files to maps folder. They still don't show in custom campaigns nor can I find them in single scenario maps.

Nevet mind, I'm just plain stupid. :D I somehow have Homm3 complete and HotA in two different folders and I was fiddling with the wrong one.

THANK you for this, now I know what I'm doing on my summer leave.

EDIT 2: AAAAND they still don't show in custom campaigns. Goddamit maybe I just play the HD ones then...

They must be pasted directly into the Maps folder - not in the SoD, RoE, AB folders. Also, on your screenshot I can see that it's in the "HoMM 3 Complete" install, are you sure that's the correct one if you have both Complete and HotA in different directories? :)

<absolute must>
<its a shame>
no its not.

great job to share campaigns, but absolute wrong statements comes from usual this days absolutely wrong behavior (esp in software) of enforcing own opinion onto others.

Facts ("absolute" facts) are not what you want to be. HotA remains optional and questionable balanced, while HotA mod meant to be uncompatible with campaigns which never obviously meant to be played in any fanmade mods.

Even HeroesGL by Verok is optional to play Heroes 3 Complete in 2025, Baratorch HD+ mod (which include HeroesGL as well) is more optional, HotA is more optional (which include HD+ which include Verok's HeroesGL). Clean Heroes 3 Complete from GOG is enough to play Heroes 3 in 2025.

I am not even sure how to reply to that. I thought such figures of speech are commonly understood by everyone and do not need extra clarification such as "When I say it is a must have, the intended understanding should be that it is my sincere opinion that the game is much worse without it - please do not think that HoMM3 is technically unplayable without it".

Yes, to be extremely precise, HotA is optional. AB and SoD are also optional, because the base game is playable without them.

I feel like you are nitpicking for no good reason whatsoever.

Your answer trigger me more...
hat is EXACT the issue. (*)No one(*) called spade a spade this days. Everyone enforce their opinion and use "absolute must" neutral truth words to make own opinion more valuable.
In worst cases (always comes from this one happens here) its ones tell others what to do, and not even sees that. Or not to do. There was a thread in Diablo subforum about diverse mods (and all mods are about diversity in their nature) and one of first posts was person tell OP not to ask such things and not use such words. The ones who use neutral facts words for opinions start to blame few ones who use words for their purpose. im more and more blamed for opinion never actually tells. Like i prefer H3 but maaaybe in some cases would take H4 fans ("H4 best one" side). There is Empire Earth thread with adware launcher which is and isnt by OP words where i come only after his unacceptable way to answer anoter person pointing out about adware. I and other person get alot of opinion words blaming js for opinion still not get direct answer what launcher do (as i get it is install Task and Service into Task Manager to show Patreon click able banner in 24hrs). Then OP tell me go off and never return to EE subforum as its his owned one, because HE IS a EE community.

On some else *forum* i stand again some person incorrectly answer another one about topic title. Which was "Sega Saturn dumps from ReDeump". Issue that it wasnt dumps and not from ReDump. Long and pointless conversation and only one fact remain - not a ReDump not a dump at all, but person blame us two for ours opinions literally used as argument "its just a matter of convenience [sic!], CHD are useful for me so its a dumps for me, so i use dump term".

If you would goes not call spade a spade, moreover called "absolute must" is a matter of opinion in nature of this neutral words - no one will use neutral against you next time. You would go to Internet Archive and find out most of results not what you looking for, incorrectly named and described.
Although its anyway would be no one (thanks to Twitter mostly, a bit less YT/FB/Reddit - ppl forget how to use words properly, lazy to read or speak more than one string).

I tried neutral answer less insulting you as possible, but you did it wrong. Especially and much worse at your answer for me.

Thanks for sharing this!

Maybe you can help with my question: I did as you said and can play the campaigns now, and I can also see the cutscenes. However, the voiceover is not playing. Its quite stupid really - in Festival of Life I, I can hear the Behemoth snoring but not Kilgor talking. So, is there another file I need to copy?

No, unfortunately that's the way it is with custom campaigns. They don't have voice-over in the cutscenes.

Can you at least share changelist for Chronicles for someone to do it himself, if you can't share modded files ?
Or maybe share them with someone who can prove he owns them already ? :)

Playing RoE now, it works great though changes in balance, especially necromancy and learning, make it slightly different game ;)

My dear friend.
Today, I went on a spiritual Journey. To do just that. In a very clumsy, gpt-broken kind of way.
Then you came. and its so recent!! June 2025, no less.
And brought to life this amazing, thought-to-be-niche-but-we-all-crave-for-it project.

You are a legend. Thank you, so, so much!
are you doing other projects like this? do you have Patreon, something?
This should be way more praised than in this sub-forum on GOG!!

-->GPT referred me to this very post for my question =]