Epic Sources

[shai-hulud]

While Epic support has not been terribly prolific in 3.5, there are several sources that provide some of it. The compilation of 3.0 and 3.5 materials supporting epic characters are located here: Wizards Forums. Community-generated feats/classes/abilities will be reviewed and possibly accepted.

[MonkeyAlpha]

thanks!

-Alpha

[shai-hulud]

Oh, btw, if anyone is considering a Hulking Hurler build, a 22 million pound shotput is NOT a valid weapon, even though the iron for it would only cost 2.2 million gold. Even if your character is Colossal-sized and purchased the iron from a Iron Elemental dealer of the elemental plane of Iron, it is still not available.

Check out Ru-Ru for why a shotput is not a valid weapon. In fact, any Hulking Hurler build is limited to 20d6 damage for a thrown weapon (since that is the maximum crushing damage a character can take).

[MonkeyAlpha]

HAHAHAHA...

I was remembering your conversation with Drac in his Arena game about LA/racial HD in a gestalt game and you used the HHurler as an example of a broken PrC...

while on the topic of broken: do you expect us to try to dish max dmg, tweek rules and take advantage of loopholes?
Or are we just making very high level characters?

I guess what I'm getting at is: after having spent a better part of my work day reading up on epic rules and looking at different combinations, the amount of effort building an "uber" PC will determine how powerful it is... having 20% more HD or/and a higher base attack or/and spellcasting or psionics matter less as you finesse complimentary pieces together into an epic character (like your "invicible trio" example in Sunbolt's 100 lvl TOS+ game).

I only ask because the potential for abuse is there, and I like your limitation of the HHurler as a starting point for limiting the abuse.

-Alpha

[shai-hulud]

Come up with a high level character that you find interesting. The point of epic levels is anime style adventures. There are no "rules" for god-slaying. Max damage is not necessary. Imagination and storytelling is.

[fnord]

I was thinking of a cleric, with a few prestige classes and VoP, and the EVoP as listed on the link from the link you posted.

[MonkeyAlpha]

Max damage is not necessary. Imagination and storytelling is.

Perfect!

[shai-hulud]

Classes with Craft reserves will only have their 50th level reserve available for use. For instance, a 50th level artificer has a Craft reserve of 35,000. All previous levels' reserves are assumed to have already been spent.

[MonkeyAlpha]

What about 10 lvl prestige classes with obvious formulas for abilities? May we extend those past 10th lvl in epic levels?

[Benji]

A few questions for my Druid:

1. Will the PrCs Master of Many Forms (Complete Adventurer), Nature's Warrior and Warshaper (Both Complete Warrior) be allowed?
2. Will the feats Natural Bond, Lion's Pounce (Both from Complete Divine) and Close-Quarters Fighting (Complete Warrior) be allowed?
3. I don't know what spells I would take yet, but should I assume that spells from the above three books are allowed?
4. What is the rule on familiarity for Wild Shape? I assume since we are all 50th level, we have seen pretty much everything, but I wanted to be sure.

[shai-hulud]

What about 10 lvl prestige classes with obvious formulas for abilities? May we extend those past 10th lvl in epic levels?

Some yes, some no. They require approval. Post or PM the ones that interest you and I will look into them.

[shai-hulud]

A few questions for my Druid:

1. Will the PrCs Master of Many Forms (Complete Adventurer), Nature's Warrior and Warshaper (Both Complete Warrior) be allowed?
2. Will the feats Natural Bond, Lion's Pounce (Both from Complete Divine) and Close-Quarters Fighting (Complete Warrior) be allowed?
3. I don't know what spells I would take yet, but should I assume that spells from the above three books are allowed?
4. What is the rule on familiarity for Wild Shape? I assume since we are all 50th level, we have seen pretty much everything, but I wanted to be sure.

1. Yes, yes, and yes, but none of the epic versions yet until I can have a chance to look at them more closely.
2. Yes, Yes, and Yes, but keep in mind that Close-Quarters Fighting only grants you an attack of opportunity, not a free attack. That means that if the enemy has a larger reach than you, he can grapple freely without you being able to take the attack of opportunity (as you cannot take an attack of opportunity against an opponent you do not threaten). That greatly reduces the utility of the feat, I realize, but by 50th level, not too much.
3. Most spells from the three books are allowed. I would prefer taking the Spell Compendium version, as that is the newest source. Once your spell list is complete, I will take a look and see if I find anything grossly overpowered, but likely whatever you choose will be fine.
4. It is based on the relevant Knowledge skill. Familiarity for rare creatures indicates that you can beat the base DC by 10 (which is 20+the monster's Hit Dice). Familiarity for uncommon creatures indicates that you can be the base DC (which is 10+the monster's Hit Dice). Familiarity for common creatures is a DC 10. Unique monsters add 50 to the knowledge DC. So, a druid with Magical Beast shape would need to succeed on a DC 118 Knowledge: Arcana check in order to pull off Tarrasque form. By 50th level, with an epic spell, that might just be doable. You may check for a creature once per level.

[Benji]

A few questions for my Druid:

1. Will the PrCs Master of Many Forms (Complete Adventurer), Nature's Warrior and Warshaper (Both Complete Warrior) be allowed?
2. Will the feats Natural Bond, Lion's Pounce (Both from Complete Divine) and Close-Quarters Fighting (Complete Warrior) be allowed?
3. I don't know what spells I would take yet, but should I assume that spells from the above three books are allowed?
4. What is the rule on familiarity for Wild Shape? I assume since we are all 50th level, we have seen pretty much everything, but I wanted to be sure.

1. Yes, yes, and yes, but none of the epic versions yet until I can have a chance to look at them more closely.
2. Yes, Yes, and Yes, but keep in mind that Close-Quarters Fighting only grants you an attack of opportunity, not a free attack. That means that if the enemy has a larger reach than you, he can grapple freely without you being able to take the attack of opportunity (as you cannot take an attack of opportunity against an opponent you do not threaten). That greatly reduces the utility of the feat, I realize, but by 50th level, not too much.
3. Most spells from the three books are allowed. I would prefer taking the Spell Compendium version, as that is the newest source. Once your spell list is complete, I will take a look and see if I find anything grossly overpowered, but likely whatever you choose will be fine.
4. It is based on the relevant Knowledge skill. Familiarity for rare creatures indicates that you can beat the base DC by 10 (which is 20+the monster's Hit Dice). Familiarity for uncommon creatures indicates that you can be the base DC (which is 10+the monster's Hit Dice). Familiarity for common creatures is a DC 10. Unique monsters add 50 to the knowledge DC. So, a druid with Magical Beast shape would need to succeed on a DC 118 Knowledge: Arcana check in order to pull off Tarrasque form. By 50th level, with an epic spell, that might just be doable. You may check for a creature once per level.

1. Spiffy. Wasn't going to take epic levels in them anyway.
2. Also spiffy. Close-Quarter's Fighting was mostly for when I attempt a grapple check myself. My forms will likely be large enough to do that =P
3. I don't actually have the Spell Compendium, but looking at various sources I don't think that many of them are repeated there.
4. Hmm... Could be a bit problematic with some of the forms I wanted... Summon spells could handle most of it, but I wanted a decent dragon form

[MonkeyAlpha]

How are you going to handle Int tracking, with the extra bonuses to our ability scores? Or were the individuals just exemplars of their kind to begin with?

[shai-hulud]

Superstats indicate that you were exceptional. It is how you were capable of surpassing normal mortal limits. Ability scores mean very little. I allowed for rolling only to add the element of randomness. The numbers should be a guideline only. Do not rely on them to do your role playing for you . Having only one superstat is the same as having multiple. You are still super.

[shai-hulud]

By the way, Mystic Theurge, Cerebremancer, and any of the classes that grant +1 level of two different spellcasting/manifesting classes, may be continued into epic levels. If they are, I am going by the WotC forum version of them rather than the SRD version. These classes are not overpowered, and in fact are barely balanced as it is. I see no reason to use the SRD version, which is widely believed to be a joke.

[shai-hulud]

Since enhancement bonuses require a spellcaster of at least 3x that level, +17 will be the cap for enhancement bonuses on weapons and armor. You can have effective enhancement bonuses of whatever you can afford (by adding special abilities), but actual enhancement bonus is capped at +17 (which means an artificer of 49th level could create it).