The
Epic Level Handbook from Wizards of the Coast is a 320-page tome targeted at player characters who have more than the twenty levels of experience supported by the
Player’s Handbook. This book does not cover topics related to deities or divine ascension. Those topics have been covered already in the book
Deities and Demigods. The assumption is that players wish to continue having adventures as legendary mortals rather than as gods.
Of course, the big question is whether there is anything new between the covers that justifies a price tag of $39.95 (US). There is enough material here that something is likely to be of interest. Whether there is enough to merit purchase is up to you. I’ve obviously already made my decision. This review will look at each of the six chapters in turn. Note that the chapters are large, and each encompasses a number of topics that might ordinarily be broken out into individual chapters. This is a bit of a break from other Wizards products, but the book is logically organized and it works reasonably well.
The overall appearance of the book is good. Expect the same quality of materials as in other hardcover books in the line. The layout is also the same with highlighted page numbers, bars at the side of the page with the current chapter, and the occasional sidebars printed in a slightly different font. I’m rather fond of the way chapters begin in WotC books, with text floating over a page from a sketchbook. Yes, it makes the first page harder to read in poor lighting, but the drawings are always interesting. Of course, the limited number of chapters in this book means that we only get to see a few of these.
Chapter 1: Characters, Skills, and Feats
The first chapter of the book deals with character progression. Character progression can be summed up fairly simply. Those abilities which increase by level continue to do so. There are no special extra powers specific to class listed. Instead, the frequency of feats increases. Bonus epic feats are available every two (for fighters) to five (for monks) levels, based upon character class. Characters also continue to get their normal feat selection every three levels. The only real exception to this is that base attack bonus and save bonuses change to epic attack and save bonuses. Epic attack bonuses do not increase the number of attacks. Epic save bonuses apply equally to all saves. This keeps the number of attacks to a reasonable level, and it prevents an ever-escalating disparity between the different types of saves for a character.
As to prestige classes, any prestige class which has ten levels can extend beyond that maximum. The five examples presented are those classes presented in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Actually, one of my favorite pieces of artwork in the book is the picture of the Epic Blackguard. Note that WotC has a Web Enhancement available that details progressions for some of the other prestige classes that have appeared in different books. There are seven new epic-level prestige classes presented. The Agent Retriever is a hyped-up bounty hunter. The Cosmic Descryer and Divine Emissary are similar to the Planeshifter and Divine Agent from Manual of the Planes. The Epic Infiltrator is a powered-up Spymaster from Songs and Silence. The Guardian Paramount is similar to the Devoted Defender from Sword and Fist. The High Proselytizer is like an epic-level Jehovah’s Witness. The Legendary Dreadnought is the archetypal tank. He literally has the somewhat silly ability to batter down a wall of force with his bare hands. The Perfect Wight is not an undead class. Think of it as a Shadowdancer with an even greater affinity for shadow. The Union Sentinel is a supercop for the epic setting detailed later in the book. As you may be able to tell from the prevalence of the words “similar to” in this paragraph, I was not overly impressed by the variety of these new classes. There aren’t many new ideas here.
Epic skills provide some additional DCs and descriptions for advanced level abilities. Add 50 to the DC and you can open a lock as a free action. Climbing a perfectly smooth ceiling has a DC of 100. Some of the ideas here are not bad. I like the idea of being able to Use Rope in a way that mimics the animate rope spell. Other ideas strike me as too far out. A DC 120 balance check allows you to balance on a cloud! It must be hard to get all of those water molecules properly arranged…
Epic feats make up the rest of the chapter, and they also define the only way characters have to gain truly new abilities. There are 154 new epic feats presented. To take an epic feat, the character must be 21st level or above. Many of them also have other prerequisites. The book continues the classification of feats as General, Divine or Wild used in the various class supplements. Some feats are relatively mild. “Additional Magic Item Space” allows you to wear three magic rings, for example. You only get one extra space, and you have to specify what type of space (ring, hat, cloak, etc.) it is. The rules for stacking bonuses should keep this from getting out of hand, e.g., no wearing three rings of protection 5. Others seem very powerful, like “Vorpal Strike.” The description of this feat reads, “Your unarmed strikes can behead your opponents.” OK. To be fair, the prerequisites are pretty steep. You have to have both strength and wisdom of 25, three other normal feats, one other epic feat, and ki strike 3. Unless a player plans for it, they are unlikely to have the correct prerequisites for many of the most advanced feats. The biggest criticism I have of this section is that psionic feats are few and far between. There is actually a paragraph explaining that you will have to extrapolate psionic feats on your own based upon the metamagic feats presented. Obviously, space is limited, but it would be nice to see a Web Enhancement or article in Dragon addressing this weakness.
Overall, the first chapter was a mixed bag. There is nothing really original in the section on classes, with the epic prestige classes being particularly disappointing. The epic feats provide a nice mix, and some of them show a little imagination. Overall, the concept of relying on feats instead of class for abilities is not bad. In fact, it smacks of systems that don’t use the character class concept. Effectively, once you get past a certain level, character class isn’t as important as it once was.
Chapter 2: Epic Spells
Compared to the first chapter, the second chapter is refreshingly new. Rather than just throw together ever higher levels of spells (as they did in some 2nd edition products), they have developed a system for creating spells of awesome ability beyond the level system. Before a character can cast an epic spell, they have to develop it. Development costs more than most magic items – hundreds of thousands of gp and thousands of experience points, typically. Figuring out how much a spell will cost is based upon a set of seeds which define specific types of abilities and a variety of other factors. The system requires some judgement on the part of the dungeon master. There are 46 sample spells provided, which should be enough for anybody to get started with the system. Another twist is that spellcasters must pass Spellcraft checks in order to cast these spells. These range from DC 27 for Peripety, “ranged attacks against you are reflected back on your attacker,” to DC 419 for Vengeful Gaze of God, “target takes 305d6 damage; you take 200d6.” That number is three hundred and five d6 – it isn’t a typo. Just for reference purposes, the famed Elminster of Shadowdale has Spellcraft 40, so the more powerful spells may never appear in a campaign of any reasonable scope. My favorite spells are Dragon Strike, which summons ten adult red dragons for twenty rounds, and Rain of Fire, which creates a thunderstorm of fire two miles in diameter that lasts for twenty hours.
Epic spells are the thermonuclear weapons of the fantasy gaming world. As such, they should be treated as dangerous weapons. Indicating that an opponent may be developing the Rain of Fire spell could begin an epic quest by the characters to stop him. Such a spell could burn most of a city like Waterdeep or Greyhawk to the ground (of course, I doubt Khelben Blackstaff or Mordenkainen would sit by and just let this happen…). Overall, I’m impressed by the flexibility and thought that went into the system. Keeping such powers in check in a campaign may be a daunting task, however.
Chapter 3: Running an Epic Game
This section talks about how to actually run an epic campaign. There is some advice for how you introduce epic level characters into a world that has yet to see them. Oddly enough, this is broken out in two different places in the chapter. The first part is a brief introduction at the start of the chapter. Later on, the chapter deals with issues such as changes to the demographics for cities and such when epic levels become possible. There is also a new city size of 100,000 people called a “planar metropolis” added to the table.
There are also some descriptions of how to scale up dungeons with things like adamantine walls. The example of a pit trap given strikes me as ludicrously complex. You have a spiked pit with a beholder in it. On one side, where the PCs come from, you have a moving wall pushing them toward the pit. On the other, you have an illusion covering a pit of acid with a black dragon in it. The beholder keeps the characters from just flying over the pit (antimagic cone, after all). The dragon and acid pit wait for teleporters. Sheesh. On the other hand, there is a sidebar called “Mean Tricks for DMs: The Solo Teleporter” that is a joy to read if you have a fiendish streak.
Some mechanical issues are dealt with as well, such as the Time Stop spell and the question of challenge ratings. There are also a host of variant rules provided to deal with situations that stretch credibility. Really, many of these rules and issues are designed to address the fact that the original D&D system was never designed to handle epic level adventures. The good news is that the authors had the foresight to address at least some of these issues. The bad news is that it is likely they haven’t thought of everything.
One of the things I did like about this chapter is the list of 100 adventure ideas. Some of them are quite novel, while others are variations on a theme. One is even a verbatim rip-off of the plot from Peter F. Hamilton’s Night’s Dawn trilogy!
This is a mixed chapter. Some of it shows a good deal of thought and imagination. Some of it is just logical extrapolation of existing rules. Some of it will be just more of the same for experienced DMs. One could argue that inexperienced DMs shouldn’t be running epic level campaigns.
Chapter 4: Epic Magic Items
Ah, yes. Now we come to the chapter filled with headache inducing items of extraordinary power. Who wouldn’t want a “flame burst machinegun of speed, strength and shooting lightning out your bum?” No, that doesn’t actually exist. There is, however, a “ 4 defending everdancing spiked chain of speed.” It only costs 5.2 million gold pieces. That, in a nutshell, summarizes the idea of epic level magic items. They are very, very expensive. You also need an epic level feat or two to create them, but that is about it. That strikes me as an inadequate barrier. My only suggestion is that DMs try to incorporate adventure elements into the creation process. For example, you could argue that 250,000 gp of the cost is to acquire a specific component that just isn’t available (the good intention of a pit fiend?) on the open market. The character doesn’t have to spend that gold, but they have to undertake a quest to find that item. Sadly, the book itself just doesn’t address anything like this as an option. You’ll have to do this yourself.
One minor plus for older folks is the reappearance of some classic artifacts, like the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords and the Codex of the Infinite Plains. The picture of the Axe is very cool by itself. The only real difference between an artifact/relic and an epic magic item is that the former requires the direct action or intervention of a deity. Characters can’t create them, but the epic level rules could allow them to be mimicked. For example, the Mace of Cuthbert is a “ 5 holy lawful mace of disruption.”
This chapter more than any other is likely to cause some serious balance issues. When you stack epic magic items on top of the abilities an epic character has already, you will find yourself scrambling to keep the game challenging for PCs. Monty Haul campaigns are doomed (assuming they weren’t already).
Chapter 5: Monsters
This is actually one of my favorite chapters. Technically speaking, it may be one of the least necessary. The ability to give most intelligent creatures character levels is an inherent part of 3rd edition D&D. You can’t tell me that a 30th level alhoon (mind flayer lich) wizard/psion isn’t a challenge to a party of even epic level. However, this chapter is a combination of good concepts and old favorites that will keep most folks happy, I think.
Some of the old favorites include the demilich, a truly nasty encounter that nobody will forget. New golems include the adamantine golem. This 16 ton monstrosity has magic immunity, 50/+7 damage reduction, base AC of 37, and 297 hp. Even an epic level party is unlikely to take it out in just a few rounds. Anybody who played Baldur’s Gate II will remember encounters with either of these creatures. A smart DM should be able to make them even nastier.
Some of the new concepts are also very good. The idea of facing an evil stillborn god is very creepy. Such a creature would be suitable for a Ravenloft or Call of Cthulu campaign, never mind a typical D&D campaign. Dragons based on force and light continue the trend of themed dragons (like the shadow dragon) in an effective fashion. The living vault is effectively a living room that can be created with one of the epic level spells detailed earlier in the book. There is also a creature called an Umbral Blot, which is basically a sentient sphere of annihilation.
One criticism I have is that they changed the format of the templates provided. Instead of listing them as templates, they appear listed under a sample creature. For example, paragon creatures are listed under the entry for a paragon mind flayer. This reverses the normal order of presentation, and it is a change for the worse, in my opinion. If I want information on a paragon minotaur, it is counterintuitive to have to look under the “paragon mind flayer” entry.
Chapter 6: An Epic Setting
The last chapter of the book is where the designers are allowed to flex their brains. There are some good concepts here. The first part of the chapter focuses on the planar metropolis of Union, a city which is sort of the Babylon 5 of the multiverse where beings meet to trade and negotiate. It is run by Mercanes, the ruthless but generally honest merchants of the planes. A brief sidebar mentions some of the other planar metropolises such as Sigil, the City of Brass, Tu’narath of the Githyanki and the mind flayer city Ilkkool Rrem, but only Union is given any exposition.
The first section details various interplanar organizations of interest to epic level characters, all of whom would presumably have representation in Union. The concepts I like best are an organization of assassins that make sure the dead stay dead, and an organization of interplanar cartographers and explorers along the lines of the National Geographic Society.
The city itself is detailed with history and descriptions of each quarter. There are some unusual characters, of course, such as the 15th-level sorcerer gargoyle half-fiend who serves as a middle-man for custom magic items in the magic quarter. Overall, there is enough detail to let a DM base an adventure or two in the city. A full blown campaign centered in Union would require some additional work, but that is true of almost any setting that lacks the benefit of multiple supplements describing the world.
The second part of the chapter details epic adventures. First is a detailed description of a journey to an epic-level wizard’s tower on the Elemental Plane of Fire. It is structured as a rescue mission, but at the heart of the tower is a major artifact. Overall, the adventure seems well-written. This is not a play-test review, so I can’t comment on how it plays. I will say that one of the encounters seems to require a “trick” solution. The other adventures are more adventure nuggets. None of them show the same level of imagination that the first does, but they are serviceable.
This chapter has enough clever ideas and situations that I would recommend it. Not everything is a gem, but it was a fun read overall.
Appendices
The appendices are worth mentioning. The first two provide epic-level rewrites of the stats for major NPCs from both the Forgotten Realms and the World of Greyhawk. This is a nice touch, especially the latter. Elminster’s Eversmoking Pipe becomes an epic magic item. Iyraclea, the Ice Queen of the Great Glacier comes with two epic-level spells, Icerazor and Ice Fist. You can also find statistics for Lord Robilar’s Metal Destrier or the Ring of the Cat Lord.
The third appendix provides details on epic NPCs. This is really only a starting point. Any NPC of this level is going to require some fairly thorough fleshing out beyond the basic stats.
Final Impressions
So is it worth the purchase price? I would give it a qualified “yes.” Positives include the city of Union setting, some very good monsters, the epic spell system, and some of the epic feats. Negatives include boring prestige classes, ridiculously powerful magic items without enough safeguards, and a suspicion that not all of the rules questions related to epic level campaigns have been properly vetted. If you’re going to run a campaign at an epic level, I would recommend the book. Those who find the concept too much to stomach might be better off going the route of divine ascension, a topic covered adequately in the Deities and Demigods book.
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