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I had put off buying the Epic Level Handbook because I had no intention taking characters to such a high level, either as a player or DM, but since I kept flipping through it in the shop, I decided there was enough in there which I'd use. This review is based on my impressions of the book and I what I would using it for, which is not going to be for high level play.

The book starts with epic level characters, defined as any character with more than 20 levels. Two main changes happen then. First, all character classes improve there attacks and saves at the same rate, and they gain access to epic level feats. Reading through these feats, it becomes apparent that the book has a split personaity. While some feats obviously belong here, such as an improved toughness which gives 20 hit points, others don't. There's a feat which gives you your sneak attack bonus when making an attack of oppurtunity. The requirements are 8d6 sneak attack damage and 21 DEX. Is there any need for this to be Epic? The requirements as they stand are high enough that you need to be 15th level, and it does not seem excessively powerful for that level.

Skipping ahead to the monsters chapter, there are more examples of split personality. The monsters chapter is the second best in the book - there are some fantastic ideas here. There is a whole new group of monsters, the abominations, which are the illicit offspring of various deities. Think Scylla and Charybdos from Greek mythology. Abominations are suitably powerful, from the children of fire gods trapped in the earth's core, to my favourite, the atropal, the undead aborted foetus of a godling (yuck!). These things make great plot devices even if players will never meet them personally. Other highlights are the LeShay (a race of immortals predating the current multiverse and bearing an uncanny resemblance to Melniboneans) rules for really old dragons, mithral and adamantite golems, and the ruin swarm (collected vermin who act as one due to magical contamination at particular site).

Yet also in the monsters chapter are a number of creatures which look quite reasonable until you look at their hit dice and armour class. You can take half the creatures in this chapter, halve the hit dice, armour class and ability bonuses, and still end up with pretty much the same creature with a CR about 8 lower with the same special abilities. Demiliches, winter wights, mercane/arcane and brain collectors have all been brought back from previous editions, and only the brain collectors have anything interesting added to them.

The best chapter is the one on running high level campaigns. Some of the stuff about divinations and teleports is repeated from WotC high level modules Lord of the Iron Fortress and Bastion of Broken Souls. There is advice on handling money, private armies and high level followers. There is a table of 100 epic level plot devices, but one has already been used in Bastion of Broken Souls. My favourite here is "Moon sized parasites have infected the sun".

Other chapters are skills (high level DCs. Swimming up a waterfall, that sort of thing), spells (all featuring a new mechanic), magic items (pretty much what you'd expect - 10 swords and artifacts) and finally high level societies. There're a few nice ideas in this last chapter, such as the assassin who disposes of her victims' bodies on other planes. There're also sample adventures I haven't read through yet, and `correct' stats for various Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms luminaries, rewritten as epic characters.

Overall, a mixed book. As I said at the start, there are sections which I simply am not going to use, so you might get more use out of it than myself, hence substance 3. Design is WotC's usual high standard, with full colour art throughout. The last chapter looks a bit hurried, being essentially a giant appendix, hence style 4. The book is expensive, another reason why I had delayed buying it.

Epic Level Handbook
Epic Level Handbook Capsule Review by Hugh Williams on 04/10/02 Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 3 (Average) A mixed book, with some material adaptable to lower level play. Product: Epic Level Handbook Author: Andy Collins, Bruce Cordell, Thomas Reid Category: RPG Company/Publisher: WotC Line: 3eDD Cost: £25.99 Page count: 320 Year published: 2002 ISBN: 0-7869-2658-9 SKU: 88169 Comp copy?: no Capsule Review by Hugh Williams on 04/10/02 Genre tags: Fantasy	I had put off buying the Epic Level Handbook because I had no intention taking characters to such a high level, either as a player or DM, but since I kept flipping through it in the shop, I decided there was enough in there which I'd use. This review is based on my impressions of the book and I what I would using it for, which is not going to be for high level play. The book starts with epic level characters, defined as any character with more than 20 levels. Two main changes happen then. First, all character classes improve there attacks and saves at the same rate, and they gain access to epic level feats. Reading through these feats, it becomes apparent that the book has a split personaity. While some feats obviously belong here, such as an improved toughness which gives 20 hit points, others don't. There's a feat which gives you your sneak attack bonus when making an attack of oppurtunity. The requirements are 8d6 sneak attack damage and 21 DEX. Is there any need for this to be Epic? The requirements as they stand are high enough that you need to be 15th level, and it does not seem excessively powerful for that level. Skipping ahead to the monsters chapter, there are more examples of split personality. The monsters chapter is the second best in the book - there are some fantastic ideas here. There is a whole new group of monsters, the abominations, which are the illicit offspring of various deities. Think Scylla and Charybdos from Greek mythology. Abominations are suitably powerful, from the children of fire gods trapped in the earth's core, to my favourite, the atropal, the undead aborted foetus of a godling (yuck!). These things make great plot devices even if players will never meet them personally. Other highlights are the LeShay (a race of immortals predating the current multiverse and bearing an uncanny resemblance to Melniboneans) rules for really old dragons, mithral and adamantite golems, and the ruin swarm (collected vermin who act as one due to magical contamination at particular site). Yet also in the monsters chapter are a number of creatures which look quite reasonable until you look at their hit dice and armour class. You can take half the creatures in this chapter, halve the hit dice, armour class and ability bonuses, and still end up with pretty much the same creature with a CR about 8 lower with the same special abilities. Demiliches, winter wights, mercane/arcane and brain collectors have all been brought back from previous editions, and only the brain collectors have anything interesting added to them. The best chapter is the one on running high level campaigns. Some of the stuff about divinations and teleports is repeated from WotC high level modules Lord of the Iron Fortress and Bastion of Broken Souls. There is advice on handling money, private armies and high level followers. There is a table of 100 epic level plot devices, but one has already been used in Bastion of Broken Souls. My favourite here is "Moon sized parasites have infected the sun". Other chapters are skills (high level DCs. Swimming up a waterfall, that sort of thing), spells (all featuring a new mechanic), magic items (pretty much what you'd expect - 10 swords and artifacts) and finally high level societies. There're a few nice ideas in this last chapter, such as the assassin who disposes of her victims' bodies on other planes. There're also sample adventures I haven't read through yet, and `correct' stats for various Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms luminaries, rewritten as epic characters. Overall, a mixed book. As I said at the start, there are sections which I simply am not going to use, so you might get more use out of it than myself, hence substance 3. Design is WotC's usual high standard, with full colour art throughout. The last chapter looks a bit hurried, being essentially a giant appendix, hence style 4. The book is expensive, another reason why I had delayed buying it.