D&D 5E Epic Level (outline)

Overview
Creatures with twenty or more class levels are considered epic characters.

Upon becoming epic, a character gains an Epic Boon (see below).

Epic Levels
You keep leveling every 30,000 XP. That is, you reach 21st level at 385,000 XP.

You gain one more Epic Boon every five character levels, at character level 25 and 30. The DM can grant you more, pending the successful completion of suitably epic quest lines.

When a class level indicates an Ability Score Increase, an epic character can increase a score above 20 up to a maximum of 30 (or pick a feat as usual, in games with feats).

Epic Proficiency
Proficiency bonuses continue to increase every four character levels, reaching +9 at character level 29.

Epic Multi-Classing
There are only 20 levels in a given character class. Therefore, epic characters are encouraged to multi-class.

Epic characters have two “starting classes” instead of one. Your two starting classes are the two classes you have the most levels in when you become epic, or when you first gain a second class. In the case of ties, you get to decide. You gain all the proficiencies from a starting class, including saving throw proficiencies.

Epic characters may multi-class the same class twice. The prerequisite is that you must first reach 20 class levels of that class. All class features stack. Example: a Fighter Battlemaster 20/Champion 5 has Action Surge (three uses), Extra Attack (4), and double proficiency in Strength and Constitution saving throws, and more.

Epic Casters
Epic casters continue to gain spell slots per the extension of the Multiclass Spellcaster table on page 165. At 21st caster level, you gain a second 8th level slot. At 23rd, you gain a third 6th level slot. After 26th level, you gain no more slots.

Cantrips does not scale further beyond 17th level.

Boon of Attunement Mastery
You can attune to five items, not three.

Boon Of Combat Prowess
Your first melee weapon attack each round hits automatically.

Boon of Concentration Mastery
You can concentrate on two spells at once. If you fail Constitution saving throw made to maintain your concentration, you lose both spells.

Boon Of Dimensional Prowess
As an action, you can cast the misty step spell, without
using a spell slot or any components.

Boon Of Dimensional Travel
As an action, you can cast the teleport spell, targeting yourself only, without
using a spell slot or any components. Once you do
so, you can't use this boon again until you finish a
short rest.

Boon Of Fate
When another creature that you can see within 60 feet
of you succeeds at an ability check, an attack roll, or a saving
throw, you can decide it fails. Once you use this boon, you can't
use it again until you finish a short rest.

Boon Of Fortitude
Your hit point maximum increases by 40.

Boon Of High Magic
You gain one 9th-level spell slot, provided that you
already have one.

Boon Of Immortality
You stop aging. You are immune to any effect that would
age you, and you can't die from old age.

Boon Of Invincibility
At the start of your turn, declare yourself invincible. Until the start of your next turn, you are immune to all damage, all effects and all conditions. Once you use this boon, you can't use
it again until you finish a short rest.

Boon Of Irresistible Offense
Select one creature you see. You ignore its resistances and immunities for one hour. Once you use this boon, you can't use it again until you finish a short rest.

Boon Of Luck
When you fail at any ability check, attack roll, or saving throw you make, you can choose to succeed instead. Once you use this boon, you can't use it again until you finish a short rest.

Boon Of Magic Resistance
You have advantage on saving throws against spells and
other magical effects.

Boon of the Matrix
You may cast spells into your "matrix" that can hold up to ten spell levels. This follows all the regular rules of spellcasting, except that the spells are stored in the matrix. You may release a matrix as an action, with the same effect as if you instantly cast all stored spells. The matrix dissipates after a short or long rest.

Boon Of No Concentration
Choose one of your spells of 1st through 3rd level with a Concentration requirement. You can now cast that spell without having to maintain Concentration.

Boon Of Peerless Aim
Your first ranged weapon attack each round hits automatically.

Boon Of Perfect Health
You are immune to all diseases and poisons, and you
have advantage on Constitution saving throws.

Boon Of Planar Travel
When you gain this boon, choose a plane of existence
other than the Material Plane. You can now use an
action to cast the plane shift spell (no spell slot or
components required), targeting yourself only, and
travel to the chosen plane, or from that plane back to the
Material Plane. Once you use this boon, you can't use it
again until you finish a short rest.

Boon Of Quick Casting
Choose one of your spells of 1st through 3rd level that
has a casting time of 1 action. That spell's casting time
is now 1 reaction for you.

Boon Of Recovery
You can use a bonus action to regain all your hit
points. Once you use this boon, you can't use it again until you finish a
short rest.

Boon Of Resilience
Get resistance to three types of damage (including bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing).

Boon of the Sequencer
You may designate a sequence of spells in a given order containing up to five spell levels (such as one level 3 spell and two level 1 spells). Once you do so, you can't use this boon again until you finish a long rest. You can cast the entire sequence (not parts of it) using the casting time of the longest individual spell. You must still expend spell slots and costly components as normal each time you cast the sequence.

Boon Of Skill Proficiency
Gain a +5 bonus to all skill checks.

Boon Of Speed
Your speed(s) increases by 30 feet each.
In addition, you can take the Dash or Disengage action as a reaction. Once you do so, you can't do
so again until you finish a short rest.

Boon Of Spell Mastery
Choose one 1st-level sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell. You can now cast that spell at its
lowest level without expending a spell slot.

Boon Of Spell Recall
You can cast any spell you know or have prepared
without expending a spell slot. Once you do so, you can't
use this boon again until you finish a long rest.

Boon of the Synostodweomer
As an action, expend an unused spell slot. You heal yourself or a target you touch 10 hp per level of the slot.

Boon Of The Fire Soul
You have immunity to fire damage. You can also cast
burning hands at will, without using a spell
slot or any components, as if you cast it yourself using a slot of your highest level.

Boon Of Tile Night Spirit
While completely in an area of dim light or darkness,
you can become invisible as an action. You remain
invisible until you take an action or a reaction.

Boon Of The Stormborn
You have immunity to lightning and thunder damage.
You can also cast thunderwave at will, without using a spell
slot or any components, as if you cast it yourself using a slot of your highest level.

Boon Of The Unfettered
You have advantage on ability checks made to resist being grappled. No creature regardless of size wins grapple checks against you automatically. In addition, you can use an action to automatically escape a grapple or free yourself of restraints of any kind.

Boon Of Truesight
You have truesight out to a range of 60 feet.

Boon Of Undetectability
You gain a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and
you can't be detected or targeted by divination magic,
including scrying sensors.

All that remains is to discuss how to distribute Epic Boons. The following distribution assumes the epic character is member of a party, as opposed to adventuring alone. Also that the first boon defines the character to a greater degree than any subsequent. But also that completely free selection is potentially destabilizating.

When the party attains epic level, randomly* select a number of epic boons equal to the party size plus one. The same boon can occur twice.
*) see one possible randomization method below

It is now up to the players themselves to decide which character gets which epic boon. The party is free to use whatever method they like to accomplish this. If the party cannot agree, treat all results as "Ability Score Increase" instead.

For boons gained at 25th and 30th character level, the character may choose his or her epic boon freely.

For "bonus" boons granted by the successful completion of epic quests, the characters gain the boon(s) best matching the quest as decided by the DM.

Roll a d6; if the d6 shows 1-2: roll a d12. If the d6 shows 3-4: roll d12+12. If the d6 shows 5-6: roll d12+24. Consult the following table for the result.

1. Boon of Attunement Mastery
2. Boon Of Combat Prowess
3. Boon of Concentration Mastery
4. Boon Of Dimensional Prowess
5. Boon Of Dimensional Travel
6. Boon Of Fate
7. Boon Of Fortitude
8. Boon Of High Magic
9. Boon Of Immortality
10. Boon Of Invincibility
11. Boon Of Irresistible Offense
12. Player's Choice
13. Boon Of Luck
14. Boon Of Magic Resistance
15. Boon of the Matrix
16. Boon Of No Concentration
17. Boon Of Peerless Aim
18. Boon Of Perfect Health
19. Boon Of Planar Travel
20. Boon Of Quick Casting
21. Boon Of Recovery
22. Boon Of Resilience
23. Boon of the Sequencer
24. DM's Choice
25. Boon Of Skill Proficiency
26. Boon Of Speed
27. Boon Of Spell Mastery
28. Boon Of Spell Recall
29. Boon of the Synostodweomer
30. Boon Of The Fire Soul
31. Boon Of Tile Night Spirit
32. Boon Of The Stormborn
33. Boon Of The Unfettered
34. Boon Of Truesight
35. Boon Of Undetectability
36. Roll twice more, add both results. Treat rolls of 12, 24 and 36 as an Ability Score Increase.

Might be better if your number of attuned items simply increased periodically as you gain epic levels, instead of requiring a separate Epic boon. i.e. all lvl 21 characters can attune a 4th item, and after that it increases by one every 5 or 10 levels.

Caliban said:

Might be better if your number of attuned items simply increased periodically as you gain epic levels, instead of requiring a separate Epic boon. i.e. all lvl 21 characters can attune a 4th item, and after that it increases by one every 5 or 10 levels.

Click to expand...

I prefer the assumption that the limit of 3 attuned items remains functional even as you continue adventuring at epic levels. In other words, that as you keep levelling up you keep getting better gear.

The question "three items is too little" is an entirely different discussion. This is about how you could go about implementing epic-level adventuring on top of the existing rules (expanding/replacing the short section in the DMG)

More generally, I'm working with the baseline that the only path to capabilities that break the game's boundaries lies in the boons. Everything else* sticks with the regular limits.

*) the same-class multiclassing is an exception. It didn't make sense to have a boon that allowed this, since it by itself doesn't give you much benefit. Same-class multiclassing is there mostly because players might not want to multiclass "I want to remain a Rogue and become epically good at it".

Thanks for the feedback, though

Fair enough.

Capn,
Thank you for dipping your toes into the epic water. I like the simplicity at work here. My system ( Epic Character Updates) is just using epic boons for progression (no more levels). But, I think the simplicity of your approach probably better fits 5e.

When I get some more time I will try to come back with more constructive criticism.

Epic characters require epic adventures.... I wonder what does the other side of this equation look like?

What characterizes an epic campaign and epic foes?

(Apologies if this has been addressed in a different thread... )

robus said:

Epic characters require epic adventures.... I wonder what does the other side of this equation look like?

What characterizes an epic campaign and epic foes?

(Apologies if this has been addressed in a different thread... )

Click to expand...

How about a couple of Tarrasques?? That should do the trick... hopefully...

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