Trainz
Explorer
I have been DM'ing epic games for a while now (3 different campaigns), and I have come up with two solutions to A) epic spells and B) epic traps. It has been play-tested IMC's, and it worked quite well. I share them with you:
=========================================================
Epic Spellcasting Feat:
Same prereq's as the one from ELH, with different effect: It allows a caster to shape his spells a number of times per day equal to his ranks in the appropriate Knowledge feat divided by 10 (2 times per day for Knowledge Arcana 23). When this feat is taken, one shape is acquired. This feat can be taken multiple times in order to acquire new DIFFERENT shapes.
These shapes can be applied to a metamagicked spell. They do not increase the spell level.
Shapes:
TIME: The duration of the spell is increased by one factor:
1 round ==> 1 minute
1 minute ==> 10 minutes
10 minutes ==> 1 hour
1 hour ==> 1 day
1 round per level ==> 1 minute per level
1 minute per level ==> 10 minutes per level
10 minutes per level ==> 1 hour per level
1 hour per level ==> 1 day per level
A spell with a duration shorter than 1 round or longer than 1 hour per level cannot be shaped with TIME.
SPACE: The area of effect is multiplied by 10. A fireball would explode in a 200 ft radius spread.
LIFE: The amount of hit points cured by a spell (cure and heal spells only) is tripled. A mass heal by a 25th level cleric would cure 750 hit points. If this shape is applied to a raise dead or any resurrection spell, up to one creature per 4 divine caster levels can be brought back to life with a single casting of the spell (a 29th level cleric could resurrect 7 creatures).
ARCANE: The spell's saving throw DC is raised by 7, the caster gains a +7 on his roll to bypass spell resistance, and any dispel checks are made with a +7.
ENERGY: If a spell does damage to creatures by rolling some dice and are part of the Invocation/Evocation schools, the targets saving throws are automatically failed, their spell resistance is automatically bypassed, and any energy resistance or immunity they may have is suppressed for the casting of this single spell.
SHARING: A beneficial spell with a target of personal or creature touched may affect you and one willing creature per caster level within line of sight.
SPEED: You may cast another spell this round. It is not "Quickened", which means that sorcerors can apply metamagic feats to it, even if they already did with a previous spell this same round.
ENTHROPY: As you cast the spell, magical energies unleashed by the casting gives you temporary hit points equal to your caster level multiplied by 20. These hit points disappear at a rate of 10 per round, and are diminished by any attacks damaging you.
A spell can be modified by more than one shape, but each shape counts as a daily use.
=================================================
Traps Design (Epic, CR20+):
First, set the trap CR, then consult the following parameters. Note that epic poison traps are pointless because most epic characters aren’t bothered with poisons anymore.
Attack: CR+15, Damage CR+20/d6
Touch Attack: CR+5, Damage CR+15d6
Inescapable damage group: CR+5/d6
Inescapable damage single target: CR+10/d6
Savable Damage group: CRx2/d6, ST DC CR+15, Caster Level: Trap CR+5
Savable Damage single target: (CRx2)+10/d6, ST DC CR+15, Caster Level: Trap CR+5
Lethal Spell effect: ST DC CR+15, Caster Level: Trap CR+5
Non-Lethal Spell effect: ST DC CR+20, Caster Level: Trap CR+5
Magical Trap Search/Disable DC: CR+25
Non-Magical Trap Search/Disable DC: CR+15
Note that some campaigns would feel that the XP reward for such traps would be too high (XP = CR), so treat the trap as 5 CR lower to determine XP award if you feel so. Do NOT assume that the trap is 5 CR lower less lethal, as I have experienced in my play-testing.
=====================================================
So that's that. Note that if you apply the Epic Spellcasting Shape Energy to an energy trap (like fire or cold), the trap is all of a sudden much more lethal, and thus the CR is actually maybe from 2 to 5 higher.
I stopped playing epic games for now (back to first level games) because I kinda burnt-out on them for playing them non-stop for over a year, but I must admit we had much fun with them, especially with the above house-rules.
=========================================================
Epic Spellcasting Feat:
Same prereq's as the one from ELH, with different effect: It allows a caster to shape his spells a number of times per day equal to his ranks in the appropriate Knowledge feat divided by 10 (2 times per day for Knowledge Arcana 23). When this feat is taken, one shape is acquired. This feat can be taken multiple times in order to acquire new DIFFERENT shapes.
These shapes can be applied to a metamagicked spell. They do not increase the spell level.
Shapes:
TIME: The duration of the spell is increased by one factor:
1 round ==> 1 minute
1 minute ==> 10 minutes
10 minutes ==> 1 hour
1 hour ==> 1 day
1 round per level ==> 1 minute per level
1 minute per level ==> 10 minutes per level
10 minutes per level ==> 1 hour per level
1 hour per level ==> 1 day per level
A spell with a duration shorter than 1 round or longer than 1 hour per level cannot be shaped with TIME.
SPACE: The area of effect is multiplied by 10. A fireball would explode in a 200 ft radius spread.
LIFE: The amount of hit points cured by a spell (cure and heal spells only) is tripled. A mass heal by a 25th level cleric would cure 750 hit points. If this shape is applied to a raise dead or any resurrection spell, up to one creature per 4 divine caster levels can be brought back to life with a single casting of the spell (a 29th level cleric could resurrect 7 creatures).
ARCANE: The spell's saving throw DC is raised by 7, the caster gains a +7 on his roll to bypass spell resistance, and any dispel checks are made with a +7.
ENERGY: If a spell does damage to creatures by rolling some dice and are part of the Invocation/Evocation schools, the targets saving throws are automatically failed, their spell resistance is automatically bypassed, and any energy resistance or immunity they may have is suppressed for the casting of this single spell.
SHARING: A beneficial spell with a target of personal or creature touched may affect you and one willing creature per caster level within line of sight.
SPEED: You may cast another spell this round. It is not "Quickened", which means that sorcerors can apply metamagic feats to it, even if they already did with a previous spell this same round.
ENTHROPY: As you cast the spell, magical energies unleashed by the casting gives you temporary hit points equal to your caster level multiplied by 20. These hit points disappear at a rate of 10 per round, and are diminished by any attacks damaging you.
A spell can be modified by more than one shape, but each shape counts as a daily use.
=================================================
Traps Design (Epic, CR20+):
First, set the trap CR, then consult the following parameters. Note that epic poison traps are pointless because most epic characters aren’t bothered with poisons anymore.
Attack: CR+15, Damage CR+20/d6
Touch Attack: CR+5, Damage CR+15d6
Inescapable damage group: CR+5/d6
Inescapable damage single target: CR+10/d6
Savable Damage group: CRx2/d6, ST DC CR+15, Caster Level: Trap CR+5
Savable Damage single target: (CRx2)+10/d6, ST DC CR+15, Caster Level: Trap CR+5
Lethal Spell effect: ST DC CR+15, Caster Level: Trap CR+5
Non-Lethal Spell effect: ST DC CR+20, Caster Level: Trap CR+5
Magical Trap Search/Disable DC: CR+25
Non-Magical Trap Search/Disable DC: CR+15
Note that some campaigns would feel that the XP reward for such traps would be too high (XP = CR), so treat the trap as 5 CR lower to determine XP award if you feel so. Do NOT assume that the trap is 5 CR lower less lethal, as I have experienced in my play-testing.
=====================================================
So that's that. Note that if you apply the Epic Spellcasting Shape Energy to an energy trap (like fire or cold), the trap is all of a sudden much more lethal, and thus the CR is actually maybe from 2 to 5 higher.
I stopped playing epic games for now (back to first level games) because I kinda burnt-out on them for playing them non-stop for over a year, but I must admit we had much fun with them, especially with the above house-rules.
Last edited:
Given that undead do not have Constitution bonuses, 325 hp of damage will settle an average 50 HD undead creature (ignoring hp-augmenting feats such as Toughness). Unsaved, that would send every undead creature within a 30-foot diameter area that has less than 100 HD back to the grave.
