Epic Handbook just a little bit unreasonable?

[|]emonix]

Who else thinks that a character beond 25th level is almost to high, not to mention the chars that range between 40 and 80

now honestly, who in the right mind is gona be able to remeber all the stinken abilities the char has, or all the stuff they r capable of? i have enough trouble remebering a lvl10 mage.

bottom line -
why would anyone wana play a char past 20, the complecations are numerous as it is.

i duno i dont think im gona buy this one simply cus i wount use it as a dm or a player any time.

 

[mtbdm]

Salmon Ladder D20

I will buy the Epic Level Handbook, but it does sound a bit silly. I believe the parts that bugged me were climbers scaling completely smooth cielings (e.g. spider man) and characters with high swim checks swimming up a waterfall (anyone else get a picture of a brawny barbarian going up a salmon ladder?)
I sincerely hope there will be some good stuff to balance the obviously silly stuff (or at least an explanation for the silly stuff, like it being ki energy or something).

 

[RogueJK]

Have you ever had to retire a favorite character because they got too high in level?

Trust me... when you hit 20th level with a character that you really enjoy playing, you'll be glad for that 21st level (and beyond).

Plus, character concepts will open up a lot. Most people are restricted to one, or maybe two, prestige classes, since there just aren't enough levels to go around. With Epic Level rules, you can have a high level Cleric, who also happens to be a Duelist, or an extremely powerful Archmage/Rogue.

 

[trancejeremy]

I was expecting something like the Masters or Companion boxed set for basic D&D - it let you have high level characters, but not silly ones, and it also ramped up the challenge level (and there were rules for running kingdoms and such).


This however, seems very very silly. Like the Munchkin book Steve Jackson is putting out, combined with a super heroes game...

 

[BluWolf]

For some people out there playing anything over 10th level is just not enjoyable. For others the game doesn't even really start until 15th or above.

It is definately an aquired taste.

For me, I prefer to run lower level games and every now and then dabble with the higher level stuff.

I'll get it. Probably use it for major NPCs.

Who knows, depends on what other DMs might run.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Yeah, the ideas of swimming up a waterfall or making a jump check that basically allows you to fly is to much for me. I'll see what's in it but I doubt I'll ever have any epic level PC's in my game.

 

[SHARK]

Greetings!

I'm looking forward to the Epic Level Handbook. I think it will be very cool!

In my campaign, I have many NPC's that have been around a long time, and simply limiting them to *20th* level is constricting, in the sense that it doesn't necessarily accurately reflect what kind of characters they really are. Being able to go beyond 20th level benefits both PC's, and NPC's, in that you can build characters that more accurately reflect the character in question.

Playing with characters beyond 20th level is challenging, but not too difficult. It simply requires a shift in the way the DM thinks, and goes about structuring the scenarios, as well as shifting the focus of the characters. Beyond 20th level, PC's and NPC's, may not always be doing the "scout out the local caves" thing. That isn't to say that characters don't go on dungeon adventures any more, but that they do many other things as well. Things like politics, wars, exploration, and challenging legendary creatures, as well as opposing very powerful people in the campaign environment.

For those DM's that just want to stay below 20th level--you don't have to use the Epic level Handbook. I think you are missing out on a very interesting aspect of role-playing, but that's ok, I suppose, if that is what you and your players want. Meanwhile, for the rest of us who use above-20th level characters, and want to explore different stories in the campaign, the ELH will provide the structured framework in which to do so.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Why does the game need crazed "epic" level stuff anyway? Why don't the advancement charts just keep going up over 20th level?

 

[mmadsen]

Who else thinks that a character beond 25th level is almost to high, not to mention the chars that range between 40 and 80

It's not to my personal taste, but playing at the epic levels makes perfect sense if you want to play as a hero from myth or folklore: Heracles (Greek), Väinämöinen (Finnish), or just the heroes of Wuxia (kung fu) movies/books.

now honestly, who in the right mind is gona be able to remeber all the stinken abilities the char has, or all the stuff they r capable of? i have enough trouble remebering a lvl10 mage.

That's a much more legit complaint. If a 30th-level epic hero simply had higher stats than a 1st-level grunt, the game would remain simple to play. As it stands, only dedicated players will want to tackle the rules-heavy higher-levels -- or their more bookish co-players will overshadow them with rules minutia.

 

[mmadsen]

Why does the game need crazed "epic" level stuff anyway? Why don't the advancement charts just keep going up over 20th level?

I've been wondering that too. Sure, we can add some more Feats with stricter prereqs, but what's wrong with a 21st-level Fighter being a 20th-level Fighter with one more hit die, etc.?