REAL Epic feats and abilities

[ImperatorK]

You know how WotC failed when they made epic rules and many of the epic feats and abilities where actually subpar and not really that, you know, epic? Later they tried to backtrack a little by reprinting epic feats as non-epic in supplements or Dragon magazines, but they still didn't get it right.
In your opinion, what should REAL Epic feats and abilities be like? (Please don't say "Epic Spellcasting" because that feat is simply broken and shouldn't be an example of epic stuff.) What philosophy should we follow when making Epic homebrew?

http://www.myth-weavers.com/showthread.php?t=183991
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=7341.msg112549#msg112549
This thread on other boards.

 

[slobster]

One thing that I tried out once was representing "epic" actions with a pool of "epic tokens". You got one token per character level you achieved beyond 20th, and they replenished each session.

You could spend a token to make any action a legendary action. You could turn any check into a legendary deed, the kind of thing that stories are written about. Spending an epic token lets you do things that, if you tried to come up with a DC based on the guidelines given in skill entries or the DMG, you would simply be at a loss.

Things like punching the earth and opening up a canyon, or jumping across the Grand Canyon, or bluffing an ancient dracolich that you are its new personal assistant sent by its cult.

You still roll a check, but when spending an epic token, success is a foregone conclusion. Instead, rolling the check determines if you succeed as you set out to do, succeed with unforseen extra benefits, or succeed so well that things go horribly right and you put yourself or others in danger.

So, for instance, you could succeed in bluffing the dracolich and he accepts your presence (normal success). Or you could succeed in bluffing him, and the first task he has you undertake is to relocate his hoard of ancient treasure, because he smells adventurers and doesn't want them stealing his treasure (critical success). Or you could bluff him so well that he is impressed by your devotion, and decides to turn you into a sentient undead so that you can serve him for eternity . . . (success, but . . . )

This system never really worked out for us, but you could give it a try! Maybe you could improve on it somehow.

EDIT: I also found it worked best when determining whether the use of spending an epic token was, well, epic enough, was done by the whole table. So everyone has to agree that bluffing the dracolich that you are its new executive assistant is just crazy enough to justify an epic token.

Then, before they roll the check, you set out what the critical success and success, but . . . options are. The normal success option has already been decided by the table. That builds suspense and focuses everyone's attention on that little d20 rolling across the table . . .

 

[ImperatorK]

Epic mundane combat as I wish it to be:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA6uEL7b5ZE[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmW0TAJmAUs[/ame]
(Yes, including sexy girls. )

 

[slobster]

I'm not saying it's impossible to achieve that kind of gonzo epic insanity using 3.x (by the way, my cerebrum is bleeding), but it might be a lot less work to simply use another system that was designed for it instead.

I've never played Exalted, but from what I hear it's pretty crazynuts over-the-top. Maybe other people have other suggestions for that kind of beyond-the-impossible game?

 

[ImperatorK]

I'm playing 3.P. This is the D&D forum. Please keep your "Play some other system" comments to yourself. If I wanted suggestions for other system I would ask that.

 

[Ashtagon]

I'm playing 3.P. This is the D&D forum. Please keep your "Play some other system" comments to yourself. If I wanted suggestions for other system I would ask that.

If you're going to get mouthy over "Play some other system" comments, you might want to note that the pathfinder board (the game you claim to play) is the next one over.

 

[Empath Negative]

Preternatural Abilities. Beyond Supernatural, beyond extraordinary... We know they can do these things... we just don't know HOW they do these things... something about *them* is just different... Even if their abilities would normally be considered supernatural... they are somehow beyond that, as if they could inherently amplify magic, power, and perfection themselves.

 

[ImperatorK]

If you're going to get mouthy over "Play some other system" comments, you might want to note that the pathfinder board (the game you claim to play) is the next one over.

I'm not getting mouthy. If my post sounded like that then sorry.
And I'm not playing Pathfinder. Pathfinder would be PF. I'm playing 3.P, which is a Pathfinder/3.5 mix. I'm not stupid enough to post PF threads in a D&D forum.

BTW - here's some homebrew/houserules for Epic stuff that I personally like.
http://www.dnd-wiki.org/wiki/Complete_Epic_(3.5e_Sourcebook)

 

[slobster]

I'm playing 3.P. This is the D&D forum. Please keep your "Play some other system" comments to yourself. If I wanted suggestions for other system I would ask that.

Ok, I was trying to help. I've given you some of my own experiences, and when it sounded like you might be interested in something else I had heard of, I mentioned it. No need to be rude.

I guess that's the end of my involvement in your little project.

 

[ImperatorK]

No need to be rude.

I wasn't.