D&D 5E (2024) Epic Boons Ranking

therealselah · Thursday at 10:48 AM

As we've discussed, I really like that change though.

Upper_Krust · Thursday at 1:11 PM

The more I go over the math the more necessary I think it is.

ECMO3 · 2026-04-24T16:45:34+0100

Clint_L said:
What are your thoughts on how the epic boons stack up?

All of them add 1 to any ability score, to a maximum of 30.

Here's what I'm thinking:

Combat Prowess: once per round, turn one miss into a hit. "A" tier for martial classes, "S" tier for rogues. If you have a lot of attacks, you are likely to use this once per turn, and if you rely heavily on a single attack and need to make sure it hits (i.e. you're a rogue), this seems essential.

Dimensional Travel: after taking the magic or attack action, you may immediately teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. "A" tier for any class. This is just incredibly valuable in so many situations. And fun!

Energy Resistance: you gain resistance to TWO damage types, excluding bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, or force, and can change those resistances after a long rest. Also, if you take damage from one of those types that you are resistant to, as a reaction you may do 2d12+con modifier damage of the same type to any creature you can see that is within 60 feet and doesn't have total cover, unless they make a dex save (DC 8+con modifier+proficiency bonus). Whew. "C" tier for any class...maybe "B" if you are a specific type of tank. Maybe. The damage redirect is fairly worthless at high levels, so really it just gives you two resistances that you can change. Which is...okay, but resistance isn't too hard to come by at level 19 if you really need it.

Fate: whenever any creature succeeds OR fails on a d20 test, you can add OR subtract 2d4 from the roll; resets every time you roll initiative or after any rest. "S" tier. Amazing. As a DM, I kind of hate it because failures make the story more fun, but having this once per combat is going to be clutch so often.

Fortitude: add 40 to you hit points, and, once per turn, whenever you regain hit points for any reason, add your constitution bonus to the healing. "C" tier. Basically the toughness feat with a little kicker added on. As epic boons go, doesn't feel that epic.

Irresistible Offence: your bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing attacks ignore resistance, and when you roll a 20 to hit with an attack (not when you score a critical), add damage equal to the ability SCORE raised by this boon. Maybe "C" tier? With the current rules, it's "D-C" tier. That damage bonus seems huge, but it's really not - basically, it adds 1 damage on average to each attack, so the more attacks (or rolls with advantage) the better. But IF magical weapons no longer allow you to ignore resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing attacks and that resistance remains relatively common, then this might get up to a "B" tier for...well, for fighters and barbarians, basically. It would sure be fun when you do roll a 20, though!

Night Spirit: when in dim light or darkness, can give yourself the invisible condition as a bonus action, ending when you take any action, bonus action, or reaction, and you have resistance to anything but radiant or psychic damage. "C-A" tier, depending on character build. Okay on any character, but it is not hard to see how you could create some pretty strong builds around this boon.

Recovery: Two parts: (1) Last Stand: When you would be dropped to 0 hit points, you go to 1 HP instead, AND gain HP equal to half your maximum. Once per long rest. (2) Vitality: you have a pool of 10d10 and as a bonus action may roll as many of those dice as you like, healing for the total. Replenishes on a long rest. "A" tier, "S" tier for frontline combatants, unless they are already barbarians. Soooooo much better than fortitude.

Skill: gain proficiency in all skills, and expertise in one. I dunno..."C" tier? At best? By this level, your party mostly has skill checks covered. Fun at an individual level, I guess. If you're not already a bard or something. Would be pretty interesting on rogues with reliable talent.

Speed: increase movement by 30 feet, can disengage as a bonus action, which also ends grapple on you. "A" tier. Grapple is going to be used so much more now, so that alone makes it a pretty awesome boon, and an extra 30' of movement is great on anyone (monks would have a base move of 90!).

Spellcasting: when you cast a level 1-4 spell, roll a D4 and if your roll matches the spell level, it isn't lost. "D" tier. At this level you might succeed on this 1-2 times per combat. So it's basically like having a ring of spell storing, except it's random. Fun for gamblers, I suppose.

Truesight: you have truesight to 60'. "B" tier, depending on character build. Always handy, occasionally clutch.

Here are my comments based on play:
Combat Prowess: S tier for Rogues and Martials with a single attack that is more powerful than the others they want to land (example Eldritch Knights). B for other martials. Reason why is you rarely miss at this level to start with and when you do it is only a small part of your DPR

Dimensional Travel: B Tier. I've only seen it once, it saves on action economy but by this time most PCs can already do this.

Energy Resistance: I have not seen this in play, but it sounds C tier to me.

Boon of Fate: I have not seen this, but I think it is D tier because it is only once per short rest or fight. You can change one D20 roll by 2d4. Not very powerful at this level and can't be used often. For it to be on par with other Boons I think it needs to be once a turn, even once a round would be less powerful than others.

Fortitude: Have not seen it in play. D Tier. You have spells like Wish at this level.

Irresistable offense: Have seen it on a PC, have never seen it actually land though. D Tier IMO.

Night Spirit: I have seen this multiple times and I think it is B tier. The damage resistance brings it to B on something that would otherwise be C. One major problem with it is "light bringers" in your party, meaning PCs that are doing things and using abilities that cause bright light, including other epic boons.

Recovery: I have seen this in play often, I think it is S Tier.

Skill: have not seen it. Maybe B tier on a Rogue, otherwise D tier.

Speed: Seen this several times, A tier. This works really great on fighters, Glamour Bards and Scouts because they have abilities that give half movement as a reaction or bonus action and this increases that by a lot as well.

Spell Casting: I have seen this several times. I would say it is probably C but A tier on the right characters. I have most often seen it on multiclass characters, half casters or PCs with 8 or fewer Warlock levels. On those PCs it works very well due to their limited spell slots and their prediliction for casting lower level spells. I just finished a campaign with a level 12 Eldritch Knight/level 8 Warlock. She had 4 epic boons, but not this one and I kind of wish I did have it in the final battle as I ran out of all my spells slots as well as my free castings of Shield, Wrathful Smite, Darkness, Hellish Rebuke and Sanctuary in the final 3 battles.