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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WizarDru" data-source="post: 1914929" data-attributes="member: 151">Preparation is a major problem for high-level play in general, and Epic-level play in particular.  My experience however, has been that it's better to hit players with a single very powerful individual monster or several nearly identical powerful creatures (i.e. using a single template monster and varying a few stats/effects) than bothering with getting all the details exact.  By Epic levels, I find that combatants fall into two major categories: Ultra-dangerous and Beneath Contempt.  PCs are extremely well-armed, protected (unless taken by suprise, a rarity itself) and have lots of fall-backs and 'get out of dodge' options.  Recent readers of my story hour will note that the party recently fought a collection of bad guys including an epic minotaur death knight, a super advanced fiendish gigantic dire spider, 25 CR17 shadow rogues, 5 CR 19 drow spellcasters, two CR 25 drow spellcasters, one CR 18 human spellcaster and one CR 22 shadow assassin....and the PCs (who were 22/23rd level) SCHOOLED THEM.    CR ratings are much more variable in epic levels, as it becomes highly personalized to each party.  Meet them with their strengths, and they will previal with what appears (but isn't necessarily) like little challenge.    Experience awards, therefore, need to also be highly customized.  My personal feeling is that this applies at any level, but at Epic levels, it becomes critical.  In the case of my game, players were not allowed to progress to epic levels, regardless of experience, until they found a personal 'place of power' and found a way to get in touch with it.  A mini vision-quest of sorts, it made the transition more meaningful to each of them (at least, I think it did) and signalled the sea change in a real and concrete way.</blockquote>

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