Epic/Near-Epic level campaigns: What are they like?
- Thread starter Krug
- Start date
Crothian
First Post
It's all different. I've had two characters that can be called epic. One was in seconf edition, the other is in third. I have a rogue/wizard who has basically set up a thieves guide in one of the biggest cities. He's retired but still runs things from behind the scenes. The other is a Bard who still travels around. He has no ambition toi settle down, ever.
Things don't have to change, but if they do it should be gradual. It really depends on the chracters, the world, and the DM as to what will happen at these high levels.
Things don't have to change, but if they do it should be gradual. It really depends on the chracters, the world, and the DM as to what will happen at these high levels.
James McMurray
First Post
Read my Story Hour (link is in my sig)
Kweezil
Caffeinated Reprobate
It varies a lot. I've run a 3rd Ed game up to almost-epic level, and by the end one PC was married to the ruler of a moderately-important and another had reformed a lost dwarven clan. However, another of the PCs was quite happy to wander, bringing her music to the world, and the Barbarian had no real ambiritons beyond beer and defeating any door he encountered (long story...)
On the other hand, I've played in a 2nd Ed game where the PCs saved the world on a monthly basis, consitently foiled the personal plans of more than one greater deity and ended up gating an entire country to another plane to avoid the wrath of Cyric.
DMing a game at that level is odd. You need to plan for just about any eventuality and still be able to play by ear, as the PCs always end up doing something you can't forsee. Just like a normal campaign, really
On the other hand, I've played in a 2nd Ed game where the PCs saved the world on a monthly basis, consitently foiled the personal plans of more than one greater deity and ended up gating an entire country to another plane to avoid the wrath of Cyric.
DMing a game at that level is odd. You need to plan for just about any eventuality and still be able to play by ear, as the PCs always end up doing something you can't forsee. Just like a normal campaign, really
Sir Osis of Liver
Explorer
Our DM's wife has a characters that are either married to the king or have some postion of major influance in every major kingdom in the region where we play most often, exept one but she's on her way to becoming a diety. One of my friends has a paladin that founded a knightly order, so he has a small keep and a few hundred followers. One is the chosen of his god and founded his gods church on the prime where our campaign is based. Every other attempt by the players to do more than standard adventurer stuff has met with absolute failure. About all we manage is to acumulate a reputation for heroics that seems to atract villians like flies to S#!$.
Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
My campaign (and story hour) is another one with near epic-level play. Let's see....
* The PC bard owns a bardic academy. He is reknowned throughout the country as one of the best bards in the land. His fame has spread somewhat to other countries as well, but not excessively.
* A PC cleric is a former proxy for his God, and is known throughout the world as a living saint (he hates this description.) People build chapels to him, and they're already discussing how to divide his body for holy relics when he dies. He directly controls several churches, although he has delegated.
* One PC heads up his country's secret police/spies, training them as necessary.
And so forth. No one actively governs any land, mostly because they're not really interested in doing so. They're on a first name basis with the King of their own country, but spend a fair amount of their time adventuring and acting as diplomats (hah!) to other countries. We had some interesting political adventures as a result.
Currently, they are headed underground to wipe out a kingdom of cannibalistic ghouls that are systematically expanding through the underdark. It's more like a dungeon adventure than anything else we've done recently.
* The PC bard owns a bardic academy. He is reknowned throughout the country as one of the best bards in the land. His fame has spread somewhat to other countries as well, but not excessively.
* A PC cleric is a former proxy for his God, and is known throughout the world as a living saint (he hates this description.) People build chapels to him, and they're already discussing how to divide his body for holy relics when he dies. He directly controls several churches, although he has delegated.
* One PC heads up his country's secret police/spies, training them as necessary.
And so forth. No one actively governs any land, mostly because they're not really interested in doing so. They're on a first name basis with the King of their own country, but spend a fair amount of their time adventuring and acting as diplomats (hah!) to other countries. We had some interesting political adventures as a result.
Currently, they are headed underground to wipe out a kingdom of cannibalistic ghouls that are systematically expanding through the underdark. It's more like a dungeon adventure than anything else we've done recently.
Furn_Darkside
First Post
Krug said:
I wish I had these type of rules for 2nd edition- I ran a spelljamming campeign where a powerful being consumed crystal spheres for sustenance. There were tons of powerful factions from many different areas all involved. It was still a lot of fun.
FD
Nigel: "This is a top to what we use at home, but it's very, very special because, if you can see, the numbers all go to 11. Look, right across the board: 11, 11, 11."
Marty: "And most campaigns go up to 10."
Nigel: "Exactly."
Marty: "Does that mean it's more epic? Is it any more epic?"
Nigel: "Well, it's one more epic, innit?"
Marty: "And most campaigns go up to 10."
Nigel: "Exactly."
Marty: "Does that mean it's more epic? Is it any more epic?"
Nigel: "Well, it's one more epic, innit?"
Last edited:
clockworkjoe
First Post
it's like dragonball z and the Bible thrown together and mixed with LSD.
But different.
But different.
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