Jondor_Battlehammer
First Post
Coming up with interesting encounters that keep you wanting to play a PC that long is the real problem. It has to be done in the storyline of the adventures you set for the PCs. It would get to the point that you would be asked, " So, this creature that nearly killed five 30th level PCs, plus our companions, cohorts, and a familiar which can and HAS taken on a small army, never decided to start eating the world until NOW?!?"
One way would be to set encounters apart geographicaly. Splitting the party at epic levels is not instant death the way it would be at lower levels, but with no back up it would still be a challenge. An epic Wizard could go toe-to-toe with multiple high level Fighters, and beat them. He would just have to be careful. Like wise, even a Fighter would have decent will and reflex saves at that level, and HPs to spere. So he could take on a Wizard by himself. Putting a PC alone or out of his element could be worth several points of ECL.
You could turn each PC into a version of Gandalf babysitting lower level heroes that are needed by the world, but to inexperianced to be left alone to the worlds greater evils.
Make them the caretakers of a powerful evil artifact that cannot be destroyed. They would have to watch over it constantly, which could induce paranoia. Its easier to steal something than it is to keep it, and they cannot afford to lose the item.
Use the enviroment against them. Time and geogrophy can slow down or cause PCs to replan their actions. Even epic Wizards can Teleport only so many times per day.
Give NPCs more spell like abilities. A high level Sorcerer is a pain, but instead of a template, give him the ability to Teleport at will, then let the PCs chase him. Give out powers that have greater durations or save DCs, but that are not nessecarily leathal, (like the posion damage of many epic level creatures). This idea comes in part from the Book of Swords series. Each sword had one absolute power, so when they attempted to affect one another, the results caught even the gods off gaurd.
The closer to good your PCs are in alighnment, the better. Put them in situations where they are not fighting evil, so cannot use their powers indescrimenantly.
One way would be to set encounters apart geographicaly. Splitting the party at epic levels is not instant death the way it would be at lower levels, but with no back up it would still be a challenge. An epic Wizard could go toe-to-toe with multiple high level Fighters, and beat them. He would just have to be careful. Like wise, even a Fighter would have decent will and reflex saves at that level, and HPs to spere. So he could take on a Wizard by himself. Putting a PC alone or out of his element could be worth several points of ECL.
You could turn each PC into a version of Gandalf babysitting lower level heroes that are needed by the world, but to inexperianced to be left alone to the worlds greater evils.
Make them the caretakers of a powerful evil artifact that cannot be destroyed. They would have to watch over it constantly, which could induce paranoia. Its easier to steal something than it is to keep it, and they cannot afford to lose the item.
Use the enviroment against them. Time and geogrophy can slow down or cause PCs to replan their actions. Even epic Wizards can Teleport only so many times per day.
Give NPCs more spell like abilities. A high level Sorcerer is a pain, but instead of a template, give him the ability to Teleport at will, then let the PCs chase him. Give out powers that have greater durations or save DCs, but that are not nessecarily leathal, (like the posion damage of many epic level creatures). This idea comes in part from the Book of Swords series. Each sword had one absolute power, so when they attempted to affect one another, the results caught even the gods off gaurd.
The closer to good your PCs are in alighnment, the better. Put them in situations where they are not fighting evil, so cannot use their powers indescrimenantly.
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