Is the epic handbook useful if you are not planning epic games?

[Plane Sailing]

Like the title says, is the epic handbook useful if you are not planning epic games?

My campaign has been running since the DMG appeared, and the characters are currently 7th-9th level. I think it will be a long, long, long time before I need to worry about epic level PCs.

Having said that though, do you think there is mileage in the book anyway? Are there any elements which might be interesting to use in sub-epic level campaigns or would you advise me to just leave it and see what's going on in another three years time

Advice from those who have it would be great... my only game store wraps everything in cellophane so I can't browse before I buy

Cheers

 

[Crothian]

Not really. There are a few things you could adapt and you might have some fun with the weaker monsters, but it all is really written for epic characters.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Yes, in the sense that its a fun read and that most gaming books can be used for inspiration. There is also a inter-planer city called Union (sadly, my players call it "Sigil-lite") that is given a somewhat detailed description and maps. You may want to take your group through it or use it as a base. There are also uses for skills that a low level player could use and feats that a low-level player might have access to.

No, in the sense that 80%+ of the book has stuff you could directly port into your game.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Thanks, this is much as I suspected.

I guess that even if I wanted to create an "epic" mastervillain I could probably still do it effectively by using the FRCS rules, simple as they are.

Cheers

 

[Psion]

Way back in 2e, I frequently used the DM's Option book even though the players scarcely touched on the content themselves.

I think for me, the ELH will fall into the same category, though not as strongly; the ELH is more mechanics and less clever advice on keeping the challenge up. The monsters are great (best part of the book, IMO), and you can use the epic character rules to create tough challenges and powerful villains. Further, it gives me the tools to stat out several important NPCs in the campaign that I couldn't before.

It probably won't be the most useful purchase, but I have no epic level PCs yet and am already seeing some use, even if it doesn't sit by the table at every game yet.

 

[FullTinCan]

I think I will use the epic level handbook more for generating the legends of a campaign world. That said, the campaign that I am presently playing in will sadly go into the epic levels. I say sadly because the campaign should have ended long ago, now it is just a silly munchkin-fest, where the common that I mutter under my breath is "bah, story, more chopping".

 

[rackabello]

I concur with the general consensus: inspirational perhaps, but difficult to use the crunchy bits.

As has been mentioned in other threads, the spell-seed method for building epic spells could have potential as a tool for researching new spells (or even as a groundwork for an entirely different magic system, if you're really ambitious), but would require even more work than ratcheting down power levels on the monsters.

 

[Henry]

As I said in a previous thread, I am using it for:

Some of my gods in my campaign
Stats for certain key NPC's that the PC's may want to study under
Descriptions of world-shaking spells they might view the aftereffects of
Artifact-level items in my campaign

All of these things I am using the Epic Handbook for.

 

[The Serge]

I think it's not only helpful, but essential if you have a thorough campaign world with a significant background. I've always known that in the past, there were epic characters and a few of them are still around in the present in which my PCs play. Having the ability to stat them within the confines of their personalities and accurately have their powers defined is important to me since it makes them more "real."

I also plan on running my game to at least 50th level. Unlike some nay-sayers out there, I know that it's simple to continue running provocative games beyond 20th level. The stakes are simply higher. Having this book allows me to have everything prepared before hand.

I strongly recommend this book.