Pathfinder 1E Pathfinder Epic

glass

(he, him)
One more G, then into the Hs and Is:
Group InspirationBards can now do this from level 1. Could they really not in 3.0? I had forgotten that!
Hindering SongBecame an option for Epic Performer.
Holy StrikeEpic Champion with the Good Domain is basically this.
Ignore Material ComponentsDropped for now. Might come back, but if so it will probably be scaling max rather than blanket non requirement.
Improved Alignment-Based CastingDropped. Probably is not coming back, but I could possibly do something with caster levels.
Improved Arrow of DeathBoring numbers, plus I cannot remember what Arrow of Death comes from anyway. Dropped.
Improved Aura of CourageDropped for now. Could do something with Paladin's Auras, but if so it would not just be doubling the bonus.
Improved Aura of DespairDropped for now. Could do something with Antipaladin's Auras, but if so it would not just be doubling the bonus.
Improved Combat CastingDropped for now. If it comes back, it will probably not be blanket immunity.
Improved Combat ReflexesDropped for now. If it comes back, it will not be unlimited. (No infinite loops!) EDIT: Actually, Epic Reflexes is effectively Improved Combat Reflexes (amongst other things).

Some stuff here that could form new Legendary feats, or even the basis of Epic.

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glass.
 
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glass

(he, him)
Lots of Is:

Improved DarkvisionDropped for now. Does not exactly feel Epic to me!
Improved Death AttackDropped for now. If it comes back, it would probably be merged with the Arrow of Death one above somehow.
Improved Elemental Wild ShapeDepending on how you read "all elemental creatures" (if we take it literally, dragons have elemental subtypes which would make Dragon Wild Shape pointless) this may or may not be mostly built in to PF1 Druids. To the extent that it isn't, it is mostly rolled into Over/Undersize Wild Shape.
Improved Favoured EnemyBoring numbers. Dropped.
Improved Heighten SpellFeat tax. Should be built into Epic Spellcaster and/or 10th Level Spell Capacity, although it isn't at the moment bacause I forgot Heighten Spell was capped at 9.
Improved Ki StrikeIrrelevant in PF1. Dropped.
Improved Low Light VisionDropped for now. Feels even less Epic than Improved Darkvision
Improved ManifestationDropped. Tweaks in either 3.5 or PF1 made it irrelevant.
Improved ManyshotDropped. Manyshot is different in PF1 anyway.
Improved MetamagicDropped for now. Not sure how necessary this is given how Epic Spellcaster works now (and the two together might be broken).

I could maybe do something with Improved Elemental Widshape if I could think of a clean way to limit it to "elemental" creatures that do not have the Elemental subtype, like Salamanders without including everything with an Earth, Air, Fire, or Water subtype. Aside from that:
  • Adjust Epic Spellcaster and 10th-level Spell Capacity to fix the 9th-level cap on Heighten Spell.
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glass.
 
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glass

(he, him)
Where was I? Oh yes, in the midst of a great sea of "I" feats:

Improved Sneak AttackDropped. If you want more sneak attack, take levels in another class that grants using Epic Class Training
Improved Spell CapacityAs a means of getting access to higher-level spell slots, this was effectively replaced by Epic Spellcaster. Although Epic Spellcaster does not actually increase the number of spells slots, so there might be some mileage there.
Improved Spell ResistanceDropped. Boring numbers.
Improved Stunning FistDropped. Boring numbers.
Improved Whirlwind AttackBuilt into the PF1 version of Whirlwind Attack from the start. Although Epic Multi-Attack includes something akin to an improved Whirlwind Attack
Incite RageBecame a rage power accessed via Epic Rage
Infinite DeflectionDropped for now. Might come back in some form, but I am wary of infinite anything, even at Epic levels.
Inspire ExcellenceCurrently dropped, but probably should be rolled into Epic Performer as a performance.
Instant ReloadThis is possible pre-Epic in PF1 for any weapon for which it is even vaguely plausible - and for those where it isn't I would rather make not full attacking less punitive, rather than make full attacking easier.
Intensify SpellRenamed Magnify Spell to avoid confusion with Intensified Spell. Minor tweaks.

For the to-do list:
  • Consider a Legendary upgrade of Deflect Arrows.
  • Consider an Improved Spell Capacity feat that gives more spell slots (but not higher level).
  • Roll Inspire Excellence into Epic Performer.
  • Maybe do something more to encourage single attacks (beyond what is in Epic Warrior).
And that is it for "I". Next time we do the only K and then on to the Ls.

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glass.
 

glass

(he, him)
Keen StrikeSince keen and Improved Critical no longer stack, this feat is effectively identical to Improved Crit (unarmed strike). Which is a prereq. Dropped.
Lasting InspirationDropped for now. Could maybe return as an upgraded version of Lingering Performance
Legendary ClimberDropped. Everyone can fly!
Legendary LeaperDropped. Everyone can fly!
Legendary RiderDropped for now, but I can maybe see something for mounted combat (other than what's in Epic Companion).
Legendary TrackerNot sure. I feel like if you can hit DC 120 to track something, you probably should not have to spend a feat as well. Dropped for now.
Legendary WrestlerDropped for now. I could see something helping to get out of grapples, but an effective +10 attack bonus for getting into them is wonky.
Lingering DamageUnchained Rogues already do stuff like this. Dropped.
Magical Beast Wild ShapeIncluded. Minor tweaks.
Master Staff & Master WandNot sure about this - potentially very powerful, but we are talking about Epic levels. Dropped for now.
  • Consider what to do with Lasting Inspiration, Legendary Tracker, and Legendary Wrestler.
  • FIgure out Master Staff and Master Wand.
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glass.
 

glass

(he, him)
The next ten (and also wow, there are a lot of feats in the ELH):

Mighty RageBecame a standard feature of Barbarians in PF1
Mobile DefenceNot worth a feat IMO. If I brought it back, I might just add it to Bulwark fo Defence
MultispellCaster supremacy at its finest. Dropped.
Multiweapon RendPretty sure this is a normal feat in PF1.
Music of the GodsThere are various ways to do this pre-Epic in PF1, but most are more specific than this. Could be reinstated, but the name suggests a divine component.
Negative Energy BurstSOP for PF1 clerics
Overwhelming CriticalKinda rolled into Epic Criticals (although the specifics are different).
Penetrate Damage ReductionDropped for now. Would need tweaks to work with PF1 damage reduction.
Perfect HealthRolled into Epic Fortitude
Perfect Multiweapon FightingDropped for now. Presumably it would be upgraded in a similar way to Epic TWF if included.
  • Possibly add Mobile Defence into Bulwark of Defence.
  • Figure out what, if anything, to do with Music of the Gods.
  • Adjust Penetrate Damage Reduction to work with PF1.
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glass.
 

glass

(he, him)
Perfect Two-Weapon FightingExpanded into an Epic feat
Permanent EmanationDropped for now. Could come back, but if so probably needs a bit more explanation on how it works with detect spells.
Planar TurningEffectively already exists (in pathfinderised form) in the Alignment Channel pre-Epic feat
Plant Wild ShapeBuilt in to PF1 Druids
PolyglotDropped for now. It kinda feels a bit much, but realistically it is only the Tongues spell in (Ex) form
Positive Energy AuraDropped for now. The flavour actually seems more appropriate to PF1 channeling mechanics than to turning, but would need a bit of mechanical tweaking to work.
Ranged InspirationPossibly useful, but hardly seems Epic. I would not be surprised with there were an Epic feat that already did this. Dropped for now.
Rapid InspirationThey're already a standard action or better in PF1. What dd they take in 3.0?
Reactive CountersongShould probably be rolled into Epic Performer
Reflect ArrowsDropped for now. If it came back, I might want to merge the various deflect/reflect feats into some kind of Epic Deflection.

If I had realised when I started this list quite how much time and how many posts it would take, I might not have started. But we can see the light at the end of the tunnel: Three more pages, and probably about the same number of posts and I will be done. And it has brought up some useful food for thought. In this case:
  • Bring back and tweak Permanent Emanation and Polyglot.
  • Either bring back Positive Energy Aura or roll it into a broader Epic Channeller feat.
  • Roll Reactive Countersong into Epic Performer (possibly as a synergy entry).
  • Either bring back Reflect Arrows or roll it into a broader Epic Reflection feat.
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glass.
 

glass

(he, him)
I had hoped to get this phase of the thread wrapped up by now, but I got distracted by other homebrew (one of my players wants to play one of my hombrew classes, which lead me to realise that there were a couple of gaps in the writeup). Anyway, continuing with the ELH feats:

Ruinous RageBecame a Rage Power accessed via Epic Rage
Scribe Epic ScrollRolled into Epic Crafter
Self-ConcealmentKinda rolled into Blinding Speed
Shattering StrikeDropped for now. Could become part of an Epic feat focussed on unarmed strikes (since Epic Martial Arts is mostly about weapons).
Sneak Attack of OpportunityDropped for now, but I could see it coming back as a Legendary feat (with tweaked prereqs). Or maybe as part of an AoO-themed Epic feat.
Spectral StrikeDropped for now, but I could see it coming back as a Legendary feat (with tweaked prereqs).
Spell KnowledgeFor some reason (which I cannot now remember), I renamed it Expanded Spell Knowledge.
Spell OpportunityDropped for now, but I could see it coming back as a Legendary feat (with tweaked prereqs). Or maybe as part of an AoO-themed Epic feat.
Spell StowawayDropped for now, although this is a fun one so it is definitely coming back in some form. Although I think it needs a bit more definition than the ELH version
Spellcasting HarrierDropped for now, but I could see it coming back as a Legendary feat (with tweaked prereqs). EDIT: Actually, it is pretty-much just Disruptive, so it will stay dropped.

So distilling that to a to-do list:
  • Maybe figure out and Epic IUS feat
  • Figure out whether Shattering Strike is part of that or its own thing.
  • Bring back SA of Opportunity & Spell Opportunity, or roll them into an Epic feat.
  • Bring back Spectral Strike, Spell Stowaway, and Spellcasting Harrier
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glass.
 
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glass

(he, him)
Spontaneous Domain AccessRolled into Epic Divinate
Spontaneous SpellDropped for now, but I could see it coming back as a Legendary feat (with tweaked prereqs).
Storm of ThrowsRolled into Epic Multi-Attack
Superior InitiativeBorring numbers. Dropped.
Swarm of ArrowsRolled into Epic Multi-Attack
Tenacious MagicDropped for now, but I could see it coming back as a Legendary feat (with tweaked prereqs).
Terrifying RageMade a Rage Power, accessed via Epic Rage
Thundering RageMade a Rage Power, accessed via Epic Rage
Trap SenseDropped due to being annoying and not particularly Epic
Two-Weapon RendPre-Epic feat in PF1

Only one thing from that list, although in the process of checking on what feat Spontaneous Domain Access was rolled into I spotted another error:
  • Fix the reference to Epic Divinate in the Donor Class section. It should say Epic Votary (or Epic Theurge but probably Epic Votary).
  • Bring back Tenacious Magic.
And that is almost it. Eight more ELH Epic feats to go, and I will finally be done with this run-though. Then time to start addressing the massive aggregate to-do list I have built up.

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glass.
 

glass

(he, him)
And that is almost it. Eight more ELH Epic feats to go, and I will finally be done with this run-though. Then time to start addressing the massive aggregate to-do list I have built up.
Uncanny AccuracyPre-Epic feat in PF1 (Improved Precise Shot)
Undead MasteryDropped for now, but I could see it coming back as a Legendary feat (with tweaked prereqs). Or maybe as part of a undead-themed Epic feat.
Unholy StrikeEpic Champion with the Evil Domain is basically this.
Vermin Wild ShapeSome Druid Archetypes can do this pre-Epic, which may have been why I did not include it already, but if Epic non-archetyped druids can be dragons, I don't see why they cannot be creepy crawlies.
Vorpal StrikeNot sure about this one. I need more Epic feats for martials, and this feels like it could be one of them - although it might be a bit narrow.
Widen Aura of Courage/DespairPretty sure these are pre-Epic feats in PF1.
Zone of AnimationDropped for now, but I could see it coming back as a Legendary feat (with tweaked prereqs). Or maybe as part of a undead-themed Epic feat.

And that's it - there are ten non-Epic feats at the end of the chapter, but I am pretty sure they are core in PF1 (or 3.5 for that matter). So the final installment of the to-do list for this phase of the thread looks like this:
  • Figure out what to do with Undead Mastery/Zone of Animation.
  • Figure of what to do with Vorpal Strike.
This last sequence of posts have given me lots of food for thought! I think I am going to tackle the ones that are coming back as Legendary feats first, then circle back to the possible new Epic feats. But before any of that I need to do some actual work....

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glass.
 
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glass

(he, him)
I am working my way through ticking of at least some of the many to-do list items (and other random things that sparked off them, as is my way). I will post the next draft hopefull this evening or tomorrow, but in the meantime a questions for the thread: Is anyone aware of a way (or ways) to "dual-wield" wands in PF1 or 3.x?

I vaguely saw seeing something to that effect, but I cannot remember where!

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glass.
 
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glass

(he, him)
In complete arcane there's a feat that allows to activate a second wand by expanding 2 charges from it.
Thanks. I have a copy of Complete Arcane, so I will check it out. EDIT: It is exactly how you described it. There is also the Cannith Wand Adept PrC from Sharn City of Towers, which is even more inefficient - 1d4 charges from each wand. Hilariously, neither the feat nor the PrC ability specify only standard action spells, so you could dual wield wands of lesser restoration just to get the casting time down.

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glass.
 
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glass

(he, him)
I should be still updating the Legendary Feats chapter, but I got to Master Wand, and then got inspired to veer off on a tangent. I tend to bounce around like this a lot, because when I think of something I want to get it down before I forget. How does this look as an Epic feat?

Epic Wand Adept [Epic, Focus]
Prerequisites: Cha 19; Spellcraft 20 ranks; Caster/manifester level 21, Use Magic Device 20 ranks, or Craft Wand​
Benefits: You gain a Focus Pool containing one point, or add one point to your Focus Pool to a maximum of three points. You may only spend one focus point on any given wand activation.​
For any wand spell for which you do not already have a caster level, you gain a caster level equal to you Epic caster level bonus, and a key spellcasting ability score equal to your key Use Magic Device ability score (usually Charisma).​
For wand spells with an attack roll, you may substitute your ranks in UMD for your bab if it is higher. You may use your key spellcasting ability score or key UMD ability score in place of your Strength or Dexterity for such attack rolls.​
When activating a wand, you may use your own caster level and/or spell DC if they are higher than the wand's own.​
You may draw a wand from your belt, a bandolier, or a wrist sheath as a free action, rather than a move or swift action.​
When activating a wand with a casting time greater than one standard action, you may expend a focus point to reduce the activation time to one standard action.​
When activating a wand with an attack roll and a casting time and one standard action or less, you may spend a focus point to make a full attack with the wand as a standard action. You may make up to the number of attacks with the wand that you would make with a single weapon (melee or ranged as appropriate to the spell), including where appropriate feats such as Rapid Shot and spells such as haste, with penalties for iterative attacks etc applying as normal. The maximum number of attacks may be increased if your ranks in Use Magic Device are higher than your bab. Each attack made this way uses one charge (or one spell slot if using Master Wand), even if the spell would normally permit multiple attacks for one casting. If you need to make a UMD check to activate the wand, make a single check at the start and it applies to all activations for that full attack. As usual for a full attck, you can abort to a standard action after a single attack, but the focus points is still spent.​
You may spend a focus point to apply the effects of Empower Spell, Enhance Spell, Intensified Spell, Magnify Spell, and/or Maximise Spell to a spell activated from a wand, even if you do not know have those feats, up to a maximum slot-level total modifier equal to your EB. If you do have the feat in question, its effective slot-level modifier is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0).​
Special: The above benefits also apply to dorjes, substituting power for spell, manifester level for caster level, and key manifesting ability score for key casting ability score as appropriate. The list of feats you can apply by spending a focus point becomes Empower Power, Magnify Power, and Maximise Power, and the limit becomes one extra power points worth of metamagic per point of EB. You do not have to expend you psionic focus to apply metapisonic feats to a dorje power in this way.​

Synergy: If you have Epic Warrior, you may make a wand full attack as a standard action plus a swift action (effectively trading a swift action for a move action). Furthermore, if you have Epic Warrior or Epic Multi-Attack, the reductions to iterative penalties apply to wand full attacks.​
If you have Dual Wand Weilder, you no longer pay extra charges to activate both wands. Furthermore, if you have Dual Wand Weilder or Two-Wand Technique and Two Weapon Fighting and have a wand in each hand with an attack roll spell, you may make a wand full attack using both wands using the normal rules for two-weapon fighting (treating both wands as light). Make any UMD checks required to activate the wands before any attacks are made and before declaring which hand is primary.​
If you have the Automatic Metamagic or Automatic Metapower feat that would be applicable to the spell or power contained in the wand, you can spend a focus point when activating a wand to apply one or more metamagic or metapsionic feats linked to that feat to the wand spell or power.​
If you have the Dangerously Curious trait, the Charisma prerequisite becomes Intelligence instead.​
Focus Points are a mechanic from PF2 that I rather like and have been thinking of back-porting for a while, although this is the first time I have actually done anything concrete with them. They are kinda like encounter powers, but with their own twist.

I feel like there was more stuff to add under Synergy, but I cannot remember what right now, and in any case I have somewhere to be. EDIT: There was (Automatic Metamagic etc). I also added support for dorjes, and I discovered that there was a PF1-native (albeit third party) way of using two wands so I included support for that as well.

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glass.
 
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glass

(he, him)
Finally finished going thorugh the my to do list. Well, for small values of finished - mostly just the stuff to be made into Legendary feats, although I did add the new Epic feats from the previous post (dropping "Epic" from its name - too many Epics already), and make a few minor corrections.

When I got to Polygot, I realised I had not addressed languages in the general case, so I did so (and clarified skill ranks a bit as I did so).

BTW, does anyone know how "dorje" is pronounced?

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glass.
 

Attachments

  • PF1 Epic Heroes 0.9.2.pdf
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glass

(he, him)
Where am I? Going back through all the bullet points and removing the ones I think I have already addressed, I still end up with quite a list:
  • Maybe make Epic Rage compatible with skalds? EDIT: On reflection, probably a bad idea to give that much martial power to a 6-level caster who can spread it around. Maybe they should have their own Epic feat instead (apart from Epic Performer)?
  • Create an Epic feat for non-magical hp restoration (probably)
  • Maybe simply Epic Martial Artists weapon group, and definitely figure out what if anything it should do apart from allowing flurry with a wider variety of stuff.
  • What else could I add to [Epic Weapon Master] that is in theme?
  • Need an Epic Alchemy feat, but it probably will not look much like the ELH one.
  • The only thing that springs to mind here is the possibility of a charge-based feat. But almost certainly not full attack based, so I am not sure what it would do instead.
  • Actually write the Cosmic Spellcasting chapter.
  • Could do something with Paladin's Auras, but if so it would not just be doubling the bonus.
  • I could maybe do something with Improved Elemental Widshape if I could think of a clean way to limit it to "elemental" creatures that do not have the Elemental subtype, like Salamanders without including everything with an Earth, Air, Fire, or Water subtype
  • Maybe do something more to encourage single attacks (beyond what is in Epic Warrior).
  • Consider what to do with Legendary Tracker and Legendary Wrestler.
  • Either bring back Positive Energy Aura or roll it into a broader Epic Channeller feat.
  • Either bring back Reflect Arrows or roll it into a broader Epic Reflection feat.
  • Maybe figure out and Epic IUS feat
  • Figure out whether Shattering Strike is part of that or its own thing.
  • Figure out what to do with Undead Mastery/Zone of Animation.
  • Figure of what to do with Vorpal Strike.
ETA: A couple more things for the to-do list that I thought of but have not already mentioned in the thread (or I have but I missed them on this pass through):
  • Actually write the Epic Magic Items chapter.
  • Expand support for "psionics"*. Although, I am playing a "psionic" character in one campaign at the moment, so probably best to wait a bit on that one until I have a bit more experience.
  • Better support Summoners and Spiritualists. I have one of each in the possibly-going-to-end-up-Epic campaigns.
  • Come up with some "higher-level" Epic feats for martials. They have fairly decent support at 21st level, but their stuff does not scale like casters' does (or will do once later chapters are more complete...).
  • Speaking of which, create a bunch more Epic spells.
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glass.

(* In the Dreamscarred Press sense. Scare quotes because while I like it quite a lot as an alternative magic system, it does not feel particularly psionic to me.)
 
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glass

(he, him)
That is a big list, and I was going to go through an try to sort things by priority, but I decided to just pick something an get on with it. And this is the thing I picked:
Actually write the Epic Magic Items chapter.
First things first, in the original ELH Epic magic items can basically exceed any and all limits placed on magic items in the core rules - I am not going to do that. There are a number of reasons for that, but the biggest one is this: If you can have ever increasing bonuses from very-expensive magic items, you are going to put those numbers in the things that you were already good at. Thereby scuppering all the gap-narrowing that the first chapter tried to do. Also, there is my general distaste for the "Christmas tree".

So what numbers are Epic magic items allowed to add to? At the moment, I am thinking just AC and attack/damage. Maybe natural armour (since there is already a feat for that anyway), although if so that will probably not be in the form of ever-increasing amulets.

I have a kinda-weird idea about it being a side-effect of Epic heavy armour. Like the padding under it will give a NA bonus equal to some fraction of the suit's enhancement bonus.

Also, it is annoying that despite being set to English (GB), Firefox's spellchecker still objects to "armour".

As an aside, I thought of something else to add to Epic Weaponmaster: Allowing you to qualify for Craft Magic Arms and Armour, and enhance your own weapons without regard to caster level. Might have a Epic Armour Master feat with similar benefits with regard to armour (and other stuff of course).

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glass.
 

Epic Threats

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