D&D 5E Playing beyond 20th level options - homebrews, 3rd party content

[Theory of Games]

But. What if your 20th-Level PC actually retired from adventuring and got involved in regional politics? Kinda like the fiction? Conan retired from adventuring and became a king and did the politics thing. Strider grew up and became King Aragorn, right? When is enough dungeon enough?

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I have pcs with up to ten epic boons in my game at this point. I've been doing a lot of homebrewing custom epic boons designed specifically around a pc's desired epic level identity. So if you're a bad ass monk, some kind of custom thing designed for how you fight, or maybe an option to boost your (something something monkish), etc, a single 10th level spell slot, more lower level spell slots, etc.

Personally I like the idea of epic boons as a method for epic PCs instead of just more levels. I wish WotC fleshed it out more, but there are 3PP epic boon options.

 

[the Jester]

But. What if your 20th-Level PC actually retired from adventuring and got involved in regional politics? Kinda like the fiction? Conan retired from adventuring and became a king and did the politics thing. Strider grew up and became King Aragorn, right? When is enough dungeon enough?

The epic pcs in my game are both adventurers and involved with politics. Not all epic adventures are about the dungeon. In fact, not many are. Most recently, my epic group traveled to the beginning of time to defeat the slaad lord Ygorl, then dealt with a longstanding threat to their political situation.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey there Theory of Games!

How high level are you assuming to go? Where does it stop? Call me crazy but some characters find a finish spot, like Gandalf wasn't trying to take over Middle Earth. He was cool with being a counselor. He found a spot for retirement. Where, and I know this is insane, would you consider your PC finishing? TPK?

Some people like to boldly go where no one has gone before. Others like to put the feet up and smoke a pipe, that said...

Tolkien didn't write a book about Gandalf's retirement (at least AFAIK).

Roddenberry didn't make a show about staying at home and wearing comfy slippers.

Action/Adventure is about seeking out danger and challenging yourself to overcome it.

 

[pogre]

I have used some ideas from Mike Myler's Legendary Adventures.

It is available over at his website: Legendary Adventures

 

[overgeeked]

A little late, but here goes.

I assume in-world rewards like titles, lands, responsibilities, allies, faction play, etc is all going on anyway so don’t call them out.

Option One. Keep leveling. Use multiclassing to allow characters to keep going, even in a class they already have. Pick a different subclass is easier, but doubling up won’t break anything.

Option Two. Give out feats, boons, magic items, etc instead of levels.

Option Three. Grab the Immortals set from BECMI.