D&D 5E Should D&D 5e have Epic Levels?

[Matrix Sorcica]

Well, I'm not currently expanding the epic boon system. That was my initial approach, but I left that behind a few years ago. I may bring it back for simplified "epic" play, but for right now I am working on rules for playing Immortals. More like the "I" in BECMI.

So a whole new slew of levels and powers, mostly disconnected from the previous game?

 

[Parmandur]

They decided that being a 21st level character is badwrongfun and instead to go with some wishy-washy freeform "epic boons" nonsense of being a 20th level character with some extra stuff piled on.

5e has some nice things about it. . .but the total and glaring lack of epic levels and psionics, and this bizarre attitude that if something isn't used by a majority of the players it shouldn't even be published is certainly it's worst part.

There is no "badwrongfun" about it, the game just accomplishes the goal of facilitating high level play in a different manner than some other editions. And realistically, "high level" means "Level 11 or higher" for most players.

 

[dave2008]

So a whole new slew of levels and powers, mostly disconnected from the previous game?

Yep, pretty much. I started with an extension of the epic boon system, progressed to at a hybrid of the boon & Deities and Demigods, and eventually I decided to go in whole-hog and basically make a 5e version of the Immortals Rules. It may change again if I ever compile it in a book format, but for now the zine is pretty set.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I think if I were to give up on making Epic Levels from 21-30, which I won't, I would go with Epic Boons, but make "Boon Trees" where gaining a certain boon can unlock a better one later on, and so on.

 

[Umbran]

They decided that being a 21st level character is badwrongfun ...

I don't see that you have evidence for that loaded characterization.

It seems to me they decided that being a 21st level character was not a thing the underlying game engine would handle well*, so they didn't try to force it to do so.

*Alternatives:

1) Market driven - they could put a lot of work into it to make it do that, but their market data did not suggest that there would be sufficient sales to justify that work, so they didn't do it.

2) The 80/20 rule - they could put some work in and make it do that, but they realized they could reach much the same overall effect with less work, and gave us that.