Epic characters adventure and level up much like non-Epic characters, following the path of their Epic prestige class. When Epic characters accomplish acts of sufficient difficulty (determined by the DM), they gain an Epic level. Epic levels grant characters additional features according to the Epic prestige classes they gain the levels in, potentially granting them new Epic feats, ability score increases, spell slots, and other prestige class features. Each Epic prestige class has ten levels to be gained; obtaining all ten grants characters godlike power. As you advance your character, you will want to consult the features of your Epic prestige class (see section 2) for what improvements you gain at each level. 

A game of Epic Legacy is separated into three tiers of play that represent different categories of power. These tiers firmly categorize any Epic Legacy content as definitively outside the realm of normal play, where non-Epic characters can barely hope to survive. 

The first tier (21st–25th level) is the Epic Tier. Here, characters have officially crossed the threshold into the realm of Epic levels and begin to unlock features of incredible strength. With this newfound power, they can face down threats they once feared, complete quests to reshape the world, and defeat apocalyptic foes. Adorned in magical items of legendary power, these characters are glorious champions of their cause throughout their adventures. Each character is learning just how far their abilities can take them, embarking on journeys of self-discovery in a realm of endless possibility. 

The second tier (26th–29th level) is the Legendary Tier. At this stage, the power of these characters is radical and unstoppable to all but the mightiest enemies. Characters adventuring in this tier have gained Epic features according to their non-Epic subclass, discovered their most powerful magic, and streamlined their builds to become titanic forces in the game world. The quests set before these characters are extremely significant, for their time is best spend handling only the most important tasks. It falls to these characters to accomplish the impossible, pushing themselves and their powers to the absolute limit. In rare cases, Epic characters adventuring in this tier may possess a relic, and may have even attuned themselves to its power. Only a truly Epic DM can challenge such heroes, who would do well to not get overconfident in the face of interplanar, or even universal, threats. 

The final tier (30th level) is the Finale Tier. Having reached the last glorious hurrah before the campaign’s end, these characters are at their zenith. The list of beings that can oppose them is short but terrifying. Great Old Ones, primordial titans, archfiends, and the gods themselves are among these deadly few. The clashes between the characters and worthy enemies are terrifying in their scale, often with the fate of many worlds hanging in the balance. Possessing full access to their Epic powers, these characters can accomplish anything they set their minds to. However, here is where their journey ends. There is no game past 30th level—Epic Legacy intends that the conclusion of an adventure at this tier mark the final chapter in an Epic character’s story. Such adventurers may then ascend to godhood, fade into history, or disappear from the known realms. 

Roleplaying a powerful character can be challenging, but its rewards are well worth the extra effort. The world created by your DM will have strong opinions on the existence of Epic characters. To some societies, an Epic character is a walking weapon of mass destruction, to others, a living god. Managing this significance well is the hallmark of good Epic roleplaying. 

Epic characters experience social interactions just like ordinary people, but their awesome power can cast a shadow on even the most casual of conversations. Some like to conceal their identities for this very reason, but this is not always possible. Tools like your Epic ego and legend combined with your background’s features help make Epic roleplaying fun and meaningful. Consider how the power dynamic of your character affects those around you and whether this is something your character would like to exploit or conceal. Use methods of roleplaying that work best for you when managing your Epic character, factoring in the additional elements detailed in this chapter for an optimal social experience. 

The following options present a “standard model” for interactions in a game world, used as a base for considering the context of your character: Epic versus non-Epic, Epic versus Epic, and Epic versus Deific. The details of what constitutes non-Epic, Epic, and Deific are found later in this section. 

Lawful good Epic characters don’t follow the laws of a decent society, they write them. Traditionally, alignment for player characters has been subjective; what constitutes good and evil is relative to an individual’s perspective. What is good to one character may be evil to another, depending on point of view. 

However, it’s hard to argue the nature of morality with an ascendant that is a literal god of goodness and justice. Epic characters have a greater insight into the nature of good, evil, and everything in between. Whether or not you want to make your character’s alignment a bigger part of your roleplaying experience is up to you. It can be a polarizing force in a party and often a source of conflict between characters. When using alignment in social encounters, prioritize differentiating between Epic and non-Epic interactions as detailed in the previous section to prevent obsessing over the little things while the world is on fire. 

While there is much to learn about gameplay at Epic levels, not everything has changed about how you play a character. You still have turns, actions, ability checks, saving throws, and everything else you are used to from your non-Epic days. The 5th Edition core rulebook for players is just as essential for Epic gameplay as the Epic Legacy Core Rulebook. Whatever you enjoyed doing at non-Epic levels, you will find a way to do so here in an Epic capacity. Over the course of these adventures you will encounter new aspects of gameplay that will redefine your world. While many of these features are only included in your game at your DM’s discretion, the following aspects and terms are universal across any game of Epic Legacy. 

Non-Epic content is anything designed for 1st to 20th level in 5th Edition. Spells, class features, creatures, magic items, and many other aspects of play fall into this category. When something is non-Epic, it almost never approaches the level of significance held by the most minor of its Epic counterparts. This isn’t to say everything found in the 5th Edition core rules must remain non-Epic. Many of these gameplay elements can be swiftly improved to become Epic in their own right. By classifying something as non-Epic, it provides a clear system of interaction between a character and the content in question. Being non-Epic doesn’t mean something isn’t important or powerful, it simply lacks an exceptional quality to be considered Epic. 

Epic content is everything featured in this section. Whether it is a new skill, feat, class feature, or spell, everything here is Epic. Many non-Epic gameplay elements become instantly more powerful if classified as Epic, granting them unique protections or resistances to certain Epic effects. Being Epic doesn’t necessarily mean possessing extraordinary power. Objects and creatures of exceptional rarity, godlike heritage, great beauty, and many other unusual traits could easily be classified as Epic. Think of Epic as more of a designation of exceptionalism than a classification of power. Epic content is appropriately significant for Epic characters from 21st level to 30th level and forms the “standard” content of Epic Legacy Core Rulebook. 

When something is Deific, it is of a level of significance which indicates that even the gods (or your game world’s equivalent) have a stake in its existence. Deific can be simply described as “beyond Epic” and is primarily used by a DM to create a level of gameplay that is beyond the ken of all but the most powerful Epic characters. At minimum, everything that is Deific is also Epic. Many features presented in this book have special interactions with Deific-level content, and few characters are ever able to produce Deific effects without great effort. When a piece of Deific content appears in your game, its nature and strength are at the DM’s discretion, who will prescribe properties appropriate to your game world. As a rule, Deific content is either very rare in Epic Legacy or appears with more frequency when your group has entered the Legendary Tier of Epic-level play. 

Some abilities, attacks, and spells performed by Epic creatures and characters generate rare and powerful damage types, called Epic damage types. Rules such as damage resistance and immunity apply to some Epic damage types, but non-Epic features or effects cannot specifically grant resistance or immunity to Epic damage types. If something subjected to an Epic damage type has resistance or immunity to all damage, it has resistance to types of Epic damage as well. In all other ways besides those detailed here, Epic damage types are identical to their non-Epic counterparts. 

• Arcane Damage. Sometimes called “True Damage,” arcane damage represents the fundamental energy that flows through the multiverse, raw and unformed. Arcane damage appears as cosmic energy of shifting color, utterly destructive to anything it encounters. Special Benefit. Under no circumstances can a creature have resistance or immunity to arcane damage, nor can arcane damage be reduced by any means. 

• Righteous Damage. Pure holy energy, this damage comes from beings of pure good, who weaponize it as a force against evil. Righteous damage appears as a combination of flame, light, and raw force, overwhelming in its intensity. Special Benefit. Evil creatures are always vulnerable to righteous damage. 

• Vile Damage. Raw evil incarnate, vile damage is malevolent and caustic. The worst parts of acid, poison, and necrotic energy wrapped together, vile damage is an infectious purple slime that bubbles with hate. Special Benefit. Good creatures are always vulnerable to vile damage. 

• Untyped Damage (Losing Hit Points). Many Epic Legacy effects and some 5th Edition effects cause a creature to lose hit points instead of taking damage. While this is still technically a form of taking damage, losing hit points cannot trigger effects that occur when a creature takes damage, nor can a creature be resistant or immune to losing hit points. Extreme bleeding, loathsome poisons, and other life-draining effects are examples of something that would cause a creature to lose hit points.