Whether you are a player or DM, you understand the importance of characters in an RPG. A well-built character is the vehicle for a fantastic story in a fantasy setting, overcoming daring challenges, devious scenarios, and emotional set pieces. Base classes, subclasses, feats, skills, backgrounds, and many more characteristics give a character a sense of power, style, and artistry that is unique according to the player who designed them. Characters who attain 20th level in a game of 5th Edition are works of art, testaments to a grand campaign that has shaped and molded them. This chapter will help you take your finely crafted 5th Edition characters into Epic levels, introducing you to new concepts and rules along the way
Epic characters are the core of Epic Legacy. Surpassing their non-Epic counterparts in every way, Epic characters are figures of legend, genre-defining adventurers whose importance cannot be overstated. Characters become Epic when they gain their first level in an Epic Prestige Class, with the potential to become unstoppable should they ascend to 30th level. When played well, an Epic character offers tremendous opportunities to experience stories on a grand scale. These champions have attained Epic levels for one reason: after a lifetime of adventure, they still hunger for more.
Power is not the only thing that increases when characters gain Epic levels. Roleplaying, downtime, and treasure must also scale to epic proportions to be appropriate experiences. To these adventurers, the mundane and ordinary are not interesting in the slightest, as they have left these aspects of life far behind. Magical research a wizard considers to be revolutionary are the musings of a child to an archmage. This change in perspective and role in the world is a huge part of being Epic, and brings significance to the transition from non-Epic to Epic-level play.
The challenges Epic characters face range from ludicrously powerful to near omnipotent in scope, requiring all their skills and tools to overcome. While the power of an Epic character is extraordinary, only fools would ignore their core class features learned from their first 20 levels. At their best, Epic characters can apply the right tools for the job, unleashing overwhelming destruction or nigh-imperceptible subtly when the situation requires it.
Playing an Epic character is an experience unlike any that can be found elsewhere in 5th Edition. Through this section, you can bring that experience to your game table, as you and your friends form an Epic party, ready to embark upon the first of many Epic adventures.
A game of Epic Legacy begins when a party gains their first level in an Epic prestige class. This is a momentous occasion, representing an incredible triumph for both the players and campaign. However, the first Epic level is also the most complicated. When your party is awarded an Epic level by your DM, you will want to pause the adventure and have a special game session dedicated to this transition (often called “session zero”). Doing so will let you figure out how to get the best mileage out of your Epic character as both an individual and as a group. This section will help you navigate the session efficiently and enjoyably as you explore a plethora of character options and assemble your Epic character.
Now that your party is about to be 21st level, there are some things that must be taken care of before you can taste the mighty fruit of your labors. You will need to complete four steps: establishing your legend, meeting your Epic prestige class prerequisites, making character adjustments, and checking in with your DM for any additional aspects relevant to this transition. Once you have completed these steps, you are ready to gain your first Epic level in a manner determined by your DM.
Adventuring in 5th Edition is always a story worth telling. To Epic characters, these experiences helped shape them as individuals, granted them power, and impacted the world around them. The summary of these experiences is your legend, a part of your character’s background that is unique to Epic Legacy. Write down your best summary from your character’s perspective about their non-Epic adventures, which will be your character’s legend. The mighty villains they have slain, heroic acts performed, and magical items acquired should be detailed in brief.
If you are ever unsure about how Epic characters should act in a given scenario, use this legend to reflect on what they have done in the past and how those experiences have affected them. Using your legend well leads to stronger roleplaying by tying together the impact your adventuring career has had on your character’s personality. Your legend should also interact with other members of your party. Chances are you’ve seen your share of horrors, glory, and battle together, and these experiences should influence the group dynamic. Epic adventurers need a good reason to stick together, and the collective legend of each party member is a collection of awesome war stories worth referencing often. Epic characters can look back on the “good times” when things were simpler, when they had fewer scars, or when they considered an orc a dangerous enemy. These are fun moments, and you’ll feel pretty epic as you realize just how extensive your character’s experience has been.
As a part of writing your legend, you may select an Epic ego from the Epic Ego Table, or you may roll a d20 to randomly select one. This personality trait is added to your background and helps determine your character’s relationship to the world as an Epic character. Because of the unique position Epic characters often occupy within the mostly non-Epic world around them, they suffer from personal struggles and perspectives stemming from their excessive power.
Once you have written your legend and chosen an Epic ego, proceed to the next step.
Your non-Epic character can only qualify for a single Epic prestige class. Each of these character paths has specific prerequisites that must be met before your character can gain their first level in an Epic prestige class. Many of these requirements necessitate DM input, making them a huge focus of your session zero and facilitating a conversation between you two. You may be required to make serious adjustments to your character to fulfill these requirements. If that is the case, proceed directly to the next step.
Over the course of your non-Epic adventures, you may have made choices about your customizable features that you wish to change. Ability score improvements, feats, proficiencies, and even subclasses may no longer be appropriate or helpful to your character at Epic levels. To help you consider the impact of your features, you will want to read over the Epic prestige class you plan to take at 21st level and adjust accordingly. However, each adjustment you wish to make must be approved by the DM. Little changes, such as an ability score adjustment, should almost always be acceptable, but changing a subclass requires more than simply fiddling with the character sheet; it changes the narrative of the story. Once you have made your desired adjustments, proceed to the next step.
Never forget that you and your DM are telling this epic story together. As the final piece of your Epic character creation process, you will give your DM a chance to look over your character sheet and allow them the opportunity to add any additional features, restrictions, or other elements before your journey can begin. An Epic DM must craft a world able to handle your character’s awesome power. This is not easily done, so remember that the DM is trying to help your character fit into a narrative that will be appropriate for that level of strength. Consider the merits of certain character restrictions, the opportunities of custom features, and the mystery of strange characteristics before arguing with your DM against their inclusion.
As an Epic character, you are different. You will journey to the ends of the multiverse in pursuit of your goals, seeking challenges of staggering difficulty and glory. To play an Epic character, you will need all your skills gained through your non-Epic experiences, along with a willingness to learn a few new ones. The following section covers the basics of Epic adventuring and roleplaying Epic characters.
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.
Epic versus Non-Epic.
To most non-Epic creatures, Epic characters are terrifying or deserving of excessive adoration and respect. Intelligent non-Epic creatures understand that an Epic character can destroy them with ease and treat social interactions between them with a healthy degree of caution. Only the most compelling and benevolent Epic characters can reassure a nonEpic creature who is aware of their true nature. It is difficult for non-Epic creatures to conceive of the power Epic characters wield, and this misunderstanding often fuels obsession and fear. Rumors, half-truths, and outright absurd beliefs about well known Epic characters’ abilities are rampant. An Epic character is akin to a superhero or celebrity in a fantasy universe. A largerthan-life figure that epitomizes ideals and concepts, serving as an inspiration to entire generations. For this reason, many Epic figures are uncomfortable with the level of attention they receive. Their primary focus is adventuring, not cultivating legions of fans and followers. While the worlds of non-Epic creatures may be intriguing for a time, it is a realm of which Epic characters are no longer directly a part.
Epic versus Epic.
When two Epic forces are in the same room, the tension in the air is electric. Even close friends of Epic power struggle to hold back their excitement at a potential test of might or knowledge before them. Most Epic characters will only “cut loose” in relative safety and isolation, far away from the eyes of lesser creatures. Feuds between Epic creatures are legendary, which can result in tremendous conflicts that span centuries. With so much at stake, Epic characters tend to be conservative in social situations with other Epic creatures, acting with great care and patience until they develop a deep understanding of the other. Epic characters who make friends and enemies quickly are seen as either very foolish or very dangerous, and engender no small amount of disrespect from other Epic creatures aware of such activity.
Epic versus Deific.
Depending on how Deific levels of power are defined by your DM, these interactions can be hugely significant. Deific forces and creatures are one of the few things Epic characters always have strong feelings about. When encountering a Deific effect or creature, Epic characters should feel vulnerable and outclassed. Such experiences are humbling and show characters that, as mighty as they may be, there is always something mightier. It’s difficult to comprehend just how powerful Deific content is, to the point where it may not even make sense to even write out rules, systems, or characteristics for Deific encounters. Your DM grants something Deific power for a reason, typically as a not-so-subtle warning sign for you to take the situation seriously or suffer dire consequences.
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.
The keywords below are terms used to denote specific mechanical aspects of gameplay when using the Epic Legacy Core Rulebook. Whenever these terms appear in this book they are referencing the properties detailed here.
Power Designations: Non-Epic, Epic, and Deific
Throughout this section you will find the descriptors “non-Epic,” “Epic,” and “Deific” when referring to specific content. The properties of each classification are detailed on the next parts.
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.
Epic characters are very skilled; their increased ability scores and proficiency bonuses grant even the most amateur Epic characters tremendous bonuses to their ability checks. In extreme cases, it is not uncommon for an Epic character to achieve an average ability check result of 30. According to the 5th Edition core rules, a result of 30 or higher can accomplish nearly impossible tasks, which, if true, means Epic characters would never need to roll higher than 30 for most ability checks they attempt.
However, what constitutes a nearly impossible task in the eyes of an Epic character is a different category of challenge entirely. Because of this potential, Epic characters may attempt ability checks well beyond the intended scope of their associated skill. When successful, these checks allow a character to perform activities that appear magical or supernatural to those observing them. These checks are called Epic ability checks.
When an Epic character attempts an ability check for which the DM would declare the DC to be greater than 30, the nature of the check may warrant it being considered an Epic ability check. Epic ability checks defy contemporary logic, allowing characters to accomplish acts of herculean strength, astonishing speed, and other wonders that put non-Epic characters to shame. The limits of what you can do with your Epic character’s skills are your imagination and the whims of your DM. When successful, Epic ability checks often “bend” the rules of what is possible in 5th Edition, but rarely break them.
When you would attempt an ability check that would exceed the traditional parameters of its associated skill (if any), you may declare your ability check to be an Epic ability check. When you do so, you must detail the manner in which the check is performed, even if performing that task seems impossible in that manner. The DM then determines if the act you wish to attempt is worthy of being considered an Epic ability check, an ordinary ability check, or impossible even with the aid of Epic skill. If the DM allows your Epic ability check, what you are able to accomplish on a success may still be adjusted, such as the rate of which the activity performed or the degree to which you succeed. Once the DM has determined a DC for the ability check, you may then attempt the check. Once characters have attempted an Epic ability check, regardless of the result, they cannot attempt another Epic ability check until they have finished a short or long rest.
Detailed below are some examples of Epic ability checks for each ability, along with some suggested DCs.