Post/Author/DateTime	Post
raymond caleatry 04-08-05, 09:00 PM	OK, i am going to be starting an Epic level game soon but i have no idea what is required in an epic game. I was thinking about playing a blender, ie a two-weapon-fighting dervish build with extra stuff. upto 20th level i got, scout 5/swashbuckler 3/dervish 10/champion of cor....2 This should give strength, dex, and intellegence to damage. But what do i do with the other 5 levels? Also, what items are required for a high level game. I suspect its all about saves at high level. All published WotC books are game, and faerun books are game, and all races can also be used. Thanks Raymond
Erudite 04-08-05, 09:41 PM	Spellcasters own everyone in Epic, so be warned if you play a fighter-type. You will want the following: 1. Great saves, especially Fort and Will to avoid save-or-dies with high DCs. 2. Spell Resistance, although high level casters will circumvent this with little trouble. 3. Mobility. If you can't keep up to the flying folks you are in trouble. 4. A weapon with the Metalline enchantment to overcome the many types of DR. Magebane is also a good idea. If you are dead set on your current build use the last five levels to get Soldier of Light 2/ Shiba Protector 1/Iajutsu Master 2 or Paladin of Freedom 4/Shiba Protector 1, both grant undead turning and divine grace. If you grab the serenity feat from Dragon 298, you may use Wis instead of Cha for turn undead and divine grace. Spell Resistance can be gained from a wondrous item. Boots of flying or the ability to take the half-celestial template (BoED version, LA +2) are best. I do not have RotW, so I might have missed any restriction on Champion of Corellion(?).
Ivarrius 04-08-05, 09:52 PM	I am guessing you took scout for the increased movement, but I think you can do more with those 5 levels.
lokkesmadr 04-08-05, 11:55 PM	Scout is in there for the +2d6 skirmishing damage while dervish dancing, I should think. Ray, you're going to want armor with the Soulfire special ability, I guarantee it. And if you can get an item granting immunity to mind-affecting effects you should be prepared to sacrifice a moderately important body part to get it... For those five levels I'd be aiming for paladin 2 / Hexblade 3 (you might want to take these early in the build and take scout in epics, for a better BAB). That'll get you Mettle, evasion (scout levels), charisma to saves and charisma to saves *again* versus spells. If the spell grants a save you should be looking at complete immunity to it. Alternatively, if you don't want Hexblade levels (because you're playing a good character, for example) try Pious Templar 1 \ Paladin 2 \ Monk 2. This sets you up to take the Reflect Arrows, Exceptional and Infinite Deflection epic feats, allowing you to laugh at any spellcaster dumb enough to use ray spells on you. (although this would mean keeping a hand free. This can be achieved via polymorphing effects or the spell Girallon's Blessing)
Temura 04-09-05, 02:50 AM	OK, i am going to be starting an Epic level game soon but i have no idea what is required in an epic game. I was thinking about playing a blender, ie a two-weapon-fighting dervish build with extra stuff. Sounds fun, but I advice you to have some spellcasting ability... at epic levels it is nearly a must. To keep your blender flavor... how about this: Swasbuckler 3/wizard 6/spellsword 1/Eldritch Knight 15. That gives you a level 25 character with a good BaB, int & strength to damage and ninth level spells. Take Improved toughness for the extra 25 hitpoints and arcane strike for horrible amounts of extra damage. Dire charge could be nice for your kind of character as well as spell stowaway and perfect two weapon fighting. If you charge an opponent in the surprise round or first round you can unleash all your melee attacks. Give up a ninth level spell to get +9 to hit and +9d4 (22,5) extra damage per attack. With your roughly 10 attacks this can easely get to over 500 damage in one round. :evillaugh Good luck!
catharz 04-09-05, 03:03 AM	If you're going to be adding 3 ability scores to your damage output, you might as well grab a Belt of Magnificence (Perfect Excellence? Whatever) from the Minis HB. Adds 6 to all ability scores for around 200k.
Snarf 04-09-05, 03:57 AM	If you're going to be adding 3 ability scores to your damage output, you might as well grab a Belt of Magnificence (Perfect Excellence? Whatever) from the Minis HB. Adds 6 to all ability scores for around 200k. Might wanna be careful with those published multi-score adders, a few of them are mispriced according to the established formulae. Don't remember whether or not the belt was wrong, but I want to say that it was...since 36k * 6 > 200k even without applying the "multiple abilities in one item" cost multipliers.
lokkesmadr 04-09-05, 04:01 AM	Indeed. Six items enhancing stats by +6 separately would cost 216,000 in total as well as taking up six item slots. The belt of magnificence is cheaper and only takes up one slot. I'd call it a bargain.
Kessalin Talira 04-09-05, 05:56 AM	Was trying to figure out how they got the price of the Magnificence Belt, since adding five more +6 items at multiplied price kicks it up around 316k, and the only thing I can figure is that the "multiple similar abilities in one item", that being an enhancement bonus to ability scores, is what brings it down to 200k for a +6 to all of them.
raymond caleatry 04-09-05, 06:03 AM	Ray, you're going to want armor with the Soulfire special ability, I guarantee it. And if you can get an item granting immunity to mind-affecting effects you should be prepared to sacrifice a moderately important body part to get it... For those five levels I'd be aiming for paladin 2 / Hexblade 3 (you might want to take these early in the build and take scout in epics, for a better BAB). That'll get you Mettle, evasion (scout levels), charisma to saves and charisma to saves *again* versus spells. If the spell grants a save you should be looking at complete immunity to it. Alternatively, if you don't want Hexblade levels (because you're playing a good character, for example) try Pious Templar 1 \ Paladin 2 \ Monk 2. This sets you up to take the Reflect Arrows, Exceptional and Infinite Deflection epic feats, allowing you to laugh at any spellcaster dumb enough to use ray spells on you. (although this would mean keeping a hand free. This can be achieved via polymorphing effects or the spell Girallon's Blessing) two things... 1) what is the soulfire ability, and where can it be found? 2) hexblade is any non-good, and paladin is lawfull good. How would that work, other than to say that he had a change of heart. as magic is so important, i could also go for a psionic character, i have always thought that they are completely brocken anyway. If so, what would you suggest. The main problem i see with epic spell casters, is that because i have never really used any of the high level spells i don't know all the tricks of the trade you can do with them, as well as all the meta magic feats. This counts for psionics as well. Also in a party where i expect everybody else to have highly magical characters i thought it would be fun to have a non-magical counter to their magic. just in case we come across stuff that hurts spell casters bad. Raymond
raymond caleatry 04-09-05, 06:05 AM	Is there any way of adding any more ability scores to damage? or increasing damage reliably in other ways. ray
lokkesmadr 04-09-05, 07:49 AM	1. Soulfire grants immunity to death effects, energy and ability drain and any negative energy effects, it can be found in the Book of Exalted Deeds. 2. Paladins of Tyranny spring to mind (Unearthed Arcana, lawful evil paladin variant). Shiba protector grants Wisdom to attack and damage, it's obscenely potent as a one level dip (Oriental Adventures). You can sacrifice Turn Undead attempts to use Divine Might (Complete Warrior) to add charisma to damage, too.
Erudite 04-09-05, 09:22 AM	A build you can try out that has access to high level magic, and adds much to damage is: A Neutral Good character: Bard 7/Soldier of Light 2/Dragonslayer1/Sublime Chord 2/Eldritch Knight 8 Then for epic levels add: Witch Hunter 2, Shiba Protector 1, Chameleon 2 Take Arcane Strike and Divine Might;also the feat Snowflake Wardance (Frostburn). I believe it adds Cha to hit (?) This gives you: BAB: +17 pre epic + Wis + Cha + Str/Dex to hit + spell slot level sacrificed. Saves: +14/+9/+16 pre epic + Cha bonus twice Damage: add Wis and Cha to damage + 1d4/spell level sacrificed. 9th level sorc/wiz/bard Wear Light armor with no penalty. Detect Evel/Undead at will Turn Undead Immune to fear Divine Grace and Kami's Grace Floating chameleon feat +2 to hit and to damage from Chameleon fighter focus, or 2nd level divine spells, your choice, each day. Your physical stats mean nothing, since you poly/poly any object/shapechange on yourself. I prefer PAO, so do not go ballistic on mental stats at the begining. Assume you pick a form with reasonable stats (Solar). With a belt of magnificence and some epic buffs, assume a modest 36 in Cha and Wis, and Str 28. For a weapon, use a +4 keen metalline maiming magebane scimitar(1d6+4/crit 15-20/x1d4crit multiplier). Include a spiked gauntlet of Defending, Spellblade (spell of your choice), which helps you out even if you are not using it actively. Some ideas about armor have already been mentioned, but I would add include Glassteel, which included properites of both Adamantine and Mithril. A spell-blade (greater dispell) spiked dastana of Heavy Fortification is a nice addition. Catharz's link to optimization in his sig provides a nice list of equipment for epic level characters. You are now looking at around +61 to hit, 1d6+44 damage (w/o arcane strike), potentially doing 200 points on a critical hit. With Divine Might, this changes to 2d4 +57 damage, up to 240 points on a critical. Your saves are +40/+35/+42 without magic items. Use your spells for problem solving and buffs, do damage yourself with your sword.
Snarf 04-11-05, 02:17 PM	Was trying to figure out how they got the price of the Magnificence Belt, since adding five more +6 items at multiplied price kicks it up around 316k, and the only thing I can figure is that the "multiple similar abilities in one item", that being an enhancement bonus to ability scores, is what brings it down to 200k for a +6 to all of them. IIRC that cost factor only applies to staff creation...otherwise everyone would be spending their money on one uber-item, to multiplex their item slots.
0gre 04-11-05, 06:43 PM	Snowflake Wardance only works with one-handed weapons Erudite.
Erudite 04-11-05, 09:58 PM	Thank you Ogre, I looked inside Frostburn today and noticed that. I'll edit my post accordingly. :)