Rating: Summary: High-Level campaigns just got fun again.... Review: A genuine gripe of Third Edition D&D was its tendency to create seriously powerful player characters who were (to use the phrase) "All powered-up with nowhere to go." Having climbed sunshine mountain, high level PCs were given little to do but build a stronghold and start writing their memoirs. Well, put down the inkwell, Hrothgar, a 200 foot tall spider just ate half the city. The Epic Level Handbook opens up a universe of possibilities for established heroes, and gives Dungeon Masters rules they can run with. Six chapters of pure brain candy, plus three crunchy Appendices to wash them down. Oh, this is the book your high level characters have been waiting for... The book starts off with the character progression rules and Epic Prestige classes. The rules are straightforward, clean, and thoroughly explained. Full marks to the "Behind the Curtain" segments in this chapter - explaining the whys behind the rules is very important when your telling a 21st level barbarian why his base attack bonus will never increase again. Epic versions of the standard classes are provided (ho-hum), but new prestige classes (like the Agent Retriever) are also provided. These new additions provide not only new paths, but (more importantly) examples on how to make your own prestige classes. Custom classes can define campaign worlds as well as campaigns - and the tools provided here are the building blocks of anything you could want. I'll just mention one of the many Epic Feats: Permanent Emanation (make an emanation spell of yours permanent...ah the possibilities...). The chapter on epic spells provides the rules for creating magic that does things that Archmages would sell their quasit for. Epic spells cost mucho dinero to research, have Spellcraft DCs beyond the reach of mortals, and serious XP costs. Are they worth it? You betcha. Stuff like, oh I don't know...Permanent spell reflection, summon ten adult red dragons to attack your foes, you get the idea. They even give you the spell to make demi-planes of existence...I mean, how cool is that? Better still, the chapter details seed spells, which are the ingredients in a "build-your-own-spell-buffet." Don't like the epic spells in the book? Well, make yer own, smart guy. The book comes into its own with chapter three: how to run high-level campaigns. Having the rules and the tools is one thing, but knowing good ways to use them is quite another. The best concept in the world can be ruined if the DM isn't prepared for the radical differences high levels make in game play. A whole section is devoted to advising the DM about coping with the various divination spells that WILL be used in an epic campaign. Given that a high-level adventure can tank because of a single oversight by the DM, this section is manna from above. Other sections in this chapter detail problems specific to high level campaigns ("Managing Wealth," "Handling Wish," and "Dealing with Time Stop") and provide well thought out options to economize on dice rolling. Alternate rules for dealing with natural 1s and 20s in combat, as well as tailoring the "Massive Damage" rule for epic campaigns are intelligently presented and well explained. Thespians may balk at the blunt language of this chapter, but game balance is all about rules and numbers - and the WoTC folks have written this chapter with an honest appraisal of the issues that will affect your campaign. Finally, the book is stuffed with the things that epic world are made of: New magic items of world shattering power; Non-Player Characters who can level cities with a harsh thought; and monsters whose mere presence can make Odin die of fear. (Ok, maybe not Odin...but they're pretty awful). Consider the Dragon, Advanced: AC of 70 Damage resistance of 35/+6, oh and their bite attack is at +77; did I mention that isn't even the BAD one? The Epic Dragons are much, much worse... (oh and that giant spider, I wasn't kidding - Poison save of 94 and 2d12 CON damage, twice...*shudder*).The monsters, spells and toys are all nice, but the best things about this book are the game mechanics. With these rules, you can take your players into levels that were unheard of before, and the rules can create challenges that will keep it interesting for everyone. If you're interested in playing your character beyond level 20, these rules will more than keep pace with you. Hat's off to Mr. Collins, Mr. Cordell, and Wizards of the Coast. A marvelous capstone to the core rules. I for one, can't wait to put it to use. Uh lessee here... Uvuudaum, Large Outsider CR 27....hmmm
Rating: Summary: Best 3E book to date Review: Can anyone say AWSOME. The ELH is beyond great for people like me, and anyone else that has high level characters that have been playing since the 3E release. For a few months I've had a level 22 character that me and my DM had to guess on how to make him, But now with the ELH hes made by the book. The expansion rules for Chars. above level 20 work very well. But where this book shines the most is the Epic Spells. The "Seed" and "factor" system is beyond great. I think the writers and WOTC put alot of tought and work into this book makeing execlent supplement for people who want to keep there characters going on forever. ANd who knows maybe one of these days some player char from Anywhere-USA will be the person who makes the spells for his level 60 wizard that go in the 4th edition spells like Tenser and others. I give this book a 5 out of 5
Rating: Summary: It might just be me but... Review: Does anyone really see a point in playing an Epic Level game? I thought the fun was getting there, not being there. I'd figure that Wizards would have figured this out from the horrible sales of the AD&D Epic Level Handbook. Anyone who wants to play an Epic Level game is a Munchkin, plain and simple. MAYBE 1 in 500,000 isn't, but that isn't the issue here. This book really has no reason for existing other than taking gamer money and pissing off any and all real RPers in your group.
Rating: Summary: It might just be me but... Review: Does anyone really see a point in playing an Epic Level game? I thought the fun was getting there, not being there. I'd figure that Wizards would have figured this out from the horrible sales of the AD&D Epic Level Handbook. Anyone who wants to play an Epic Level game is a Munchkin, plain and simple. MAYBE 1 in 500,000 isn't, but that isn't the issue here. This book really has no reason for existing other than taking gamer money and pissing off any and all real RPers in your group.
Rating: Summary: Epic Level Handbook (Dungeons & Dragons supplement) Review: Expected New, got new, expected by 12/24/02, got by that date. Very satisfied. Would do and Will do business with seller in future.
Rating: Summary: The Quintessential Quide for Characters Beyond Basic Review: First of all, I want everyone to understand just how unlikely it will be for most characters to get this high of level and not be done with your possibly year-long campaign. That said, if you do manage this feat, or simply begin a fresh campaign with everyone in the party at level 20 or above, then this is the book for you. This book details everything you need to know to really get immersed in a campaign of epic porportions. From unique new artifacts to monsters like the Hecatoncheries which can beat you senseless before you even get within throwing distance, this book is a great read and even somewhat entertaining even if your not playing a high-leveled campaign. For all those player characters who wished they could ascend to godhood and then battle against other gods, the Epic Level Handbook has you covered there too, though it doesn't go into great detail but use your imagination. So, in conclusion, for everyone who isn't satisfied running a high-level campaign without knowing just how extreme they can take it, buy this book and go fight a Worm that Walks in the underground depths of Union, surrounded by a few dozen angry Union Sentinels lookin' too take out their frustrations on you. Oh yeah, that is roleplaying adventure at its finest.
Rating: Summary: Good, if you like that kind of thing... Review: Fist off, let me say that the Epic Level Handbook is well written and thought out, and gives great amounts of information on how to play your Dungeons & Dragons game up long past 20th level characters. The rules are clear and easy to follow. Overall, I suppose it's a really good book. But. Perhaps it is my personal bias, but I am of the thought that characters that adventure past 20th level have something wrong with the world they live in. How is it possible, for example, for someone so powerful so as to fight great dragons before afternoon tea, to live in the same world as those people who struggle to keep the wild dogs from stealing their chickens? How would a character in this world rise above his or her station in life and find a career in adventuring, when there are beasts and other oppositions out there that are able to challenge the likes of Hercules and other larger-than-life figures? It doesn't make much sense, and tears away from the entire effect role-playing has to me: a believable fantasy world. I am the sort of guy who believes that, no matter what level of skill and power a person attains, he can still be killed by a speeding bus.
Rating: Summary: Disappointed to say the least Review: From the tidbits contained in the Forgotten Realms Handbook, I had high hopes for this book. I was hoping that WoTC would release post 20 rules that offered a nice balanced way for continuing characters in campaigns beyond the current level 20 cap. What they released though should have have been more aptly named the "Monte Haul Guidebook." The powers and items offered in this book result in almost exponential increases in character power as they progress past level 20. Maybe the problems of this book are a reflection with the inherent problems with D&D at higher levels (the game becomes very unbalanced as character levels reach into the high teens), but after reading through the text I can't help but conclude that the current batch of game designers at WoTC seem to favor a monte haul type approach to D&D. I was very disappointed with this work and would have been much happier to see an Epic Level Handbook that followed the direction set forth in the Forgotten Realms Handbook.
Rating: Summary: Perhaps this obsession over power is a Reflection of society Review: I bought this book on a whim. This book is rather thick and it had an interesting premise: what if your heroes continued on past level twenty and became truely godlike in power? But after reading it I am rather [angry] at this travesty. First off is that skills are useable in the most bizzare ways: walking on the sky with a balance check? Feats are equally bizzare: increasing your stats and increasing your spells is overkill. A whole section is dedicated to useing the wish spell. Monsterous creatures that go well beyond the Tassque and weapons that surpase the accumulated +10 enchantment. Why would anyone run a campaign like this? It shatters all believability and if you are going to use this in D&D's home setting of Greyhawk then you ruin the gritty and dangerous feel key to that world when you assume godly powers. Are players so wrapped up in the American dream of money and power being the sole goal in role playing? The previous system of advancing only to level 20 was balanced, as a 20th level character who was stupid could 'easily' die still and there were enought realistic threats to not bend reality. There is a charm in growing stronger and developing a character, but there is a time to start the process over again. This book is for those who are too rapped up in their Fictitious lives to realize that thier characters have grown too powerful to play. But in a world where success is the prime virtue, and those who fail in the real world must shield themselves, thus the desire to level up the character ala the average joe gets a promotion and accumulate the latest magic weapon ala like the average joe accumulating the newest car. To a point it is healthy and fun, but where this book takes it is psycotic and mentally ill.
Rating: Summary: 70% Garbage Review: I consider myself a power gamer; I can min/max a system and/or exploit a game flaw with the best of gamers. I like a balanced system that keeps that sort of thing in check because, let's face it, the game's no fun if it's too easy or too hard. I was excited to buy and read this book but the more time passed, the more glaring and apparent are its flaws. It's not useless, but a fair portion of it has turned out to be wasted space and I eagerly await a long overdue revision, if any.
THE GOOD: Epic Advancement -- The material expands on what appears in the 3.5 DMG, including progression tables for the base character classes and the prestige classes that originally appeared in the 3.0 DMG. Epic XP Charts -- Get the values of monsters of CR 14-40 for characters of 21st-40th level (may be in need of a 3.5 revision). Epic Skills -- These range from the extraordinary to the insane (Balance checks to walk on clouds without magic anyone?). Epic Feats -- Excellent! Not all are equal. Some you might think twice before inserting them into your game (Let's just say that casting multiple quickened spells in a round gets overpowering in a hurry). Epic Items -- The item creation section is a wonderful expansion on the already excellent rules presented in the DMG, with superlative example items and an artifacts section that will make your toes curl (The Axe of the Dwarvish Lords! Olidammara's Dice!).
THE BAD: Epic Spellcasting -- What a waste of space. Spend tons of XP and gp for spells you can outpower using 'normal' 1st-9th level spells and metamagic feats at NO cost. Epic NPCs -- Incarnations of Elminster, Mordenkainen, et al that my grandmother could beat up. Epic Monsters -- while some are scary and work, most have power levels that don't match their CR. Revisions Pending -- Some material has been absorbed, improved upon, or made moot by the 3.5 core rulebook revisions.
In all, the book suffers from an obvious lack of playtesting performed on the material therein. Buy it for the skills, feats, and items; forget it for anything else.
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