3.5 What are Epic spells good for without cost reducery cheese?

[Vrock_Summoner]

There is a time in the occasional wizard/cleric/whatever's life where he reaches beyond the fletchling stages of early Epic levels and gains enough skill ranks to strive for a higher form of magic, moving from power that is merely beyond the comprehension of normal mortals and up to powers unfathomable to other practitioners of the arts and possibly the gods themselves. They become all the more legendary, shaping the history of the entire cosmos with their every thought. Their power grows from magic... Into the painfully unoriginally named but nonetheless badass Epic magic.

... Except, wait, what's this? Guys, it looks like there's a problem. Used as intended, Epic magic, well... Kind of sucks. Relatively speaking, of course (it's still miles above what pesky mundane beings can even dream of) but still, it is supposed to be an evolution of magic beyond its previous boundaries and much of what you are expected to do with it is *weaker* than normal magic. I mean, sure, some spells are weaker than others, that's simply a given... But they're so dang costly on top of everything else.

Okay, now hold on, raging mobs and Epic spell fangirls. Yeah, it has limitless potential. It really can perform epic (pun intended) feats (yeah...) if you use it properly. As in abuse the hell out of *ALL* the cheese to perma-summon 64 Solars as a standard action or animate entire planes at 0 DC. But these aren't within the general expected bounds of Epic spellcasting.

I've heard Epic spellcasting finally got damage and immunity-penetration right so blasting is more balanced against the defensive abilities of Epic monsters, but blasting sucks anyway, so yeah.

So, what are you guys' opinion on Epic spellcasting? And what worthwhile things can it accomplish with only the reasonable (and likely designer-expected) DC-and-cost mitigations available to you?

[Zweisteine]

Well, you can create at least one worthwhile effect without making the DC so high you can never cast it... The best way to do this probably, is to have the leadership feat, add the "activate on specified contingent trigger" factor, and ritual cast it ahead of time with only your party (and followers, if you hae any). At those levels, you can spare a day to prepare your spells, so do this:

Day 1: Everyone prepare spells, and spend them helpin to ritual cast everyone else's epic spells.
Days 2 to X: Adventure time!
Day X: You use the contingent epic spells!
Day X+1: If the adventure isn't over, you jump in a rope trick and prepare your spells again.
Days X+2 to X+Y: Adventure some more!
Day Y: Use more epic spells!
Day Y+1: If your adventure isn't over yet, you're doing something wrong.

EDIT:
Here's a spell!
Here's easily castable epic spell.

First, use Genesis to create the least hospitable, most deadly plane you can imagine.

Then send your enemies there.

This is the basic version of the spell.

My Hell, Your Hell
Conjuration (teleportation)
Spellcraft DC: 30
Components: V, S
Casting time: 11 minutes
Range: 300 feet
Target: one creature weighing up to 1000 lbs
Duration: Contingent until expended, then instantaneous
Saving throw: Will negates
Spell resistance: Yes

When you speak a series of pre-determined activation words (a standard action), choose one living creature (or object) weighing up to 1000 lbs within range. On a failed will save (DC = the standard epic spell DC + 5), the target is sent to a random location on plane of your choosing.
You gain a +5 bonus on any caster level check you make for this spell to penetrate the target's spell resistance.

Seed: Transport (DC 27)
Factors: planar travel (+4), unwilling teleportation (+4), contingent on a specific trigger (+25), change from touch to target (+4), +5 save DC (+10), +5 CL to beat SR (+10), increase casting time by 10 minutes (-20), two additional casters contributing 9th level slots (-34)

Some variants of this spell include the following:

Additional +5 to both save DC and your caster level check (total +10 to both).
DC 50

Additional +9 to both save DC and your caster level check (total +14 to both).
DC 66*

As a non-ritual:
Range: 600 ft
DC 66
(not a ritual (+34), double range (+2))

As a on-the-spot spell (not contingent, not a ritual).
10d6 backlash damage
Burn 800 xp
DC 66*
(not a ritual (+34), no time increases (+20), no save DC or CL modifiers (-20), 1-action casting time (+20), 10d6 backlash damage (-10), burn 800 XP (-8))


*I consider 66 to be the "maximum safe skill DC" an epic spell o be castable by a 21st level character. They can easily achieve that number by taking 10, having 24 skill ranks, a +12 ability modifier, and two items giving different +10 bonuses (competence and insight, most likely).

[Vrock_Summoner]

Ah, that's not shabby at all! Bit annoying that it has the double-whammy of SR:Yes and a save, but it's a strong save and SR is even easier to overcome in Epic than normal so that's not too much of an issue. So yeah, nice find, spell looks pretty reliable.

Anybody got more?

[Chronos]

If your HP are suitably ludicrously high (Faerie Mysteries Initiate, maybe) then the Heal seed becomes pretty useful: It doesn't cure a set amount of HP; it sets your HP directly to maximum. The base seed is only DC 25, so you've got a lot of room to add more bells and whistles to it.

There's also the tactic of multiple long-duration buffs (of different bonus type) to increase your casting stat. If you're a wizard, you can even make them increasing in scale, since you'll also be increasing your Spellcraft modifier. Like, research the biggest enhancement bonus to Int that you can, then based on your new modifier research the biggest insight bonus you can, then the biggest competence bonus, then the biggest morale bonus, etc. If you run out of bonus types (you shouldn't, because there are a ton of them, but just in case), you can loop around with an even bigger enhancement bonus, etc.