Ways to get pseudo character levels?

[Clistenes]

You know, I have been wondering how do those epic liches and vampires and quasi-gods and hero-gods get more character levels. There aren't many challenges for them, many of them stay all the time in dungeons or castles instead of adventuring, and they have insane Level Adjustments.

So, how many ways are for them to get pseudo-levels in RAW? Right now I can think of:

-Magic Items: They can give you feats, skill ranks, ability enhancements, known spells (Runestaffs, Knownstones) and even class features (Monk’s Belt, Shroudcrown).

-Templates: Many of them can be gained through rituals. Some of them give you more hit points (Dreadnaught, Immortal), ability bonuses (which in turn give you bonuses to attack, saves and more hit points), feats (Fire Souled), spells or spell-like abilities, and powers comparable to class features.

-Lycanthropy: You can get a bunch of HD and some nice powers. A pity those are sucky Animal HD. Plus only Giants and Humanoids can become lycanthropes.

-Epic Spells: It's easy to get permanent enhancements to almost anything, save advancing your level as spellcaster.

And if we are willing to go into Munchkin territory:

-Polymorph Any Object + Contingent Maximized Awaken, gain bonuses to Charisma and 2 Magical Beast HD every time.

-Cast Baleful Polymorph to turn a huge animal into a frog or squirrel, Shapechange into a Barghest, Feed and get bonus Outsider HD, Con and Str and Natural Armor bonuses.

-Create a Simulacrum, use the psionic power Fusion, and get feats and spells. A Demigod could make it permanent with Alter Reality.

-Dark Chaos Shuffle.

And of course, if you want to go super-Munchkin:

-Pun-Pun.

But I'm sure there are many more ways. Any ideas?

[ATHATH]

The Drider and Frenzy Dog (use Aspect of the Wolf to qualify for receiving the spell that grants it) templates can add HD, and the Planar Familiar trick can get you each of the four alignment templates. You already know about Necropolitan and Fire-Souled, but I would like to add Spellstitched and Ka-Tainted to that list.

There are a couple of rituals that are dedicated to Cyric in Lords of Madness that can grant you some nifty bonuses.

Inspire Greatness can also grant you some temporary HD.

[ATHATH]

Touchstones and certain locations (like the Otyugh Hole) grant bonuses as well.

[Clistenes]

The Drider and Frenzy Dog (use Aspect of the Wolf to qualify for receiving the spell that grants it) templates can add HD, and the Planar Familiar trick can get you each of the four alignment templates. You already know about Necropolitan and Fire-Souled, but I would like to add Spellstitched and Ka-Tainted to that list.

There are a couple of rituals that are dedicated to Cyric in Lords of Madness that can grant you some nifty bonuses.

Inspire Greatness can also grant you some temporary HD.

Spellstitched is cool for sentient Undead who want some extra firepower. :smallsmile:

[Gildedragon]

Dragonspawn template from Dragonlance gives +1 level in sorcerer

[Psyren]

But I'm sure there are many more ways. Any ideas?

Roleplay XP. A lich or god bumming around doing lich-y or god-y things is fulfilling their story function.

[martixy]

Roleplay XP. A lich or god bumming around doing lich-y or god-y things is fulfilling their story function.

And for gods specifically, exercising their portfolio should probably be more than enough.
Given that it is their primary function, and if you consider overcoming challenges an adventurer's primary function.

[Clistenes]

And for gods specifically, exercising their portfolio should probably be more than enough.
Given that it is their primary function, and if you consider overcoming challenges an adventurer's primary function.

Mmmm... Deities get 30,000 xp per week, don't they?. But they lack an ECL, so they can use them only for crafting and spells...

I think there was some way formula to calculate a deity CR somewhere around.

Anyways, Cyric, Mynstra and Kelemvor all went from non-epic to 60 class levels in months, so they have a way to gain class levels (but it apparently tops at 60 HD).

Poor Imhotep, on the other hand, is stuck at 20 class levels. Iuz, Vecna and Uthgard are under 60 class levels too, I think.