Epic Spellcasting and classes that don't get 9th level spells?

[MonkeySage]

How would that work?

[tyckspoon]

Epic Spellcasting explicitly requires casting 9th level spells, so.. it doesn't. The 'correct' way to get a class like Bard up to Epic Spell casting would be to take Improved Spell Capacity until they have 9th level slots, possibly combined with Heightened Spell or spell research to actually cast a 9th level spell and not just a 6th-level spell out of a 9th level slot. The somewhat cheesy way would be to use the various tricks for getting free Heighten metamagic/Heightening a spell above your actual castable level in order to cast a 9th level spell with your normal progression.

[Silvercrys]

Sublime Chord is the preferred way to get 9s as a Bard.

Other classes are technically doable on a case by case basis; you can use the nonevil Ur-Priest adaptation combined with Greyguard or Prestige Paladin to get 9s as a (mostly) Paladin, for example, and still have 6 class levels for your base class Paladin (or Fighter or something if you're using Prestige Paladin).

[ViperMagnum357]

The 'correct' way to get a class like Bard up to Epic Spell casting would be to take Improved Spell Capacity until they have 9th level slots

This is how it is supposed to happen. The problem is you wind up spending feats for spell slots most classes apart from the oddballs like Sublime Chord can then only fill those slots with metamagic'd lower level spells. The one exception I found was the Soulreaver PRC from Dragon 297, which provides higher level spells up through 9ths for the Assassin PRC spell progression from the DMG (though you still have to pay through the nose for all the Improved Spell Capacity feats).

[Biggus]

On p.3 of the ELH FAQ it says that you need to take Improved Spell Capacity enough times to get 9th-level spell slots, and the ability score you use to cast needs to be at least 19.

[Quertus]

nonevil Ur-Priest adaptation

Wait, what? What is this? Source?

[Silvercrys]

Wait, what? What is this? Source?It's not explicit, but the adaptation section for the Ur-Priest says you could be a member of a secret society attempting to re-elevate a dead divinity to deityhood. I don't see any reason the divinity couldn't be Good, and therefore Ur-Priests attempting to resurrect them would also be Good. As always, mileage with your DM will vary (particularly with a class as notorious as Ur-Priest, heh).