Epic Builds [3.5]

[Froogleyboy]

I'm joining a 25th level campaign. It will have a lot of PVP. Does anyone know any good builds for epic-ness

[woodenbandman]

Wizard, Cleric Druid, or Archivist 25.

[Draz74]

Wizard 3/Master Specialist 2/Incantrix 10/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil 7/Archmage 5/Mindbender 1/Divine Oracle 1/Loremaster 1/Fatespinner 4 with Epic Spellcasting?

Really, optimizing Epic is not very different from pre-Epic. Except that, if Epic Spellcasting is allowed by RAW, the caster/non-caster power gap becomes 20 times bigger than it was pre-epic.

'Course, it's also a chance to screw around with unoptimal but crazy fun builds like a Warblade/Swordsage/Crusader/Horizon Walker/Master of Nine.

[Olo Demonsbane]

'Course, it's also a chance to screw around with unoptimal but crazy fun builds like a Warblade/Swordsage/Crusader/Horizon Walker/Master of Nine.

That actually sounds like a pretty awesome build, if made correctly

[Berserk Monk]

You could go:

barbarian 1
fighter 6
bear warrior 10
frenzied berserker 8

There are a lot of better builds, but I like the idea of making an unstoppable bear death machine.

[grautry]

Wizard 3/Master Specialist 2/Incantrix 10/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil 7/Archmage 5/Mindbender 1/Divine Oracle 1/Loremaster 1/Fatespinner 4 with Epic Spellcasting?

Not sure if Master Specialist/Incantatrix is such a good idea. You loose 3 schools of magic - which IMO is only worth if you're a Focused Specialist. If you go with FS then you loose four schools of magic which is just painful.

At epic levels you won't really be hurting for spell slots so IMO you should go with a generalist wizard.

But then again, I like generalist wizards so my opinion might be biased.

But I second the notion of starting with Wiz 5/Incantatrix 10/IotSV 7/Archmage 3. You will be an absurdly powerful class(Wizard) with two of the contenders for "the most overpowered prestige classes ever".

[Draz74]

That actually sounds like a pretty awesome build, if made correctly

Oh sure, it's far from weak, except when compared to epic spellcasters.

Let's see, other fun things that occur to me with varying levels of optimal-ness:

Nymph Druid 3 / Planar Shepherd 10, with optimized Charisma, 1 LA bought off, and some variation on the Fey Blood feat to make Druid spellcasting CHA-based. (Nymphs have 6 RHD, LA +7, and Druid spellcasting 7.) Once you gain any more levels, you can put them into Heirophant, since you already have full casting.

Along similar lines, Couatl Sorcerer 1 / Fatespinner 4 / Archmage 5. Casts as a Level 19 sorcerer, with access to Cleric spells for its Spells Known.

Straight-up epic Incarnum classes or psionicists are rarely-seen and are pretty decent.

Epic King of Smack is always fun -- Elan Ranger 1 / Psion 10 / Slayer 9 / Warshaper 5 or something.

Actually, like Heirophant, lots of part-caster PrCs that suck in normal play become pretty decent once you've maxed out your casting anyway. Hmmm, Beguiler 12 / Mindbender 3 / Rainbow Servant 10 anyone? You still cast as a Level 20 Beguiler even with the less-broken interpretation of Rainbow Servant that loses 4 caster levels.

[Draz74]

Not sure if Master Specialist/Incantatrix is such a good idea. You loose 3 schools of magic - which IMO is only worth if you're a Focused Specialist. If you go with FS then you loose four schools of magic which is just painful.

At epic levels you won't really be hurting for spell slots so IMO you should go with a generalist wizard.

But then again, I like generalist wizards so my opinion might be biased.

But I second the notion of starting with Wiz 5/Incantatrix 10/IotSV 7/Archmage 3. You will be an absurdly powerful class(Wizard) with two of the contenders for "the most overpowered prestige classes ever".

Yeah, my build there was hyperbole. I mean, it actually had more than 25 levels, so it shouldn't have been taken too seriously.

Although I'd like to point out that the extra school Incantrix makes you drop isn't really all that painful, because you're still allowed to use anything you already knew from that school. And most of the good Necromancy spells are low-level. So dropping Necromancy after you're level 9 or so really doens't hurt much at all.

[mostlyharmful]

Wiz5/RedWizard10/Archmage5/Fatespinner4/Mindbender1 - great fun to play and it'll keep up with even epic saves on your finger of death. Just pick your favourite Save or X, specialze in that, pump all your cirlcle casting into CL and a few heightened to 40 spells and laugh at the DCs you can crank. plus you can buy back a school of magic in the three feats from lost empires of faerun since you've got a crapton of feats.

or else Artifacer 25 if you really want the headache of homework.

[Haven]

Play something with an LA of 23!

[Tempest Fennac]

Here's some Epic Vestiges if you have Tome of Magic; they look like they could be fun to use: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20080407a .

[BobVosh]

Wizard 3/Beguiler 1/Ultimate Magus 10/IofSV 7/Extended Ult Mag (epic rules for extending PrC) 4

You should have...8th level beguiler spells, and 9th level wizards. No, wait, beguilers are even so 7th level (1 level from 8) spells. Plus lots of metamagic mitagations, and more spells per day then you really care to count. Drop illusion and enchantment on the wizard.

Also huge caster level bumps to both once you throw in practiced spell caster.


Hmm, you could go Wizard 2/beguiler 2/etc and use precocious apprentice to get into Ult Mag and then have the 8th level beg spells + 9th level wizard

[raptor1056]

Wizard 3/Beguiler 1/Ultimate Magus 10/IofSV 7/Extended Ult Mag (epic rules for extending PrC) 4

You should have...8th level beguiler spells, and 9th level wizards. No, wait, beguilers are even so 7th level (1 level from 8) spells. Plus lots of metamagic mitagations, and more spells per day then you really care to count. Drop illusion and enchantment on the wizard.

Also huge caster level bumps to both once you throw in practiced spell caster.


Hmm, you could go Wizard 2/beguiler 2/etc and use precocious apprentice to get into Ult Mag and then have the 8th level beg spells + 9th level wizard

Ban enchantment and illusion? I think not. Evocation is a lot weaker than illusion, and illusion gives you access to any of the few evocation spells (by which I mean Contingency-- any time I drop below 50 HP, Teleport me home!) you might want. I play Diviners, mostly, so I only ever drop evocation.

[SurlySeraph]

For a skillmonkey/tripmonkey battlefield control build, try Rogue 10/Nightsong Enforcer 10/Warblade or Swordsage X with Sneak Attack of Opportunity, Improved Trip, Knockdown, and various related feats like Hold the Line and Robilar's Gambit. Whenever someone provokes an AoO - and with the right feats (which might require Fighter levels for more bonus feats), pretty much anything can provoke an AoO - you get to hit them for a lot of d6s and likely knock them down.

For something just fun, get the epic feats Exceptional Deflection, Reflect Arrows, and Infinite Deflection. Not only are you immune to anything with a ranged attack roll, but you get to use the attack against your attacker. This is particularly fun when you get Enervation cast on you.

[Weezer]

Ban enchantment and illusion? I think not. Evocation is a lot weaker than illusion, and illusion gives you access to any of the few evocation spells (by which I mean Contingency-- any time I drop below 50 HP, Teleport me home!) you might want. I play Diviners, mostly, so I only ever drop evocation.

but beguiler will get you all the enchantment and illusion spells you need

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Cloistered Cleric 5/ Dweomerkeeper 10/ Contemplative 6/ Divine Disciple 4, use the feat Magical Training (PGtF) to qualify for Dweomerkeeper without multiclassing, and be sure to get the feat Initiate of Mystra (PGtF) so you can ignore antimagic fields and dead magic areas. Start with the Magic and Rune domains, then pick up all the rest of Mystra's domains as you progress. Check out the Cheater of Mystra guide for more information.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

but beguiler will get you all the enchantment and illusion spells you need

No, Beguiler doesn't get (Greater) Shadow Evocation or Superior Invisibility, the only Illusion spells you actually would need.

[Gnorman]

No, Beguiler doesn't get (Greater) Shadow Evocation or Superior Invisibility, the only Illusion spells you actually would need.

And that's what Advanced Learning is for.

[BobVosh]

And that's what Advanced Learning is for.

You don't get it with Ultimate Magus.

[tonberrian]

Beguiler 6/Rainbow Servant 10/Sacred Exorcist 1/Beguiler to taste.

Spontaneously casts all cleric spells. Let me repeat that: spontaneously casts all cleric spells. Even better, Miracle lets you use any Divine spell level 8 or lower or any spell under level 7. You can be the ultimate Schroedinger's Wizard. You can be Clericzilla. With 6 skill points and Int based casting, you can be a great Skillmonkey. You are literally a one man party.

[Garian]

So far it been almost all spellcaster builds. While at higher levels spellcasters are the bomb here is a beatstick build I love.

Goliath Fighter 20 (or more), with a balanced spiked chain and monkey grip. Combat Reflexes and Whirlwind Attack are also a must. As a variant you can take a dip in rogue and take Sneak Attack of opportunity.