Epic Levels

[Cyr]

Following is my blueprint for how epic levels could work in DDO.

• Epic XP is gained from completing quests at or above your level (no xp for under level quests) when you are level 20+.
• You can TR the moment you hit 20. Just like you can now.
• Quests lose one completion each week for purposes of epic xp rewards and repitition.
• You can TR a toon who has epic levels as follows...
  
  • For Each Epic Level a toon has at the time they TR they gain a stacking 10% bonus to xp on their next life. This xp bonus ONLY applies to normal xp and not epic xp.
  • Epic xp is lost upon TRing.
• Difficulty level slider available for epic quests within a five level range which works as follows...
  
  • Epic Xp rewards increase by 20% per level above the base.
  • All epic component drops from quest increase by 20% per level above the base.
  • The highest level of every quest should have improved speciality augements, more powerful upgrades to epic items (higher tiers), and/or other unique more powerful items only availble from the highest difficulty setting of a quest. I have made various suggestions about how this could work in the past including a crystal cove type multiple tiered items type system with the highest components only dropping from the highest difficutly.
• Epic Levels gained by players would work as follows...
  
  • At each level up you can choose a normal class or a new epic class. You can only have one epic class and that is in addition to the normal cap of three classes per toon.
  • Normal classes grant their normal benefits upto level 20. After level 20 they gain additional benefits similar to those found in the epic level handbook for v3 of pnp. These include bonus epic feats (much more powerful feats then normal) and for spell casters access to epic spellcasting which would basically just be level 10,11... spells in DDO.
  • At levels 21,24,27,30... characters gain a new feat with the option of picking an epic feat instead.
  • At levels 24, 28, 32... characters gain +1 in an ability score of their choice.
  • Epic Classes are intended to be more powerful classes then standard classes or classes that allow another path of progression for a normal class along a more specialized route.
  • PrE's should be expanded as should other enhancement lines into the level 20+ range.
• Mobs would be expanded into the truly epic range also...
  
  • Mobs too would have access to these higher level spells.
  • Truly nasty spells like trap the soul would be given to some epic mobs.
  • Dangerous debuffs like Disjunction would be go to spells for some mobs. This would require some serious work on this spell performance wise.
  • Triple shot commet fall from Tor would be put in as a standard epic level spell on various mobs spell lists.
  • Spell Turning effects should be applied to some epic mobs to provide some extra excitment for casters.
  • FoM kills most mob CC. Epic mobs should be smart enough to realize this and should often throw geater dispel magic before they throw their CC.
  • Epic mob type and numbers should not be as predictable as the normal diffiulty settings. Epic mobs are presumed to be more powerful so upon encountering groups of them they often randomly call in back up. These extra mobs come from a table made up for the quest that should include some unusual and non-standard mobs for the quest in addition to the usual suspects...for example beholders and mind flayers in a warforged themed quest.

The above should accomplish the following goals.

• TR's prior or after this goes into effect are not disadvantaged by the system.
• Strong incentives to run hard content means more hard content being run even while leveling your toons through the epic levels.
• More toys for high level players and methods of advancement besides just loot.
• Usuability of epic content extending through a larger level range then normal content meaning it stays relevant longer and maintains an end game that consists of more then just one or two adventure packs.
• Epic mobs become more dangerous in some ways helping to offset increased player power.

[DoctorWhofan]

you said level cap

You have my vote. I don't even care how it's done.

[Yaga_Nub]

Personally, I don't want them even sniffing Epic levels and what that entails until they build about 100 more level 18 and above quests, and finalize and implement ALL PrEs for ALL classes and ALL races.

[Tammuz]

Personally, I don't want them even sniffing Epic levels and what that entails until they build about 100 more level 18 and above quests, and finalize and implement ALL PrEs for ALL classes and ALL races.

Quoted for Truth bro. (Well maybe not 100 but....)