Epic Feats, Levels 26-28

[Vargouille]

Here's some more formal information about the new Epic Feats beyond level 25!

• Level 27 includes some new epic feats. As usual for character levels that are multiples of 3, you can fill your level 27 feat slot with any of these new feats requiring level 27, or existing normal feats.
• Each Level 26 feat requires that you have earned all XP for at least 1 Epic Destiny for the sphere related to that feat. Example: To get Epic Tactician you must have capped out the XP for any one Martial Destiny (Shadowdancer, Legendary Dreadnought, or Grandmaster of Flowers).
• Each Level 28 feat requires that you have earned all XP for at least two Epic Destinies for the related Sphere.
• The spells below are not Spell-Like Abilities. They are spells. They can be used with metamagics, and the SP cost increases appropriately.
• At level 26 or 28 you always have the option to take (heroic) Toughness.

Level 27: New “normal” feats

• Epic Damage Reduction
  
  • Passive
  • +10 Physical Resistance
  
  
• Ruin
  
  • Active Spell
  • Deal 500 untyped damage to a single enemy.
  • Notes: There’s no saving throw. Force spellpower increases damage dealt.
  
  
• Epic Fortitude
  
  • Passive
  • +2 Fortitude Saving Throws. You don't automatically fail Fortitude Saving Throws when you roll 1.
  
  
• Epic Reflexes
  
  • Passive
  • +2 Reflex Saving Throws. You don't automatically fail Reflex Saving Throws when you roll 1.
  
  
• Epic Will
  
  • Passive
  • +2 Will Saving Throws. You don't automatically fail Will Saving Throws when you roll 1.
  
  
• Epic Reputation
  
  • Passive
  • +3 bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Haggle, Intimidate, and Perform checks
  
  
• Blinding Speed
  
  • Passive
  • You are permanently Hasted.
  • Notes: Like the spell.
  
  
• Watchful Eye
  
  • Passive
  • If you pass within 5 feet of a trap, you are find the trap as if you were actively Searching for it.
  • You still need the Trapfinding feat (granted to Artificers and Rogues) to successfully Search for difficult traps.
  
  

Level 26: Epic Destiny feats requiring one XP capped Epic Destiny for related Sphere

• Epic Skill Focus
  
  • There is one of these for each skill except Use Magic Device.
  • +5 to the chosen skill
  • Passive
  • Notes:
  • Requires 20 trained ranks of the corresponding skill. Bonuses from effects, enhancements, or feats, such as those granted with each Epic level, don’t count as trained ranks. Bonuses from Skill Tomes do count, similar to Ability Score tomes.
  • Each skill is available to a different sphere:
    
    • Arcane: concentration, disable device, perform, repair, spellcraft
    • Divine: bluff, diplomacy, haggle, heal, listen
    • Martial: balance, hide, open lock, search, swim
    • Primal: intimidate, jump, move silently, spot, tumble
  
  
• Epic Tactician
  
  • Martial
  • Passive
  • +2 Tactical Feat DCs
  
  
• Penetrate Damage Reduction (Metal)
  
  • Martial
  • Passive
  • Choose a metal Damage Reduction type. Your weapons penetrate that kind of DR.
  • There is feat is one feat per metal type.
    
    • "Pierce Adamantine"
    • "Pierce Byeshk"
    • "Pierce Cold Iron"
    • "Pierce Silver"
  
  
• Spellpower
  
  • Passive
  • Multiple Spheres: Each damage type is available to 1 or more spheres, but can only be taken once. The requirements say something like, "Complete 1 Arcane OR 1 Primal destiny" for things like Fire spellpower.
  • +20 Spellpower (for the appropriate damage type)
  • Sphere requirements:
    
    • Acid: Arcane or Primal
      
    • Cold: Arcane or Primal
      
    • Electricity: Arcane or Primal
      
    • Fire: Arcane, Divine, or Primal
      
    • Force: Arcane
      
    • Light: Divine
      
    • Negative: Divine
      
    • Positive: Divine or Primal
      
    • Repair: Arcane
      
    • Sonic: Arcane or Primal
      
  
  
• Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting
  
  • Primal
  • Passive
  • While you are wielding two melee weapons: +5% Doublestrike. You gain +10% offhand doublestrike.
  • Requires "Greater Two Weapon Fighting"
  
  
• Perfect Two-Handed Fighting
  
  • Primal
  • Passive
  • Increases the damage of glancing blow attacks when wielding a two-handed weapon by an additional 15%. Increases the chance for weapon effects to trigger on glancing blows by an additional 10%.
  • Requires "Greater Two Handed Fighting"
  
  
• Lasting Inspiration
  
  • Arcane
  • Passive
  • Bard songs last +50% longer (compared to base duration time).
  • +3 bard songs
  
  
• Guardian Angel
  
  • Divine
  • Passive
  • When you drop below 50% HP, for the next minute you gain Physical Resistance equal to your Wisdom and saving throws equal to your epic level. This won't trigger again for three minutes.
  • Notes: You still keep the bonus for the one minute even if you heal to more than 50% HP.
  
  
• Epic Mage Armor
  
  • Arcane
  • Active
  • Spell: +20 Armor bonus to AC
  • Notes: You can cast this on others.
  
  
• Holy Strike
  
  • Divine
  • passive
  • Your weapons gain Ghost Touch. Your vorpal strikes deal 10d6 extra untyped damage vs. Evil enemies. (This bonus damage works with melee, unarmed, and ranged attacks.)
  
  

Level 28 Epic Destiny feats requiring two XP capped Epic Destinies for related Sphere

• First Blood
  
  • Martial
  • Passive (triggered)
  • Melee weapon and unarmed attacks deal 5d20 extra untyped damage against enemies with 90% or more HP. This extra damage won't trigger twice within three seconds.
  
  
• Elusive Target
  
  • Martial
  • Passive
  • Each time you would be physically damaged, you have a +5% chance to completely ignore the damage.
  
  
• Doubleshot
  
  • Primal
  • Passive
  • +10% Doubleshot
    
    • Doubleshot: Your ranged attacks, including thrown attacks, gain a percent chance to attack with an extra projectile. Repeating Crossbows have a reduced chance to produce extra shots.
    • Note: Activating Many Shot and 10K Stars reduces Doubleshot by -100% (values below 0 are the same as 0).
  
  
• Mass Frog
  
  • Primal
  • Active spell
  • Up to six nearby enemies are turned into frogs. Each may avoid ribbiting on a successful Fortitude saving throw vs. DC [20 + Wisdom modifier].
  
  
• Hellball
  
  • Arcane
  • Active spell
  • Deal 10d6 acid, electric, fire, and sonic damage to enemies in an area. A successful Reflex saving throws halves the damage.
  • Notes: Taking this feat provides two versions, one based on Charisma and another based on Intelligence.
  
  
• Forced Escape
  
  • Divine
  • Active spell
  • You radiate destruction, dealing 20d20 sonic damage to enemies around you. Enemies succeeding a Fortitude saving throw vs. [20 + Wisdom modifier] take half damage. This dispels crowd control effects such as stuns on you, and can be used when stunned or otherwise incapacitated (but still conscious).
  
  

[Vellrad]

I will quote myself on what I posted few hours ago:

Ruin seems to be dealing a lot of damage (little over 2,1k w/ maximize and empower and ~100 force spellpower), but the cost (100 spellpoints w/ both metas, both at max discount) and very long cooldown (12 seconds) makes this spell decent, but not worth calling epic.

Hellball deals medium AoE damage (average 800 for me w/ metas) for 75 mana w/ maximize and empower. It feels better than Ruin, but still, damage is costy, and of four different types, meaning savants are going to see some of them reduced to low values.

My opinion on both of theese epic spells:

+Its great that we finally have epic spells!
+Love idea about free feats requiring epic destiny capped
+Hellball got great animation- flashy but not eye destroying

-They're both too expensive (SP wise).
-Damage types of hellball favour air savants, earth savants are at disadvantage, and water savants suffer decreased fire damage part, but no cold type gives them no advantage.

My suggestions how to improve those two feats:
1. Cut the cooldown of Ruin to 8 seconds.
2. Change Hellball's damage types from [fire/acid/electric/sonic] to [fire/acid/electric/ice]
3. Allow applying metamagics for free to those spells.
4. Drop level requirement of 2 destinies in sphere feat to 27 and allow players to choose spheere feat instead of regular/epic feat at level 27.

[Wizza]

Hellball, Mass Frog and Forced Escape's DC formula MUST be changed.

20 + Stat modifier is going to make them useless in EE content.

I suggest something along the lines:

DC 22 + 1/2 character level + INT/CHA/WIS modifier.

22 + 14 + 20~30 = 56~66. Note that yo achieve 66 DC you will need 70 (SEVENTY) in your main stat and this is not going to happen very often.

To break down a CHA of a Sorc, we are looking at:

18 Base
7 Level ups
5 Tomes
2 from New enhancements
2 Capstone
4 Epic destiny
11 Item
1 Exceptional
3 Insightful
--------------------
53 CHA
+2 Yugo pot
+2 Ship buff
------------------
57 Cha for a fully maxed out Sorcerer, +23 Mod.

I might have missed something but you get the point. These formulas need to be changed, specially on Mass frog that is "Hit or miss" on a tough save.

[UurlockYgmeov]

love the frogs! saw it during the first preview weekend.... had me rolling on the ground!

It's the invasion of the Kobold frogs.... or [insert monster here] frogs!

[rest]

feats

Awww nothing for having 3 destinies capped in a sphere? /sad panda

Blinding Speed is gonna be awesome. I usually carry 300 haste pots. I even drink them while I'm hasted. I am quite excited for that.

[Therigar]

Hmmm, I don't think you're trying hard enough to get that stat to maximum value. Keep in mind that players are not restricted to only one branch of a tree. Enhancement increases can often include 4 or 5 stat point increases depending on how you make your choices.

Also, don't forget the most common stat buff in the game -- that ship buff. And, while you include Yugo potions don't neglect store potions.

Still, I agree with the general sentiment that the DCs may be set a bit high. It would be helpful to know what the goal state is for these epic feats. Obviously players will want to be able to reach a no-fail level. But, that may not be the design goal for the developers.

If we were to set the goal state at something like 50/50 what would the DC need to be? Would that be achievable by the typical character -- that is, one who doesn't have the very best of everything. Is 60/40 or better success an achievable DC if a character pulled out every trick in the book? Keep in mind that every point increase represents a several percent increase in success rate.

IMO we're better off looking at it from this perspective. After we accurately predict what the maximum stat could be, work back from that to see just how realistic the DCs are likely to be.

[Engoril]

[*] Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting

• Primal
• Passive
• While you are wielding two melee weapons: +5% Doublestrike. You gain +10% offhand doublestrike.
• Requires "Greater Two Weapon Fighting"

What about handwraps?

[Feralthyrtiaq]

Specifically stating "Melee Weapons" = Monks getting yet another kick in the teeth.

[Therigar]

• Epic Fortitude
  
  • Passive
  • +2 Fortitude Saving Throws. You don't automatically fail Fortitude Saving Throws when you roll 1.
  
  
• Epic Reflexes
  
  • Passive
  • +2 Reflex Saving Throws. You don't automatically fail Reflex Saving Throws when you roll 1.
  
  
• Epic Will
  
  • Passive
  • +2 Will Saving Throws. You don't automatically fail Will Saving Throws when you roll 1.
  
  
• Epic Reputation
  
  • Passive
  • +3 bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Haggle, Intimidate, and Perform checks

I cannot imagine anyone, under any circumstance, selecting one of these. I cannot think of a single build thread ever posted to the forums that suggests players use the normal versions of these feats. They are a trap for the naive player and, IMO, completely worthless.

Do us all a favor and don't waste our time with them. They will only result in weakening the characters that take them when, by comparison, so many better choices exist.

TBH, anyone who selects one of these instead of one of the other options is a complete idiot.

[Drwaz99]

Hellball, Mass Frog and Forced Escape's DC formula MUST be changed.

20 + Stat modifier is going to make them useless in EE content.

I suggest something along the lines:

DC 22 + 1/2 character level + INT/CHA/WIS modifier.

22 + 14 + 20~30 = 56~66. Note that yo achieve 66 DC you will need 70 (SEVENTY) in your main stat and this is not going to happen very often.

To break down a CHA of a Sorc, we are looking at:

18 Base
7 Level ups
5 Tomes
2 from New enhancements
2 Capstone
4 Epic destiny
11 Item
1 Exceptional
3 Insightful
--------------------
53 CHA
+2 Yugo pot
------------------
55 Cha for a fully maxed out Sorcerer, +22 Mod.

I might have missed something but you get the point. These formulas need to be changed, specially on Mass frog that is "Hit or miss" on a tough save.

^ I'm with this guy. On Epic Normal they are ok. On Epic Hard, meh. On Epic Elite, I'm finding another feat.

[Therigar]

What about handwraps?

Nope, TWO weapons.

I'm a monk advocate but it is appropriate -- although, I wonder how many ninja spies are going to be dual wielding short swords with the new enhancements.

[Therigar]

Blinding Speed is gonna be awesome.

Any melee character that doesn't choose this needs to be deleted and rerolled. For blue bars it is a bit trickier since there are some interesting choices for them.

[HatsuharuZ]

So Blinding Speed has no requirements except for level? That sounds like something that EVERYONE is going to take. Since it's basically a permanent haste, shouldn't it have some kind of extra requirement?

[Wizza]

Hmmm, I don't think you're trying hard enough to get that stat to maximum value. Keep in mind that players are not restricted to only one branch of a tree. Enhancement increases can often include 4 or 5 stat point increases depending on how you make your choices.

Also, don't forget the most common stat buff in the game -- that ship buff. And, while you include Yugo potions don't neglect store potions.

Still, I agree with the general sentiment that the DCs may be set a bit high. It would be helpful to know what the goal state is for these epic feats. Obviously players will want to be able to reach a no-fail level. But, that may not be the design goal for the developers.

Store potions are nowhere close to be as ready avaible as Yugo pots. Also, everyone is going to be AP tight. In no way you can afford 4-5 Stat. I could BARELY afford +3 for my sorc. I couldn't even get Greater human adaptability or any Tier 3 of any other savant tree but my main one.

I'll add Ship buff thou.

[lakewoodgames]

I would like to see arcane have access to negative spellpower boosts for palemasters

[Teh_Troll]

Any melee character that doesn't choose this needs to be deleted and rerolled. For blue bars it is a bit trickier since there are some interesting choices for them.

it is ridiculous to expect this to be taken by everyone.

Hjaste meh! arcane, it's your job.

[mikarddo]

I cannot imagine anyone, under any circumstance, selecting one of these. I cannot think of a single build thread ever posted to the forums that suggests players use the normal versions of these feats. They are a trap for the naive player and, IMO, completely worthless.

Do us all a favor and don't waste our time with them. They will only result in weakening the characters that take them when, by comparison, so many better choices exist.

TBH, anyone who selects one of these instead of one of the other options is a complete idiot.

I would definitely consider taking Epic Reflexes on a high reflex evasion build, say a Shiradi 18 wiz / 2 monk (or 2 rogue). Not having to worry at all about failing reflex saves even on a 1 would be very worthwhile. The others though I agree are pointless - more so as the "dont even fail on a 1" is available as twists from GMoF if any quest should warrent it (doubtful).

[oradafu]

Is there any particular reason why the "normal" Epic feats aren't available at all Epic levels?

I'm also disappointed to see that Great Smiting has still not made it as an Epic feat in the game.

[Delacroix21]

Devs, +5 to a skill is laughable, more so as an epic feat. Even if you made it +20 to a skill it is doubtfull anyone would take it, except for maybe spell craft.


Change it to +5 to ALL skills (including UMD) and it will star being considered.


1. Also the feat that adds 5d20 damage when attacking monsters above 90% is also super weak with the 3second lockout. Not sure how to fix it, but its current state is junk.

2. +20 spellpower is also super weak, make it 20 USP

3. The wisdom to PRR and +8 to saves, change the lockout to every 1minute, shorten duration to 20 seconds.

4. +2 to save dont fail on 1, merge these 3 feats into one. Needs to be more competitive compared to ruin and perma haste.

5. As others have stated, epic spell DCs are super low. Even with 60 in casting stat looking at 45dc. These are EPIC spells! There DC should be higher than any other spell you have! Make it 20 + character level + 1/2 stat mod.

[Drwaz99]

Hmmm, I don't think you're trying hard enough to get that stat to maximum value. Keep in mind that players are not restricted to only one branch of a tree. Enhancement increases can often include 4 or 5 stat point increases depending on how you make your choices.

Wizza may not have included EVERY possible way to max a stat. But he posted a method that would allow the majority of people to reach. Not everyone is going to be able to squeak out a maximum value. I'd bet most never will. And to be honest, even if you did grab the last 4-5 stat points, they in most practical use won't make that much of a difference when it comes to saving throws (success/fail).