Thera: The Epic Hero

   Theran characters may take a maximum of 20 “normal” class levels. Any levels beyond that must be taken in one of Thera’s two, mutually exclusive, high-level Classes – Epic Hero and Rune Lord. While it is possible – at least in exceptional cases – to start taking levels in these classes at level fifteen, it’s unusual.

   On Thera, characters who don’t qualify for Epic Hero or Rune Lord can’t advance beyond level 20.

The Epic Hero:

   Epic Heroes are channels for the power of chaos – and so able to defy the laws of nature which restrain the actions of lesser characters, Epic Heroes are often capable of stunts which even Rune Lords cannot match locally.

• Requirements: Level 15+, completion of an Epic Quest and total attribute modifiers of +10 or more.
• Attack Bonus: +(Level/2). Doesn’t raise the number of iterative attacks available.
• Base Caster Level: +(Level/2)
• Save Bonuses: +(Level/2)
• Skill Points: 2 + (Int Mod) per level.
• Hit Dice: d6
• Special: Gain one Epic Feat per level

Sample Epic Feats:

   There are no detailed rules for the sample Epic Feats. As manifestations of Chaos, they tend work a little differently for each user, and in each situation.

• Artificer; You may forge devices of some specific type with bonuses of up to twice the normal limit and at 1’4’th the base cost. Alternatively, you may develop the ability to upgrade existing items of the chosen type as if this ability had been applied to them originally.
• Army Of Beasts; You gain “Leadership” for beasts and animals.
• Augmented Ability; The bonuses granted by a specific, limited-use, ability are doubled. Likely candidates include Rage, the Defensive Stance, and various Bardic Musics. The GM may permit similar enhancements for Auras, Favored Enemies (Pick one), and so on.
• Aura Of Power; Everybody who comes within 15 Ft is affected by your aura, normally a L1 spell or a weak channeling effect. The effect can be extended by restricting it to specific situations.
• Black Dominion; You may control undead as per Leadership and Imperator – rather then by number of hit dice.
• Enhanced Ability. +1 to an ability score.
• Epic Might; You gain a +30 chaos bonus to a chosen ability score for 1 round or for any one skill check at a cost of 4 Mana.
• Epic Resistance; You gain 12 points worth of resistances (energy forms, damage types, poisons, attribute drain or damage, environmental problems such as lack of air or food, and types of physical damage are all eligible).
• Flame Of Life; You gain Fast Healing 3, remain alive down to -60 hit points, and are no longer subject to death by massive damage.
• Forge Artifact; You may make unique items using weird ingredients, rituals, quests, and so on. There is no logical system to this.
• Fortified Magic; You may spend 20% of the mana which it took to cast a spell to keep it from being dispelled, drained, or countered.
• Ghosting Techniques; Attackers have a 15% miss chance. If focused on a single attacker, this rises to 30%.
• Great Awareness; You take no penalty in a situation which normally imposes one, such as when operating without senses, when attacking someone with partial cover, or when using ranged weapons at high range multiples.
• Great Deflection; As per Deflect Arrows – but applies to all ranged attacks. Spells and Powers add their level to the DC. Each such block counts as an attack of opportunity.
• Great Opportunist; Your Attacks Of Opportunity count as sneak attacks.
• Imperator; Enhanced Leadership. You gain a cohort with an ECL of [2*Leadership/3], and large numbers of minor followers.
• Impervious; Gain a “+4” bonus to a save.
• Iron Flesh; Adds any one of; +2 “Natural” Armor, +3/- Damage Reduction, or +1D8+Con Mod Hit Points.
• Irritant; You may subtract your level from the result of a particular skill used in your vicinity. Typical choices include SpellCraft, Stealth, and Spot.
• Mastery Of Magic; You may cast a 1-action “spell of opportunity” if you save against an incoming spell up to once per round. If this is taken again, you may do so up to 3/round.
• MasterWight; You may create minor magical items of a particular “type” – swords, armor, clothing, etc – as if you were making “normal” items.
• Metamorphosis: You may absorb a portion of the essence of a defeated opponent, taking on a portion of its racial abilities. (Trying to do this more than once is asking to become a chaotic monstrosity).
• Missile Reflection; Allows you to reflect a deflected attack (Deflect Arrows and/or Great Deflection) at your base ranged attack bonus.
• Mysticism; Reduces a “+1 Level” metamagic to +0. Note that metamagics may be reduced to +1 modifiers through standard feats.
• Opportunistic Casting; You may cast – and attack – with a touch spell as an opportunity attack.
• Overlord; Requires L20 spellcasting/power use. Grants one levels worth of mana and access to spells one level above your current limit. The usual maximum spell level of (Att-10) and (L+1)/2 both continue to apply.
• Phantom Stance; You may take some type of action that usually allows attacks of opprot- unity, such as using a missile weapon or spell in melee, without allowing such an attack.
• Polymath; Gain any two standard feats.
• Progenitor; Your offspring start off at level 1+(Your Level/3). These levels may be distributed in between appropriate templates and class levels, but never result in a multiclassing penalty.
• Runic Attunement; Gain an additional rune attunement. Priests may use this feat to gain an additional domain.
• Spellmaster; Gain +1/2/3 levels of Class A/B/C spellcasting ability.
• Spell Sharing; Pick three spells that you can cast. Whenever one of them is cast within 120 Ft, you share in it’s benefits.
• Spellstorm; You may use 1 extra quickened spell or power each round. This may be taken multiple times.
• Stone And Sea; You may take an “attack of opportunity” against any opponent who makes a melee attack against you, up to once a round, and up to the number of such attacks available.
• Storm of Strikes; You may take a full attack action to strike at anyone and everyone you desire within a 30 foot radius.
• Subsumption; You may “absorb” a magical or psionic item, making it part of yourself. Any bonuses it grants become “Chaotic”. Weaponry bonuses and such apply to any item wielded.
• Supernal Companion; Your Familiar, Mount, or Animal Companion gains 12 levels of spells (L8 maximum) as spell-like abilities.
• Supernal Skill; Grants a +5 bonus on your skill of choice. You may gain further bonuses up to +40 by spending 1 point of mana per +10 on roll.
• The Focal Point; Add +3/6 to the DC class of resisting some reasonably general/specific ability of yours. This is cumulative with the effects of Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus.
• True Ambidexterity; You take no penalties for fighting with multiple weapons.
• Warcraft; Reduces penalties on secondary, and later, iterative attacks by -5. This may be taken up to three times.
• Widgetry; Gain access to a generic skill, such as “Towel Use”. You may use this in any way you can persuade the GM to put up with.

   An unlimited selection of other Epic Feats are possible – many unique to a particular Epic Hero. In practice, it’s often simplest to design them as 12-point abilities from Eclipse: The Codex Persona (available in print HERE, as a PDF HERE, and in a shareware PDF version HERE).