Epic levels in HL thoughts/planning

[GLBIV]

I've been thinking on the best way to make Epic content in HL, and I wanted to share what I've been brainstorming. I think I've got it figured out, but I'm having an issue with setting the epic base attack bonus.

This is what I think will work:

First, we create all the epic feats. This will take the most time. Many of them shouldn't be tough to make. We just set 20 character levels as a prereq for all of them. Most will be description only, but I can see improved spell capacity, extra magic items and a few others being tricky.

Next, we make epic class levels by creating prestige classes. I'll use wizard as an example.

- Epic wizard would be our prestige class.
- 20 levels of regular wizard would be a prereq.
- We set hit die and skills - no biggie.
- We don't worry about caster level increases, since HL doesn't do the math for us in the spell readout.
- Set all saving throws to "good" but simultaneously apply a -2 penalty to all base saves (maybe through a script). That will get us our epic save progression.
- Set appropriate bonus feats, and tie those to the epic feats we've created previously

The hangups:
- I don't know how to set up our epic base attack bonus, since it doesn't follow the pattern for the good, moderate or poor arrays. If someone can come up with a solution, I'll start working on it.

[Aaron]

How are you going to handle spells cast per day? I'm not familiar with the way Epic stuff handles that, do they increase?

[Sendric]

Spells and BAB can both be modified through scripts. In the Class tab of the editor, if you go into 'tags' you can delete the cAttack tag to remove good, moderate or poor from the equation then add to the attack bonus through a script.

[Lord Magus]

One problem might be that many characters get to level 21+ (thus, are epic characters) but do not qualify for the epic classes themselves because they do not get to level 20 in the base classes (due to prestige class use). However, key elements of those characters progress along with the PrCs (for example spellcasting), and have to be accounted for.

[Jobe00]

You need to make access to Epic Levels be based on Character Level as opposed to Class Level due to multi-classing.

Aaron, for spellcasters, progression stops at 20th level casting ability. After that, you only gain more spells per day (cast, known, or prepared) using feats. You can also gain higher tier spell slots above your maximum (9th, 6th, or 4th) using Epic feats. Those slots allow you to cast or prepare higher tier spells with metamagic feats.

You would also have to expand the bonus spells for high attributes to extend to spell levels 10 and up.

For the BAB and Base Save increases, would there be some way to have Hero Lab stop giving class bonuses for Character Level 21+ and use the Epic Progression instead?

Magic Weapons and Armor would have to be expanded as well for Epic progression.