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It’s rare that a campaign ofDungeons & Dragonsendures as far as level 20, much less going beyond it. Epic Boons, the mechanic for progressing beyond max level, rarely see use as a result and that’s a shame for the interesting stuff they enable. Some of them fundamentally change how the game is played.
This is made more complex by the balance mismatches between these special rewards. A demigod should gain more power than simply casting a second-level spell once per long rest, for example. Here’s how to make Epic Boons feel Epic, alongside how to work them into a campaign before reaching level 20.
Making Epic Boons Memorable
A max-level party willgain epic boons at a slower rate than a weaker party would gain level-ups. These moments of growth should be made memorable.
You have a few options forhow a boon will manifest to a character, and they will vary with the type of boon. Negotiate with your players to make sure the boons they obtain are bonuses they want their characters to have but also fit into the story you have planned.
The type of game you’re running will determine whetheryou’re choosing boons for your players based on the narrativeor allowing them to choose the ones that work for their build.
Example
Boons As Acquired Skills and Techniques
Some boons represent the culmination of acquired skill and training, like the boons of skill proficiency, peerless aim, and combat prowess.
Turning these from magical effects to acquired techniques means the player gets to roleplay acquiring the boon each time they use it.
When a playeruses the Boon of Combat Prowess to turn a miss into a hit,describe the masterfully performed feint that enabled the strike.
Boons As Divine Blessings
Epic-level boons are intended torepresent a character’s ascension beyond mortality. Having a deity or great power bestows the power can mean anything from them paying respects to the new neighbour, or buying favour with a future great power.
In both cases, you canhave the character interact directly with the great power as part of the process of gaining the boon.
A good-aligned paladin or cleric might gain the boon of planar travel,bound to Elysium and allowed to visit the domain of their patron deity.
Boons As Ordeals Survived
Other boons can be rewarded after an influential event that changes a character’s nature.The boon is no longer a mechanical bonus but a part of the character’s story.
Negotiate with the player aboutwhether this ordeal manifests as some form of visible scarring.
The complete immunity to fire damage represented bythe boon of the fire soul deserves a memorable scene like the character being dipped in the River Styx.
Boons With Costs
While the benefits of a boon should outweigh the consequences, it isn’t a bad idea to give the boons consequences that keep them memorable.
These should be specific to the boon itself or the way it manifests visually on a character changing how people interact with them.
The boon of undetectability denies the effects of both beneficial and harmful divination magics. Theycan’t benefit from guidanceor cast helpful divination spells such as tongues.
You could also take it in a different direction and have theboondistort people’s ability to remember the identityor name of an undetectable character.
How To Use Epic Boons Before Level 20
Not all of the epic boons listed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide are created equal. Some are equivalent to features a level one character can start with, others are roughly in line with an extra feat or Ability Score Increase.
If you’re willing to go through the list and sort out which ones land in which category,you can offer these epic boons as replacements for normal feats or ASIs. Some will also require a bit of adjustment but are easily rebalanced to function with a lower-level party.
Gain a ninth-level spell slot
Gain an additional spell slotequal to your highest-level spell.
This boon will gradually unlock the same power as its epic version, but stay relevant at each point of a character’s growth.
Half-casters and warlocks will be able to use this boon.
Castmisty step once per rest.
None
A second-level spell slot is not game-breaking at any point beyond third level.
Youcould even buff the epic version to be usable several times (equal to proficiency modifier per long rest, for example).
Boons Of Fate and Luck
Add a d10 to a roll once per rest
These boons give a nice bonus to different types of rolls,but average out to the same bonus as a point of inspiration or a charge of the lucky feat.
Gain +40 hitpoints
Gain +2 hitpoints per level.
This isfunctionally the same as the tough featbut has a cooler name.
Once per rest,reduce the damage from an effect to 0.
Once per long rest.
This one seems intimidating butthe player won’t know when the best time to use it is: It isn’t going to be blocking disintegration once per day but will instead beabout on par with a half-orc’s Relentless Endurance.
Boon Of Spell Recall
Cast any known spell once per rest, even if not prepared.
Forgames that closely track prepared spells, this is a very strong tool in the hands of a Wizard.Otherwise, it’s functionally the same as the boon of High Magic.
For boons that don’t provide an in-combat bonus,you can hand them out more freely and use them to flavour a campaign. A plane-hopping adventure might start with a deity bestowing the Boon of Planar Travel, allowing the party members to always plane shift back to their home.
