Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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Are Epic Boons only available to players that take one class to 19 or could a multiclass character attain them without a DM giving it to them?
There has been some debate about this. In my case, I agree with the following interpretation:
The threads I remember about this topic:
- Epic Boon Eligibility confusion (the previous quote is from here)
- 2024 Epic Boons
- A question regarding the Epic Boon Feats
A multiclass character can take an Epic Boon in some fairly narrow circumstances. Specifically, they would have to be reaching a total character level of 19 (or 20) at the same time that they're reaching a class level with a class feature that grants a feat.
The "Ability Score Improvement" class features that provide feats don't place any restrictions on what kind of feat you can take with them; you just have to meet the prerequisites for the feat itself. Epic Boon feats generally have a prerequisite of "Level 19+", but that refers to character level rather than levels in any specific class.
So, for example, if you had 15 levels in Sorcerer and 3 in Bard (total character level 18) and took another level of Bard, you'd now be Sorcerer 15/Bard 4, for a total character level of 19. The 4th level "Ability Score Improvement" feature from the Bard class grants you a feat. That feature doesn't place any restrictions on what kind of feat you can take with it, so you can take any feat you meet the prerequisites for. Since your total character level is 19, you meet the prerequisites for most Epic Boon feats, so you can take one of those.
If, on your next level up, you took a level of Sorcerer, you'd then be Sorcerer 16/Bard 4. You get another "Ability Score Improvement" feature from the Sorcerer class at level 16, so you get another feat, which can be another Epic Boon feat if you want (since you still meet the Level 19+ prerequisite, as your total character level is 20).
pronouns: he/she/they
The first part. You can only gain an Epic Boon at 19th level from a single class. There is nothing in the Multiclass section that pertains to feats. Even the section that talks about adding class levels together (aka Total Character Levels) neither explicitly nor implicitly mention those rules apply to Epic Boons or even regular Feats for that matter.
The underlined part is correct, and is actually why you can take them while multiclassing. You seem to be implicitly comparing it spellcasting, which does have rules in the multiclassing section; namely that you prepare spells for each class as if you were simply the levels of each sinlge class you have separately, while spell slots gained are according to the table and levels in each class (plus some math, depending on class).
The fact that the multiclassing rules don't say anything about feats simply means that you go off of what is written for the prerequisite of the feat. And what is written is that in order to take an Epic Boon, you need to be "level 19+". Not "19+ of a single class". In other words, if they didn't want you to take epic boons as a multiclass, they would have put rules in place to stop it (presumably in the multiclassing section).
That's incorrect.
Here is what the text actually says:
Example prerequisite text:
It seems like you may be getting this confused with the rules for Spellcasting with multiclass characters. That has nothing to do with how feat prerequisites work.
If a feat has a prerequisite like "Level 19+", that refers to total character level. It would need to say something like "Level 19+ in a single class" or "Level 19+ Rogue" for it to be limited to levels in a single class. (As of this writing there are no existing feats that are limited in this way, but I suppose there could be in the future.)
pronouns: he/she/they
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/phb-2024/feats#PartsofaFeat
"Category. A feat is a member of a category, which is noted in the feat. If you’re instructed to choose a feat from a specific category, such as the Origin category, that category must appear under the feat’s name. If you’re instructed to choose a feat and no category is specified, you can choose from any category."
Categories are: origin feat, general feat, fighting style, and epic boon.
Class feature tables show Epic Boon feat usially at level 19.
But then boon feat description only list "level 19+" or something similar.
These rules are badly written. If you only have to meet the feat prerequisites then you dont qualify for a boon until level 19, and there is absolutely no reason to make "epic boon" a CATEGORY of types of feats. Epic boons would work exactly the same if they were in the catagory of "general feats". The "level 19+" prereq is enough to prevent anyone from getting a boon until level 19.
The rules read like different people worked on different parts of these rules and never fully synced up. Perhaps the original plan was to make boons only available when a clas feature said you qualify for a boon, which means they planned on making it only available to single class builds. But if they did that, i can only imagine the wailing from the power builders and min/maxers howling in protest that theyre being unfairly penalized for dipping left and right to pick up quick features and powers, and they shouldnt be kept from a boon as well.
Tldr: RAW, it appears that 19 levels in any class is the current rules, but perhaps the confusion and needless complications in the rules are because they originally intended to only be available to single class builds, but yielded to demands from power builders.
On the other hand, I wouldnt see it as unreasonable of a dm if they limit boons to single class builds.
“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” — Voltaire
I don't see where the issue is tbh. It will only come up at the really late stage of character progression and at that level getting a epic boon (or even two due to multiclassing) won't unbalance the game in any noticeable way, every character should be plenty strong any way (especially counting the magic items one should be expected to have at that point).
The rules already suggest giving out epic boons instead of levels if you play past level 20 so I would see it being unreasonable to limit it to only single class characters at that point. And if you don't do it at level 21+ I don't see much reason to do it at level 19-20 either, but then again I don think you have to allow it either.
That's categorically incorrect. There is nothing in Multiclassing, which is the only place Total Character Level is mentioned, that implies that Epic Boons are included. The rules for TLC is specified in the section. The fact that it does NOT say it doesn't apply to Epic Boons is not a valid argument. I have my own opinion on regular Feats in the same way, but that is a discussion I'll reserve until such a thread comes up.
The rules are confusing, it appears they created a category for EpicBoons but then no rule uses the Epic Boon category. Epic Boons could be categorized as a general feat and the "19+ level" prereq would allow it to apply to any build, multi or single class.
My main point being, why have the category "epic boon" next to certain feats unless they wanted to specifically call out that category for something like fighter 19, or something.
"The rules already suggest giving out epic boons instead of levels if you play past level 20 so I would see it being unreasonable to limit it to only single class characters"
A level 30 character is unreasonable. A level 20 charavter with a few extra epic boon feats is unreasonable. Most campaigns play in the level 1-10 range.
Telling your dm they are being UNREASONABLE because your level 20+ character is stuck taking Tough or Fey Touched and cant have an Epic Boon? Yeah, no. Its hard enough running a campaign in the level 15 to 20 range. If you want to dm your level 30 campaign that way, go for it, but the dms word is final and in this case i would vigorously defend any dm that wants to limit the power, the magic items, the feats, that are available at this highest levels of thr game.
“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” — Voltaire
Again, nothing in the Multiclassing rules has anything to do with this, so I'm not sure why you keep bringing that up.
All I'm talking about is the prerequisites listed on the feats themselves. They simply say "Level 19+". There is nothing in the feat prerequisites or anywhere else in the rules that says those 19 levels have to all be in the same class. That restriction simply doesn't exist in the actual rules.
pronouns: he/she/they
To gain two Epic Boons by multiclassing means that the highest level you can be in any class is 16, which means you’re giving up access to level 9 spells.
Yeah, I'm definitely not saying it's ever a particularly good idea.
pronouns: he/she/they
I think you might have misunderstood what I said. A DM deciding not to give epic boons to his level 20+ characters is an entirely acceptable choice. But if you do decide to give epic boons to the level 20+ characters then I think it would be unreasonable to only allow the single class characters to get them but not allow the multiclass characters to do so.