The Miniatures Handbook introduces four new standard classes to Dungeons & Dragons. This month, Epic Insights presents epic class features for these new classes. Epic-level favored souls, healers, marshals, and warmages follow the same standard rules (given on pages 206-207 of the Dungeon Master's Guide) as the standard classes from the Player's Handbook, but their epic class features are unique.

Epic Favored Soul

An epic favored soul continues to grow closer to her deity, gaining more and more divine characteristics and resistances. A truly high level epic favored soul is easily mistaken for an angel, devil, demon, or similar outsider.

Hit Die: d8.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Spells: The favored soul's caster level is equal to her class level. The favored soul's number of spells per day does not increase after 20th level. The favored soul does not learn additional spells.

Improved Energy Resistance (Ex): Starting at 22nd level, and every four levels thereafter, the favored soul adds +10 to one of her three energy resistances.

Divine Gift (Ex): At 25th level and every five levels thereafter, a favored soul's bond with her deity grows stronger and manifests physically. She can choose any one of the following benefits at this time.

Damage Reduction (Ex): The favored soul's damage reduction increases by +2.

Increased Flight: The favored soul's flying speed increases by +10 ft.

Natural Armor: The favored soul's natural armor bonus increases by +2.

Sacred Ability: The favored soul gains a +1 bonus to an ability score of her choice. Each time this gift is chosen, the favored soul must select a new ability to modify.

Sacred Skill: The favored soul gains a +4 sacred bonus on one skill. Each time this gift is chosen, the favored soul must select a new skill to modify.

Sacred Spell: The favored soul selects one spell she knows; the selected spell's level must be equal to or less than her favored soul level divided by 10. She can cast this spell one time each day without expending a spell slot, and each time she casts this spell it resolves at caster level +2. Each time this gift is chosen, the favored soul must select a new spell to make sacred.

These benefits carry with them some form of physical change appropriate to the favored soul's deity. This can be something as simple as glowing eyes, or it can be something as impressive as skin made of liquid fire. In all cases, apart from the actual game benefit granted by the divine gift, this change is physical only.

Bonus Feats: The epic favored soul gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic favored soul feats) at 23rd level and again every three levels after that.

Epic Favored Soul Bonus Feat List: Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Devastating Critical, Dire Charge, Enhance Spell, Epic Endurance, Epic Prowess, Epic Speed, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Epic Weapon Focus, Epic Weapon Specialization, Extend Life Span, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Overwhelming Critical, Perfect Health, Permanent Emanation, Spell Stowaway, Tenacious Magic.

Epic Healer

An epic healer seems to exude an aura of serenity and peace, since she has finally reached a level of power where suffering and death no longer seem like insurmountable foes.

Hit Die: d8.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Spells: The healer's caster level is equal to her class level. The healer's number of spells per day does not increase after 20th level. The healer does not learn additional spells.

EpicUnicorn Companion (Ex): The epic healer's unicorn companion continues to increase in power. At 24th level and at every four levels higher than that, the unicorn gains +2 bonus Hit Dice, its natural armor increases by +2, and its Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence increases by +1. The unicorn's spell resistance equals the healer's level +5.

If the healer is using an alternative companion, remember to subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character's healer level to determine the companion's powers and statistics. If the healer's effective level for the companion is 20 or less, use the appropriate value from the Healer's Companion table on page 10 of the Miniatures Handbook. If the healer's effective level for the companion is 21 or higher, the companion gains +2 bonus Hit Dice, its natural armor increases by +2, and its Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence increases by +1. When determining the companion's spell resistance, first subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character's healer level before adding +5.

Epic Cleansing (Ex): At 21st level, and every four levels after that, the epic healer can use all of her cleanse abilities (including new limb and new life) one additional time per specified time period. In most cases, this increases the ability's use to +1 use per day, but for new life, it increases it to +1 use per week.

Bonus Feat: The epic healer gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic healer feats) at 23rd level and again every three levels after that.

Epic Healer Bonus Feat List: Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Craft Epic Staff, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Damage Reduction, Efficient Item Creation, Energy Resistance, Epic Reputation, Epic Skill Focus, Epic Speed, Epic Spellcasting, Epic Toughness, Extended Life Span, Fast Healing, Improved Spell Capacity, Master Staff, Master Wand, Multispell, Perfect Health, Scribe Epic Scroll, Spell Stowaway, Superior Initiative, Tenacious Magic.

Epic Marshal

An epic marshal commands legions of soldiers and sometimes rules his own nation. His followers are loyal to the death, and his empire is the stuff of legend.

Hit Die: d8.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Auras: The bonus granted to an epic marshal's major auras increases by +1 every five levels after 20th. An epic marshal does not continue to gain new minor or major auras after 20th level.

Grant Move Action (Ex): The epic marshal's ability to grant move actions increases by +1 use per day every four levels.

Bonus Feat: The epic marshal gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic marshal feats) at 23rd level and again every three levels after that.

Epic Marshal Bonus Feat List: Blinding Speed, Combat Archery, Damage Reduction, Devastating Critical, Dire Charge, Distant Shot, Epic Dodge, Epic Endurance, Epic Fortitude, Epic Leadership, Epic Prowess, Epic Reflexes, Epic Reputation, Epic Speed, Epic Weapon Focus, Epic Will, Fast Healing, Gloom Aura*, Improved Combat Reflexes, Improved Manyshot, Improved Whirlwind Attack, Lasting Aura*, Legendary Commander, Multiaura*, Overwhelming Critical, Penetrate Damage Reduction, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, Polyglot, Radiant Aura*, Storm of Throws, Superior Initiative, Swarm of Arrows, Two-Weapon Rend, Uncanny Accuracy, Widen Aura*.

*This new feat is detailed in the feats section below.

Epic Warmage

An epic warmage has perfected the art of destruction and devastation through his magic. He can lay waste to entire armies and cities with horrifying ease and shocking efficiency.

Hit Die: d6.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Spells: The warmage's caster level is equal to his class level. The warmage's number of spells per day does not increase after 20th level. The warmage does not learn additional spells, except through the advanced learning class feature (see below).

Advanced Learning (Ex): An epic warmage continues to add new spells to his spell list once every four levels; the spell added must be a wizard spell of the evocation school. Once a new spell is selected, it is forever added to that warmage's spell list and can be cast like any other spell on the warmage's list.

Bonus Feats: The epic warmage gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic warmage feats) at 23rd level and again every three levels after that.

Epic Warmage Bonus Feat List: Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Rod, Craft Epic Staff, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation, Energy Resistance, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Master Staff, Master Wand, Scribe Epic Scroll, Spell Opportunity, Spell Stowaway, Spellcasting Harrier, Tenacious Magic.

New Feats

Gloom Aura [Epic]

Your aura has a hint of the supernatural and generates shadowy light and darkness that can hinder your enemies.

Prerequisite: Con 25, Intimidate 30 ranks, Lasting Aura.

Benefit: Your aura radiates shadows and darkness; this is a supernatural effect. You can choose to activate this feat as a free action whenever you activate an aura. All creatures in the reach of your aura gain concealment.

Undead within a Gloom Aura are treated as 4 Hit Dice higher than their actual Hit Dice in regard to attempts to turn, rebuke, destroy, or command undead.

Special: You cannot activate a Gloom Aura if you have a Radiant Aura in effect. A Gloom Aura is suppressed by any spell of 4th-level or higher that has the Light descriptor. Areas in which a Radiant Aura and a Gloom Aura overlap cancel each other out, but the standard bonuses for the aura continue to function normally.

Lasting Aura [Epic]

The effects of your auras last 1 minute.

Prerequisite: Intimidate 24 ranks, must know at least 5 marshal major auras.

Benefit: When you use an aura power, its affects linger on your allies even after they leave the aura's range. You use this feat as a free action whenever you project an aura. Allies within range who can hear you gain the aura's effects for as long as you maintain the aura and they remain within range, but they continue to benefit for 1 minute after the aura's effects end or they move out of range. Allies that enter the aura's range after you project it still gain the aura's benefits, but it has no lingering effect on them (though you can use this feat again to project a new lingering aura that affects them).

Special: This feat stacks with the Widen Aura feat, but not with the Gloom Aura or Radiant Aura feats.

Multiaura [Epic]

You can maintain more auras than normal.

Prerequisite: Cha 25, Lasting Aura.

Benefit: You can maintain up to two minor auras and one major aura simultaneously. Activating a minor aura remains a swift action, so you still need 2 rounds to activate two minor auras. Your second minor aura activated must be of a different aura than one that is already active.

Normal: You can maintain one minor and one major aura simultaneously.

Radiant Aura [Epic]

Your aura generates visible light that can dazzle and daze your enemies.

Prerequisite: Con 25, Intimidate 30 ranks, Lasting Aura.

Benefit: Your aura radiates visible light equal to that generated by a daylight spell; this is a supernatural effect. You can choose to activate this feat as a free action whenever you activate an aura. All enemies within reach of your aura that have fewer Hit Dice than your marshal levels are automatically dazzled and take a -1 penalty on attack rolls, Search checks, and Spot checks. Additionally, upon first being exposed to your radiant aura, an enemy must make a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + half your marshal levels + your Charisma modifier) or become dazed for 1 round, during which time they can take no actions but have no penalty to their AC. A creature can become dazed by your aura once per day.

Undead within a Radiant Aura are treated as 4 Hit Dice lower than their actual Hit Dice in regard to attempts to turn, rebuke, destroy, or command undead.

Special: You cannot activate a Radiant Aura if you have a Gloom Aura in effect. A Radiant Aura is suppressed by any spell of 4th-level or higher that has the Darkness descriptor. Areas in which a Radiant Aura and a Gloom Aura overlap cancel each other out, but the standard bonuses for the aura continue to function normally.

Widen Aura [Epic]

Your auras are much larger than normal.

Prerequisite: Lasting Aura.

Benefit: Your aura can affect all allies within 120 feet (including yourself) who can hear you.

Normal: Your aura can affect all allies within 60 feet (including yourself) who can hear you.

Game Resources: To use the material in this article to its fullest, check out the following resources: Epic Level Handbook,Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual, Player's Handbook, Miniatures Handbook.