Epic Destinies

Epic Levels and Epic Destinies
As of Menace of the Underdark, the game is separated into "Heroic" levels (up to level 20) and Epic levels (21-30), where players mainly run epic content to earn XP to spend on special enhancements.

Epic Destines are a major part of an advancement system that players can use for their level 20+ characters. They are unlocked at level 20 by visiting a Fatespinner, but unlike regular "Heroic" advancement, you can progress your Epic Destinies indefinitely - even after you hit the new level cap of 30.

Notes:
 * Epic Destinies are included with the expansion Menace of the Underdark. Players who don't want to purchase the expansion can buy them separately in the DDO Store for 995 DDO Points. VIP status does not grant Epic Destinies, players with VIP status still have to buy access from DDO Store, one way or the other.
 * Advancement on Epic Destinies will not begin until you gain access to the system and pick a destiny (i.e., epic experience gained prior to selecting an Epic Destiny does not count toward levels in an Epic Destiny once chosen), but your character can still advance into epic levels up to the level cap of 30 and gain the benefits (such as feats).

Epic Destinies
Epic Destinies are unlockable at level 20 by heroic characters with 6 or more levels in any of the matching or secondary heroic classes. Once chosen, Epic Destinies are independent of the character level and aren't like single classes; they're more like powerful extra roles. For example, a character with 20 Druid Heroic levels can eventually pick the "Grandmaster of Flowers" to get a set of Monk-like abilities.

List of Epic Destinies
Twelve Epic Destinies are currently available, but more might be added over time.

Destiny Spheres and initial choice of Epic Destiny
At level 20 you pick an Epic Destiny on the map UI. Destinies are organized in 4 different spheres here. You can start in any Destiny in a sphere where you have a matching heroic class with at least 6 levels. This choice happens only once for a character. To change destiny afterward, you'll need to unlock other destinies.

The map UI shows how each Epic Destiny connects, and each Destiny also has five levels and its own tree. The four spheres are as follows;
 * Arcane (Artificer, Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) [on the bottom of the image]
 * Divine (Cleric, Favored Soul, Paladin) [on the left]
 * Martial (Fighter, Monk, Rogue) [on the top]
 * Primal (Barbarian, Druid, Ranger) [on the right]

Leveling and unlocking Epic Destinies
Characters gain experience in their currently activated Epic Destiny and their character's epic level at the same time. Progress toward your epic destiny and your epic levels are tracked on separate XP bars (click the XP Bar Toggle in your character sheet to switch between the two). The XP requirement for advancing an epic destiny is less than needed to advance epic levels. Also, XP toward epic destinies carries over through TR, but XP toward epic levels does not.

Epic Destiny levels are divided into 5 ranks. For each rank except the last you also gain one Epic Destiny Point (EDP) for that specific tree. After spending enough points you unlock the second tier abilities, then the third, etc. This progression continues until you hit Epic Destiny level 5 (24 EDP), which is the maximum number of ED points you can have in any one tree.

You can earn a maximum of 24 points per Epic Destiny. This is not enough to purchase every ability in the Destiny so you must choose a subset from those available.

Note that you can earn the 24th point before capping the experience available in an Epic Destiny. If you do not cap the experience completely, the Destiny will not count as completed for the purposes of Epic Destiny feat prerequisites. It is generally a good idea to completely cap the Destiny at 1,980,000 xp before moving on to the next Epic Destiny. This will also help fill the Karma for the sphere which is a prerequisite for Epic Reincarnation in that sphere.

Characters can gain access to multiple Epic Destinies. When you reach level 3 in an Epic Destiny, adjacent Destinies within the same sphere become available to the character. When you reach level 4 in certain "bridge" Epic Destinies, adjacent Destinies in other spheres become available.

ED abilities and Tier tree


Choosing abilities within any given Epic Destiny tree is a big part of the player's decision making process. For example, reach "Magister" level 5 and you'll have 24 points to spend in every tier of the tree, however, those points won't get you all "Magister" abilities – you'll have to pick and choose.

Each tree contains abilities costing 1 or 2 EDP. Just like heroic enhancements, some abilities have only 1 rank; some up to 5 ranks. Abilities inside the tree are divided in Tiers, each Tier requires a total amount of EDP spent into the tree, by increments of 4: Tier 1 requires 0 EDP spent, Tier 2 - 4 EDP, Tier 3 - 8 EDP... up until Tier 6 that require 20 EDP.

Additionally each tree has "Innate abilities" that are auto-granted for free when the corresponding level has been unlocked inside the tree; a new level is gained by acquiring enough XP to gain 4 EDP and then filling up one more "rank" to actually unlock the next level, much like how Heroic levels are gained. Autogrant unlocking matches the prerequisites of the tiers: each time you gain a new level in the current Destiny's tree, you gain a new autogrant (the last one, the capstone, is unlocked when reach Level 5). Additionally you gain a first autogrant as soon as you select the destiny: the first one unlocks with 0 points spent in the tree.

Epic Moments
Each Epic Destiny has its own set of abilities and one big Epic Moment. Epic Moments only activate by clicking a button. Players have to "build up" to Epic Moments because they're often powerful.

The Epic Moment itself is an ability chosen from the Epic Destiny tree. Players must reach the tree's top tier before they pick up an Epic Moment.

Swapping Epic Destinies
Players are allowed to swap and level Epic Destinies independently of one another. Changing destinies requires you to unlock new destinies or buy the Key of Destiny from the DDO Store for 995 DDO Points. The key allows you to unlock an adjacent destiny to one you currently have unlocked. Destinies all have a place on the destiny map. Each destiny has at least one adjacent destiny from the same sphere. Some destinies are also adjacent to a destiny in another sphere.

Players can change an Epic Destiny by locating a Fatespinner in public areas. Doing so will suppress their currently active Destiny and switch to another that they have access to. Any advancement in their old Destiny is NOT lost, but they gain no benefits from their old Epic Destiny.

Epic Destiny Points are permanently associated with the Epic Destiny used when earning them. So if you switch to another Epic Destiny, the game automatically shelves points and abilities earned for whatever other Epic Destiny you've chosen, but you can always switch back and retain all progress, across all Epic Destinies.

True Reincarnation and Epic Destinies
If a character undergoes a True Reincarnation and his Heroic level drops below 20, Epic advancement and all benefits related to it are suppressed, although existing Epic Destiny progress is saved.

You'll keep all you have acquired from Destinies when you TR: destiny level, unlocked Destinies, and Twists of Fate. For example, if you are currently a FvS 25 with 5 levels of Exalted Angel, and you TR into a Fighter, you'll still be a level 5 Exalted Angel. However, you'll be locked out from using Epic Destiny abilities until you level back to 20. This also means if you TR and want to use a destiny that matches your new class, you'll need to unlock this new Destiny by moving through Spheres. Note that some abilities will have level pre-reqs (meaning some abilities may not be usable until you hit level 21, 22, 23 etc.).

Maintaining your advancement in Epic Destinies is generally a good thing, however it comes with an important caveat, namely if you TR into a different class you may not be able to select an appropriate Destiny when you hit level 20 in the next life. i.e. You do not get to claim a new Epic Destiny on your second or subsequent life, you continue exactly where you left off in your previous life.

For example, let's say you were a Cleric in your first life and choose to unlock Exalted Angel, and then you TR into a Sorcerer. When you hit level 20 for the second time, you will still be in the Exalted Angel Epic Destiny, deep in the Divine sphere, and will have to unlock several destinies (Unyielding Sentinel, Grandmaster of Flowers, Shadowdancer, and Fatesinger) before you can unlock Draconic Incarnation (which is typically far more useful to Sorcerers). It may be prudent to unlock appropriate Epic Destinies in your current life before you TR into a different class, especially if the new class is in a different karma wheel. You can also unlock Destinies with purchases made in the DDO Store.