Epic Boons
The new Player’s Handbook has finally dropped. One of the new additions to the feats category is Boons. They are a throwback to the 3rd edition, and their return now adds a little dash of spice to higher-level characters. Characters gain a free Epic Boon at the 19th level, with twelve for you to choose from. Which are the best and which are not worth the ink it took to write them is a matter of discussion that we will examine below.
What is an Epic Boon?
There’s scant information on what an Epic Boon is other than a feat that characters can choose once they reach the 19th level. There isn’t any lore or general description of the reasoning behind why boons even exist. Let’s be honest. It is another way the designers included to make your character into an overpowered superhero. At the 19th level, I’m not sure why they’d need to add this in since most characters are overpowered heroes. Don’t get me wrong, I love the addition of boons. The question is, do they add anything of value for such a high-level character, especially since character levels are still capped at 20?
The Boons
The entire list of boons is available to all characters except for Boon of Spell Recall, which requires you to be able to cast spells. Boons allow your character to increase any ability score by 1 to a maximum of 30 unless otherwise noted. Each character class has a recommended boon (found in the feats section of the new Player’s Handbook), but you aren’t beholdened to that choice. You should feel free to pick whatever boon fits best with your character’s build, role, or style of play.
Boon of Combat Prowess
Turn that frown upside down. When you miss with an attack roll, you can decide to hit instead. An automatic hit is fantastic, but being able to do it once per turn puts this near the top of the list for most melee heroes. Battle master fighters can guarantee that their maneuvers work. Paladins can ensure a smite will land. Rogues can make sure their Sneak Attack is successful. And most important, everyone can be sure they will deliver the killing blow and describe in great detail how you eviscerate the BBEG.
Boon of Dimensional Travel
Need to get out of the way of your enemy’s sword after stabbing them? Dimensional travel allows you to do that. After you attack (or use the Magic action), you can teleport up to 30 feet. The boon helps you escape potential harm and can set up advantageous positioning for your teammates (Flanking anyone?)
At the 19th level, fighters have three attacks, but they can only teleport once since all attacks are part of the same Attack Action. They can, however, teleport multiple times when they use Action Surge, based on how the rules are written. So a 19th-level fighter could attack, teleport, Action Surge attack, teleport, then Action Surge attack again.
Boon of Energy Resistance
Two words sum up this boon: resistance and redirection. You choose two damage types (Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, Psychic, Radiant, or Thunder) to gain resistance to. Ironically, the real power of this boon is when your resistance fails, and you are struck by an attack that deals damage. When this happens, you can use your Reaction to deal damage of the same type to another creature within 60 feet. They get to make a saving throw, but on a failure, the creature takes 2d12 + your Constitution modifier damage.
By the 19th level, most characters will have resistance to one or more types of damage, but the more damage types you’re resistant to, the better. Note that this doesn’t mean you don’t take the damage, but the chance to gain Resistance to Psychic attack cannot be understated.
Boon of Fate
Our first meh boon. If you or a friend, ally, or creature trying to rip your spleen out makes a d20 check, you can roll 2d4 and apply the total rolled as a bonus or penalty to the roll. You can use the boon once per Short or Long Rest or when you roll Initiative. It’s this last part that makes the boon even remotely worth taking. Influencing who goes first or last in combat makes a huge difference. Beyond that, take the Lucky feat, have a Bard in your party, and ignore this boon.
Boon of Fortitude
Boon of Fortitude is the second-best boon available for all classes. Your Hit Point maximum increases by 40. Do I have to say any more? It gets even better as the game designers decided the boon wasn’t enticing enough. In addition to the increase in your hit point max, you can add your Constitution modifier to any hit points you gain once per turn. That may not seem like a lot, but melee heroes can use all the hit points they can get. Scratch that. Everyone can use as many hit points as possible.
Boon of Irresistible Offense
Irresistible Offense limits the ability score to increase to either Strength or Dexterity. That’s ok, given the classes who should be taking this feat. Being able to ignore Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage resistances is fine, but it doesn’t make the boon worth taking. Many creatures resist these types of damage, but usually only from non-magical weapons. If you don't have a magic weapon by the 19th level, we need to talk.
The second part of the boon allows you to add the ability score, which you increased via this feat, to your damage roll when you roll a nat 20. That’s a potential extra 30 points of damage! My issue is rolling a 20 doesn’t happen that often, and by the time you're this high of a level, a critical hit will deliver an insane amount of damage already. It may be called an Overwhelming Strike, but it feels like an Occasional Unwhemling Strike.
Boon of Recovery
Boon of Fortitude is the 2nd best boon because Boon of Recovery is the best. You know those times when you drop to zero hit points, and some ability or magic item lets you stay conscious by giving you one whole hit point? Instead of a single hit point, Last Stand gives you HALF your hit points back. That’s insane, given how many hit points characters have by the 19th level. A 19th-level fighter with the Solder Background, the Tough Origin feat, and a 20 Constitution would have 251 points (don’t nitpick my math; it’s close enough), meaning they would get back 126 hit points. Sure, you can only use it once per long rest, but if you need to use it more than that, you may want to consider a lifestyle change.
If that wasn’t enough with Recover Vitality, you may never need to use Land Stand. With a pool of ten d10s at your disposal, you can use a Bonus Action to roll as many of those 10ds as you wish and regain hit points equal to what you rolled. The average if you rolled all ten dice is 55 hit points. Again, you must wait until after a Long Rest to regain all your d10s.
My vote will always be for the Boon of Recovery
Boon of Skill
This one is useless, in my opinion. You gain proficiency in all skills and choose one to gain Expertise in. The problem is, by the 19th level, will you really need proficiency in Insight if you haven’t previously? If skills had taken on a more significant role in the new edition, I could understand why this boon exists. They haven’t, so this should be your last choice.
Boon of Speed
I love zipping around the battlefield. Longstrider is one of my favorite low-level spells and, in my opinion, is criminally underrated; this boon is longstrider on steroids. Your speed increases by 30 feet, meaning most non-buffed characters would now have 60 feet of movement. Take the Dash action, and you can move 120 feet. If you move 120 feet and your enemy can still hit you, you’re already dead. You just don’t know it yet.
Combine this with the second part of the feat, and you may never have to worry about being hit. With Escape Artist, you can use a Bonus Action to use the Disengage action, freeing you up to use that 60 feet on movement to get the hell out of dodge. It even breaks the grappled condition! Always remember, there’s no shame in running away.
Boon of Spell Recall
Wasted potential is what I thought when I read this boon’s description. First, you must have the ability to cast spells (duh). Next, your ability score increase must be Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. But it’s the central part of the boon that is severely lacking. Free Casting isn’t guaranteed free casting. Instead, you’re looking at a 25% chance of regaining a spell slot when you cast a first through fourth-level spell.
You roll a d4 to see if you regain the spell slot whenever you cast a spell of those levels. The number on the die must match the spell level you cast. The slot isn't expended if the number you roll is the same as the slot level of the spell you cast. I understand a wizard will have 13 chances to roll at the 19th level, but the boon still feels weak. I would rather see something like this. You have a pool of points equal to your spellcasting ability. When you cast a 1st though 4 the level spell, you can use a number of points equal to the spell level to regain the spell slot.
Boon of the Night Spirit
A meh boon. You can go invisible when hanging around in the dark (or dim light). Darkness is heavily obscured, so people looking to find you have the blinded condition, meaning they already make attacks against you at Disadvantage. The second you use any Action, the invisibility ends. Have fun standing around doing nothing except waiting to be discovered.
The second piece of the boon is Shadowy Form. When you're in Dim Light or Darkness, you have Resistance to all damage except Psychic and Radiant. With no resistance to Psychic damage, the benefit is only ok. There aren’t many ways you can protect yourself against brain-melting damage. It’s too bad this isn’t one of those ways.
Boon of Truesight
You gain Truesight with a range of 60 feet. If you’re wondering, Truesight is fantastic. With Truesight, your vision allows you to see in all forms of darkness, all things invisible, discern illusions, see if a creature has been transformed by magic, and look into the ethereal plane. Unless your character class has Trusight via other means, the boon is a solid choice for everyone.
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