What is Heroic Paragon Epic?

Back in 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons, there was a system that allowed you to gain racial or class-type specific abilities at 5th, 10th, and 15th level. These were the Heroic, Paragon, and Epic levels which are commonly used today to delineate the “Tiers” of adventure and gameplay in 5th Edition D&D: Heroic is 5th level, Paragon is 10th level, and Epic is 15th level. 

Being that 4e was my introduction to Dungeons & Dragons, I wanted to find a way to bring this fun system back to life, so I decided to create a gestalt tree for each different bundle of classes - Martial, Divine, Arcane, and Primal - to give them some more roleplay flavor. In this book, you will find the three trees built for divine characters - paladins and clerics - which will grant them unique and powerful abilities. 

Please note that this book DOES INCREASE the power levels and player potential for divine classes, so keep this in mind when designing encounters as a Dungeon Master. As a player however, make sure to incorporate these trees into your character in an in-depth way; from backstory to development. 

The Divine HPES System

The HPES Trees for divine-based classes are split into three separate gestalt trees: Holy Relic, Spiritual Protector, and Religious Fervor. They keep true to the concepts at the core of a cleric or paladin, but add a little power boost and more roleplay flavor. 

Holy Relic. The Holy Relic tree showcases a Divine player who is devout and studious, knowing the lore and history of their order, oath or domain, and appreciating the power within their relic. 

Spiritual Protector. The Spiritual Protector tree displays a Divine player who is dedicated to pushing their strength and grit to keeping their followers and allies safe, no matter the cost. 

Religious Fervor. The Religious Fervor tree is for a Divine player who wishes to be a machine and dreadnought of holy fury and might, crushing heretics beneath their sabatons, yet delving into a dangerous path.