Acquiring Epic Feats

Characters gain epic feats in the following ways:

At 21st level, and every other level thereafter, the character may select an epic feat in place of a nonepic feat.

Each character class gains bonus epic feats according to the class description. These feats must be selected from the list of bonus epic feats for that class.

Prerequisites

Most epic feats have prerequisites. A character must have the listed ability score, feat, skill, class feature, or base attack modifier in order to select or use that feat. A character can gain an epic feat at the same level at which he or she gains the prerequisite, just as with regular feats. A prerequisite expressed as a numerical value is a minimum; any value higher than the one given also meets the prerequisite. A character can't use an epic feat if he or she has lost a prerequisite.

Types of Epic Feats

Most epic feats are general, meaning that no special rules govern them as a group. Others may be combat feats, critical feats, item creation feats or metamagic feats, which follow all the normal rules for such feats, except as specified in the feat's description. In addition, some feats are defined as divine feats or as wild feats. Such feats are described below.

Divine Feats

The feats in this category share a few characteristics. First, they all have as a prerequisite the ability to channel positive or negative energy. Thus, they are open to clerics, paladins of 4th level or higher, and any prestige class that has that ability. (An ability to channel that can only be used to power another ability – such as a necromancer's power over undead ability – does not qualify a character to select one of these feats.) Second, each use of a divine feat costs the character one channel use from his or her number of uses each day. If a character doesn't have any channel energy uses left, he or she can't use the feat. Since channeling energy is a standard action, activating any of these feats is also a standard action.

Wild Feats

The feats in this category share the characteristic of relating to the ability to use wild shape as a druid. These feats require the character to have the ability to use wild shape before acquiring the feat.