I have played a lot of different game systems, and one of the biggest hangups i have with D&D/Pathfinder is the "Level" concept, where does it end, what is "Epic", and all that. the system of scaling levels and massive HP etc as you go up in level is somewhat of a detraction from the fun of the game in my mind. It quite simply gets out of hand if you go higher than 20-30 range. I could get into an exhaustive list of all the strange issues that can crop up at ludicrously high levels, but it is kind of a moot point really. I believe it was either Unearthed Arcana or Arcana Unearthed (both were interesting, but the "rules variant" one is the one I'm thinking of)that had a variant rule set for "gestalt" gaming. In this setup you basically are two classes at once. it had a very epic feel to it, but was somewhat clunky, especially when it came to multi-classing. I have used it and modified it through several games campaigns and player groups over the years, and my current setup is a free buy system where you buy levels and even feats or attributes with your experience and just take the best numeric values from any class you have. nothing stacks everything overlaps basically. It is incredibly fun, and i use a very simple set of three charts (one for hit die, saves and BAB) that lets players keep everything orderly and relatively simple. as you broaden out and gain levels in several different classes at different rates (very 2nd edition for you old school types) you gain more and more abilities that compliment each other in interesting ways. once you hit level 15 in 3 or more classes at once you are VERY epic. the numbers stay small and it requires a lot less work to make a lich or what have you still be a fun challenge. i think a system more like this keeps the game more about the "cool stuff" you can do and less about having a BAB of 50 bazillion. it has the added benefit of keeping players interested in their characters for a lot longer, and keeping the more streamlined game play of lower levels.
