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DMG p. 231-232 describes many epic boons for after level 20. Two of those are:

Boon of High Magic

You gain one 9th-level spell slot, provided that you already have one.

and

Boon of Spell Recall

You can cast any spell you know or have prepared without expending a spell slot. Once you do so, you cant use this boon again until you finish a long rest.

I'm not sure why would I pick High Magic over Spell Recall. Spell Recall lets you cast a spell you know of any level (in other words, it gives you a spell slot of any level). High Magic gives me a single level 9 slot. As far as I know, you cannot gain level 9 slots with short rests, so it seems like one of the boons is just a narrower version of the other.

What are advantages of the Boon of High Magic over the Boon of Spell Recall?

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    \$\begingroup\$ High Magic cannot be selected by characters that do not have a 9th level slot. \$\endgroup\$
    – Mindwin Remember Monica
    Jan 16, 2018 at 15:52

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High Magic has two advantages over Spell Recall.

Upcasting

The spell slot of High Magic can be used to cast any known spell at level 9. Many spells are indicated to have enhanced potency when cast with a greater level spell slot than required, commonly referred to as "upcasting". Spell Recall cannot upcast, as the extra effects are specifically worded to take place when the spell is cast "using a spell slot of Xth level or higher".

Features that use spell slots

Some class features allow non-spellcasting uses for spell slots. The Paladin, for instance, can invoke Divine Smite using a spell slot for extra damage (although they'd need to have another class that gives them access to a level 9 slot to gain High Magic). Judging by same reasonings as answers to this question I believe the level 9 slot from High Magic is eligible for use with Divine Smite, although the damage is still capped per the wording of the ability. Another example would be the Sorcerer, who can convert their spell slots into Sorcery points.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ A better/more-useful example of a feature that uses a spell slot on a character likely to have 9th level slots would be Sorcerers generating spell points from it. \$\endgroup\$
    – T.J.L.
    Jan 16, 2018 at 14:03
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    \$\begingroup\$ @T.J.L. Excellent point, I forgot that because no one in my party ever plays sorc for some reason. Adding it now \$\endgroup\$
    – kviiri
    Jan 16, 2018 at 14:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ I would add that Spell Recall has one advantage over High Magic in the case of wizards, which is that it allows you to cast a spell without having prepared it that day. \$\endgroup\$
    – QuantumDM
    Jan 16, 2018 at 15:28
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    \$\begingroup\$ @quantumDM wizards do not have spells known feature. They have spellbook feature. They can prepare any spell scribed into their spellbook, but they don't know those spells. If they lose the spellbook, they have to re-acquire those spells. They can automatically write down in the new spell book the spells they have prepared at that time, but no others. Contrast with a sorcerer that never loses those spells (may replace, but not lose). \$\endgroup\$
    – Mindwin Remember Monica
    Jan 16, 2018 at 15:50
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Boon of Spell Recall does not specify the level the spell is cast at. In such cases it is usually assumed it is cast at the lowest level it can be cast at. I cannot find a definitive rule for this, but there is precedent in how magic items are handled (DMG 141). It is logical, since spells have to be cast at a given level. If we accept this, High Magic is more powerful, as the additional casting gained is 9th level. Thus if you could get both, there is no reason to get Spell Recall. The restriction on it requires the recipient to have only primary caster levels (wizard, bard, warlock, sorcerer, druid, cleric), though.

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