You have 3 options.
1) Android wifi tether 3.0 or above which makes an infrastructure connection: (remember rooting is required but is easy)
android-wifi-tether - Wireless Tether for Root Users - Google Project Hosting
2) Do a WPA supplicant fix on your Android Tablet so that it can see Ad Hoc connections which again requires root.
3) ICS has bluetooth tethering built in under settings, more, tethering, bluetooth but I have not tried it.
To note though, you don't need to worry too much about rooting the epic, the epic is virtually unbrickable.