OK. I've not been paying attention to the 3rd ed developments for a while, and allusions to "E6" keep popping up on the boards.

What the hell is this?

Here you go.

So... that's basically it. Stop leveling up after level 6 and earn feats for 5,000 XP each.

Quote from: Benoist;445743So... that's basically it. Stop leveling up after level 6 and earn feats for 5,000 XP each.

Yep.  I played in an E8 campaign; it isn't a terribly world shaking, but I liked that it effectively de-emphasized the "build a broken character" minigame that could overwhelm 3e at higher levels.

I could see someone trying something like this with Classic D&D at Name Level (9th level). The idea is already still there, more or less, when you cease to roll further hit dice after 9th level. You're basically cutting off saving throw level progression, turn undead and spells beyond 5th level. You could end up with a very "OD&D" feel that way.

Quote from: Benoist;445763I could see someone trying something like this with Classic D&D at Name Level (9th level). The idea is already still there, more or less, when you cease to roll further hit dice after 9th level. You're basically cutting off saving throw level progression, turn undead and spells beyond 5th level. You could end up with a very "OD&D" feel that way.

That was my feeling as well.

It is a smart take on the 3.x ruleset, and fixes or emolliates a lot of the real and perceived problems with it (mechanical complexity, over-buffing, the dreaded and vastly overblown "caster supremacy" on high levels, overblown powers). If I were to play 3.0 again, I would go this way. So, Benoist, you are right it is not a "big deal" - and that's sort of the point. It is a quick, easy and very elegant way to change the game into something more manageable.

I grew up on the BECMI D&D boxed sets...except as teens we never went beyond the Expert set.  So maybe part of what I like about E6 is nostalgia; it makes 3e feel like the D&D I grew up on.

Quote from: Melan;445777It is a smart take on the 3.x ruleset, and fixes or emolliates a lot of the real and perceived problems with it (mechanical complexity, over-buffing, the dreaded and vastly overblown "caster supremacy" on high levels, overblown powers). If I were to play 3.0 again, I would go this way. So, Benoist, you are right it is not a "big deal" - and that's sort of the point. It is a quick, easy and very elegant way to change the game into something more manageable.

Sure, I didn't mean to say it was unworthy because of its simplicity. If anything I'd applaud the quick fix rather than coming up with pages upon pages of "fixes." I can see how that would work for a lot of people out there. Plus, you can still do so much by the way of feats, it's really a good incentive to keep on playing.

Quote from: misterguignol;445781I grew up on the BECMI D&D boxed sets...except as teens we never went beyond the Expert set.  So maybe part of what I like about E6 is nostalgia; it makes 3e feel like the D&D I grew up on.

We did something like this too, but with only the basic D&D box set (Moldvay or Holmes).  At the time none of us had any AD&D books.  So we just extrapolated all the tables in the basic D&D rulebook.  (We did all the extrapolations linearly, which turned out to be wrong).

Our games probably would have been E3 or E4.

Error by the shortstop.

-clash

I've been running E8 most of my life without really knowing what it was called. I'm running my first real E6 game right now. I love it. It beats the shit out of normal pathfinder. There is talk about raising the amount of XP to 10,000 for feats beyond six, but I probably won't cross that bridge till I get there.

A lot of these were already developed, but I adapted them a lot for my E6 game. I think I have a pretty good list. I also added a number but, fuck it, E6 is just house rules anyway. I'm sure other people make their own.

[/B]

While any E6 game should have a wide selection of feats available, the following fill very important niches in the rules.


Expansive Skill [/B]

Benefit: Upon taking this feat you acquire 4 skill ranks. You may not use these points to raise a skill beyond its maximum.

Special: You may select this feat multiple times.

Skill beyond Your Years

Prerequisite: Level 6
Pick a skill. You may have up to 8 ranks in that skill.


Restoration [/B]

Prerequisites: 6th level, ability to cast 3rd-level divine spells, Wisdom 18, Healing 6 Ranks
Benefit: You can use Restoration, as the spell (paying the material component), with a casting time of 1 hour.

Stone to Flesh

Prerequisites: 6th level, ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells, Intelligence 18, Craft (Alchemy) 6 Ranks
Benefit: You can use stone to flesh, as the spell, with an expensive and secret magical ingredient with a market value of 1000 gp and a casting time of 1 day.


Defense Skill [/B]

Prerequisite: Character Level 6th, Offensive Skill
Special: Gain a +1 skill bonus to AC.
This feat can only be taken once.

Martial Mastery

Prerequisites: Character Level 6
Benefit: Characters with a BAB of +4 or +5 may consider it +6 or +7, respectively, for the purpose of taking and using feats. Characters with a BAB of +6 may consider it to be +9 for the purpose of taking and using feats.

Offensive Skill

Prerequisite: Character Level 6th
Special: Gain a +1 skill bonus to Strike and Damage.
This feat can only be taken once.


Expanded Knowledge
[/B]
Prerequisite: Character Level 6th
Benefit: Choose a spell casting class in which you have levels. You gain an additional spell known at any level you can cast from that class's spell list. This feat can be taken once per spell level.

Expanded Casting

Prerequisite: Character Level 6th
Benefit: Choose a spellcasting class in which you have levels. You gain an additional spell slot at any level you can already cast. This can be taken once per spell level.


Wondrous Rings [/B]

Prerequisites: 6th level, Craft Wondrous Item
Benefit: You treat rings as wondrous items for the purpose of meeting item creation prerequisites. You must still meet caster level requirements for any ring you create.

[/B]

Ability Training

You spend time honing one of your Abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
Benefit: Choose one Ability; treat that Ability as having a +2 bonus to that Ability Score whenever you are making an Ability Check. This bonus does not count when making a skill check or for any other use of that ability.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times, its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat it applies to another ability.

Ability Advancement

Your training pays off, and one of your Abilities increases.
Prerequisite: Ability Training in the same ability.
Benefit: Choose one Ability. You gain a permanent +2 bonus to that ability. This bonus does not stack with the benefit from Ability Training.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times, its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat it applies to another ability.

Barbarian

Barbaric Resilience[/B]

Prerequisite: Barbarian 6
Benefit: You gain DR 2/--

Focus Your Rage

Prerequisite: Barbarian 2
Benefit: You may select an additional Rage Power.

Great Rage

Prerequisite: Barbarian 6
Benefit: Select one Rage Power as if you were level 8.
Special: This feat may be taken twice.

Bard

Bardic Inspiration

Prerequisite: Bard level 6
The bonus granted by your inspire courage and inspire competence abilities increase to +3.

Dirge of Doom

Prerequisite: Bard 6
Benefit: You gain access to the Bard Song ability Dirge of Doom.

Experienced Performer

Prerequisite: Bard 6, Perform (any) 6 ranks
Benefit: You may start a bardic performance as a move action instead of a standard action.

Cleric

Ascendance

Prerequisite: Cleric 6
Benefit: You gain a single domain power as if you were level 8, selected from the domains you already possess.

Extra Domain Power

Prerequisites: Wis 18 +, Cleric level 6, Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks, Skill Focus: Knowledge (religon)
Benefit: You gain the domain power of one additional domain associated with your deity. You may only take this feat once.

Extra Domain Access

Prerequisites: Wis 18 +, Cleric level 6, Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks, Extra Domain Power, Skill Focus: Knowledge (religion)
Benefit: You gain access to the domain spell list of one additional domain associated with your deity. This domain must be the same one as that chosen for the Extra Domain Power feat. You may only take this feat once.

Druid

Mighty Wild Shape

Prerequisite: Druid level 6
A druid can use wild shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal, a Medium elemental, or a Small or Medium plant creature. When taking the form of animals, a druid's wild shape now functions as beast shape III. When taking the form of an elemental, the druid's wild shape now functions as elemental body II. When taking the form of a plant creature, the druid's wild shape functions as plant shape I.

Fighter

Master Combatant

Mastery of your craft has increased the effectiveness of your fighter special abilities.
Prerequisite: Fighter 6
Benefit: You acquire Armor Training 2, and your Bravery increases to +3. You may also choose a second group of weapons with which to gain the Weapon Training Bonus, however, your bonus does not increase.

Fighting Style

Prerequisite: BAB +8
Benefit: The fighter develops a new fighting style. Select two feats you already possess which are mutually exclusive - they may be performed together. For example, Vital Strike and Cleave or Disarming Strike and Repositioning Strike are good choices.

Monk

Monk Training

Prerequisite: Monk 6
Benefit: The monk gains +1 to his AC and deals 1d10 damage with his unarmed strikes.

Self Mastery

Prerequisite: Monk 6
Benefit: Your melee attacks are considered Lawful for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Enlightened Body

Prerequisite: Monk 6
Benefit: Your gain the Wholeness of Body Monk ability.

Paladin

Divine Aura

Prerequisite: Paladin 6
Benefit: The paladin gains the Aura of Resolve ability.

Holy Strikes

Prerequisite: Paladin 6
Benefit: Your melee attacks are considered Good and Magical for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Ranger

Extra Favored Terrain

Prerequisite: Ranger 3
Benefit: You may select a second Favored Terrain, but your terrain bonuses do not improve.

Step of the Wild Lands

Prerequisite: Ranger 6, Survival 6 ranks
Benefit: You gain the Woodland Stride, Swift Tracker and Camouflage class abilities.

Rogue

Roguish Ability

Prerequisite: Rogue 6
Benefit: You learn one rogue advanced talent.
Special: This feat may be taken twice.

Rogue Talent

Prerequisite: Rogue 2
Benefit: You learn one Rogue Talent of your choice.

Sorcerer

Awakened Bloodline

Prerequisite: Sorcerer 6
Benefit: You gain your bloodline's bonus 3rd level spell, and its 9th level granted bloodline power.

Wizard

School Specialist

Prerequisite: Wizard 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 6 ranks
Benefit: You gain the eighth level specialist power from your chosen school. If you have chosen the Abjuration School, you instead increase your Resistance ability from 5 to 10.

Martial Arts Mastery

Pounce

Prerequisite: BAB +8
Benefit: The fighter may make a full attack after making a charge. Only the first attack benefits from the charge.

Honorable Charge

 Prerequisite: BAB +8, Vital Strike
Benefit: Increase the multiplier of vital strike by 1.

Blind Master

Prerequisite: BAB +8, Blind Fighting, Iron Will, Improved Iron Will
Benefit: The fighter gains blind sight 20'. If the fighter is using his normal vision, he is still subject to penalties caused by sudden blinding, needing a full found to adjust. Deafening attacks will make the use of this power impossible.

Mantra

Prerequisite: Character level 6, Iron Will, Improved Iron Will, Skill Focus – Knowledge Religion
Benefit: The character gains an SR of 10 + Wisdom Modifier + ½ Character level vs. compulsion effects.

Quote from: Cranewings;445833

Removing Status Effects

Restoration [/B]

Prerequisites: 6th level, ability to cast 3rd-level divine spells, Wisdom 18, Healing 6 Ranks
Benefit: You can use Restoration, as the spell (paying the material component), with a casting time of 1 hour.

Stone to Flesh

Prerequisites: 6th level, ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells, Intelligence 18, Craft (Alchemy) 6 Ranks
Benefit: You can use stone to flesh, as the spell, with an expensive and secret magical ingredient with a market value of 1000 gp and a casting time of 1 day.

Wow, I really like the idea of making higher-level spells like this into ritual-style feats.

Yeah, you can really put crazy restrictions on them and you know players and NPCs alike will still want to use some of them.

I'd still be REALLY careful about what you let in their though. For example, I wouldn't let anyone have a Minor Globe of Invulnerability in an E6 game without a great reason, and without some way around it.