Rizban
2013-08-05, 11:01 PM
Rizban's E6 Census of Peoples and Races
This project is under ongoing development, so check back often for updates and discussions.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Why this Census of Peoples and Races?
Classes, Archetypes, and Backgrounds
Paragons and Alternate Class Features
Chapter 1: (still working out how I want to organize this project)
3Introduction
I have long enjoyed playing low level D&D and found E6 back when it was first published years ago. For those of you who have never heard of E6, it can be summed up as a gritty, semi-heroic way of playing D&D where characters never progress to a level beyond 6th. More about E6, its rules, and its philosophy can be found here: E6: The Game Inside D&D (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?206323-E6-The-Game-Inside-D-amp-D).
Why this Census of Peoples and Races?
First of all, I enjoy creating new material. I've spent the past almost three years running a massive play by post game here on these very forums and have created a massive amount of material for it. Many of you may be aware of Aldhaven: Vicious Betrayals or seen the AVB prefix on threads in the play by post forums. That game starts at 6th level, where this project will end, but it is very much rooted in the same philosophy as E6, a harsh, heroic fantasy where the heroes are beyond normal men but are less than demigods.
I have spent a fair amount of time working on the core of this project, namely the R'E6 Player's Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273643). Throughout the development of that guide, I had many ideas and received many suggestions that were wonderful but simply did not have a place within the core of the project. As such, this second guide has been created as a place for many of those ideas.
The R'E6 Census of Peoples and Races will cover many alternative rules and options focused on the humanoid races of the world. It will not include any new classes, but it will contain some new Archetypes, Feats, and Backgrounds as well as some new ideas, namely Paragons and Alternate Class Features.
Classes, Archetypes, and Backgrounds
As a design philosophy, characters are defined by three core elements, their class, archetype, and background.
The class is the basic chassis for your character, the basic skeleton of what a character can do. The archetype defines the character, the muscles, or how a character does things. The background forms the skin, lesser “surface” features, minor but potentially significant. For more information on these three concepts, please refer to the R'E6 Player's Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273643). The Census assumes you have read and understand the Player's Guide.
Paragons and Alternate Class Features
In this guide, I am introducing a new concept, the Paragon. A paragon is an archetype; however, it is a very specific archetype that is available only to one specific race. As such, it is much more restricted than the basic archetypes. So, for example, a dwarf could choose any class and then choose Dwarf Paragon as his archetype. No race other than a dwarf may ever be a Dwarf Paragon. It's a unique and special archetype that only dwarves may choose. Paragon archetypes always focus on what a particular races is and does as a race and improves those innate abilities to make a Paragon character a truly exemplary member of his race.
Alternate Class Features are much like paragons in that they are generally restricted to a particular race. However, unlike a paragon, they only replace one feature of a class or archetype rather than taking the place of the entire archetype.
This project is under ongoing development, so check back often for updates and discussions.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Why this Census of Peoples and Races?
Classes, Archetypes, and Backgrounds
Paragons and Alternate Class Features
Chapter 1: (still working out how I want to organize this project)
3Introduction
I have long enjoyed playing low level D&D and found E6 back when it was first published years ago. For those of you who have never heard of E6, it can be summed up as a gritty, semi-heroic way of playing D&D where characters never progress to a level beyond 6th. More about E6, its rules, and its philosophy can be found here: E6: The Game Inside D&D (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?206323-E6-The-Game-Inside-D-amp-D).
Why this Census of Peoples and Races?
First of all, I enjoy creating new material. I've spent the past almost three years running a massive play by post game here on these very forums and have created a massive amount of material for it. Many of you may be aware of Aldhaven: Vicious Betrayals or seen the AVB prefix on threads in the play by post forums. That game starts at 6th level, where this project will end, but it is very much rooted in the same philosophy as E6, a harsh, heroic fantasy where the heroes are beyond normal men but are less than demigods.
I have spent a fair amount of time working on the core of this project, namely the R'E6 Player's Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273643). Throughout the development of that guide, I had many ideas and received many suggestions that were wonderful but simply did not have a place within the core of the project. As such, this second guide has been created as a place for many of those ideas.
The R'E6 Census of Peoples and Races will cover many alternative rules and options focused on the humanoid races of the world. It will not include any new classes, but it will contain some new Archetypes, Feats, and Backgrounds as well as some new ideas, namely Paragons and Alternate Class Features.
Classes, Archetypes, and Backgrounds
As a design philosophy, characters are defined by three core elements, their class, archetype, and background.
The class is the basic chassis for your character, the basic skeleton of what a character can do. The archetype defines the character, the muscles, or how a character does things. The background forms the skin, lesser “surface” features, minor but potentially significant. For more information on these three concepts, please refer to the R'E6 Player's Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273643). The Census assumes you have read and understand the Player's Guide.
Paragons and Alternate Class Features
In this guide, I am introducing a new concept, the Paragon. A paragon is an archetype; however, it is a very specific archetype that is available only to one specific race. As such, it is much more restricted than the basic archetypes. So, for example, a dwarf could choose any class and then choose Dwarf Paragon as his archetype. No race other than a dwarf may ever be a Dwarf Paragon. It's a unique and special archetype that only dwarves may choose. Paragon archetypes always focus on what a particular races is and does as a race and improves those innate abilities to make a Paragon character a truly exemplary member of his race.
Alternate Class Features are much like paragons in that they are generally restricted to a particular race. However, unlike a paragon, they only replace one feature of a class or archetype rather than taking the place of the entire archetype.