Guidelines for Running E6

[HMS Invincible]

I'm planning on running an E6 campaign for my friends since our current game seems to be dying, and we're putting too much pressure on our GM. Since this game is just 3.5 + extra feats, it seems simple enough to play. Anything I should keep in mind?

Houserules: I was thinking of allowing a mixture of Paizo and 3.5 material since who am I to say what classes are fun or not. The added power shouldn't matter much, since they won't get past lvl 6, a dragon will still kick their asses.

Is it necessary to give additional pointbuy(read as extra help) to the teir 4 and below classes? Or does E6 negate the difference?

[BornValyrian]

It doesn't negate the difference, but it does lessen it severely. For example, wizards are restricted to 3rd level spells, so while there are still many roles they can do, they aren't teleporting across the planes, making their own planes, and many of the other things associated with wizardly brokenness. Many classes hit their "sweet-spot" at about this level, too. I wouldn't increase point-buy for lower tiers. The article that proposes E6, however, proposes lowering point-but for la in exchange for ECL 1, and I would suggest that as well.

As for things to remember, remember that every monster not dictated by class levels still exists. Great wyrm dragons still exist, as does the tarrasque (at least, if you so choose). These monsters are the things plots hinge around, finding the ancient sword that kills the dragon, stopping the crazy cult from waking the tarrasque, or finding an artifact/ancient power to stop it if they do.

Also remember that all class levels cap out at 6. Unless there are leftovers from a previous century when magic was higher powered, magic items with a crafter's caster level above 6 (8 if you have artificers) will not exist. For this reason I highly suggest using incantations from Unearthed Arcana for high level magic you mAy want in the world. I'm running an e6 game as well (it's Gestalt) and made a few incantations here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=318412). Feel free to use them, though you may have to change some fluff, since they're all dragon-oriented.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Watch out for Kobold Sorcerers, Mystic Rangers, and Versatile Spellcaster Dread Necromancers.

Keep in mind that a given magic item's default caster level is what it would normally be if discovered as loot, but it's not one of the prerequisites to make that item (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#casterLevel). The caster level of an item created by a PC varies with the PC's caster level, it can be much higher or much lower than the default caster level that's printed. You should ignore the default caster levels when determining which magic items could be created in an E6 setting, and just look at the actual prerequisites.

[Yogibear41]

What Biff said is true, but its generally suggested for E6 that you DO make those caster levels a prerequisite, because technically a 3rd level wizard could make +6 ability boosting items if he had the funds to do so. It really depends on how you want the game to go though, if you want you characters eventually getting +6 enh bonus's from items well there you go. Alternatively I think in pathfinder they have a rule about the bonus they give is capped by your caster level which would allow for +2 enh bonus items to be made. (might not apply for the ENH bonus items though can't remember off hand)


Of course alot of this depends on how long you intend for the campaign/game to actually be played if you have one specific goal in mind and once they accomplish that and its game over well I wouldn't worry about it to much because they will probably never have the money to buy or make them anyway.

But if its basically a never ending campaign (which I think are the best) and you more or less play your character til they die, then it might become an issue, because they will eventually have enough gold to make almost anything really.


For simplicity's sake their is a list around here on the internet somewhere on recommend items for E6, just to save you the headache of constantly having to look things up to check them out.

[HMS Invincible]

I'm planning on starting at lvl 1, and rushing them to lvl 6 at a extreme rate. Like 1 encounter = level up until they hit lvl 6. At that point, I can resume normal leveling. Part of it is encouraged by the E6 guidelines, the other part is almost every campaign has to sit through the early levels, and I think they get tired of being level 1 every time a campaign abruptly ends.

So I should give additional help to teir 4 and below, but it shouldn't be noticable power difference if I don't? I want to help the lowly tier characters, but I don't want to make it obvious. The teir system way of thinking isn't acknowledged yet in my group.

[Yogibear41]

If the Tier system way of thinking isn't acknowledged, then I doubt its going to be an issue. I think you will be fine just letting them play as is. You could just give them all a huge point buy that way someone like a monk could have 4 16s or something like that if you are that worried. Had the idea that I may use something ridiculous like a 52 point buy if I ever ran an e6 game, just because why not?

[bert88]

I'm planning to start a E6 campaign as DM (actually I'm discussing the idea with the players), but there is something I'm a bit puzzled over: if the strongest items in the game are +2 (or something in that range of price), what are the PG going to do with all the money they get from treasures once they have filled all the slots with the most expensive items available?

(That's my first post in the forum and English is not my first language, so I apologize in advance for any possible grammar mistake)

[HMS Invincible]

Watch out for Kobold Sorcerers, Mystic Rangers, and Versatile Spellcaster Dread Necromancers.

Keep in mind that a given magic item's default caster level is what it would normally be if discovered as loot, but it's not one of the prerequisites to make that item (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#casterLevel). The caster level of an item created by a PC varies with the PC's caster level, it can be much higher or much lower than the default caster level that's printed. You should ignore the default caster levels when determining which magic items could be created in an E6 setting, and just look at the actual prerequisites.

I'm only allowing LA + 0 races, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem. What's wrong with mystic rangers and dread necromancers?

As for tons of money, since money is tied to level, and grows exponentially only as you level, money should only grow at a linear rate. I guess they can spend their money buying kingdoms and political stuff.

[Eldest]

I'm only allowing LA + 0 races, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem. What's wrong with mystic rangers and dread necromancers?

As for tons of money, since money is tied to level, and grows exponentially only as you level, money should only grow at a linear rate. I guess they can spend their money buying kingdoms and political stuff.

Mystic rangers get "full" spell progression, so they get up to 3rd level spells, on top of the rest of the ranger goodies. Dread necromancers know all the spells on their list, including the 4th, 5th, etc ones, but at level 6 they have no 4th/5th/whatever slots so on their own they are fine. Versitile Spellcaster, however, lets them burn two spell slots of a lower level to cast one spell of a higher level, and so they can actually get 4th, 5th, etc spells in game with that.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Nothing I mentioned involves a level-adjusted race.

A Dread Necromancer with Versatile Spellcaster can cast Enervation. You can metamagic it up with Ocular Spell, Split Ray, Twin Spell, Maximize Spell, and Arcane Thesis in such a way that it only takes two 3rd level spell slots to set it up. When you spend a full-round action to release it you fire four rays at up to four separate targets, each of which deals eight negative levels, no saving throw. In E6 this is guaranteed to kill anything with class levels, and any monster if you target multiple rays at it, and the only chance they have is you missing that ranged touch attack.

Mystic Ranger gets 0-level spells at 1st level, 1st level spells at 2nd level, 2nd level spells at 4th level, and 3rd level spells at 6th level. He gets 3rd level spells on the Ranger chassis, and you can combine it with Wild Shape Ranger and get Natural Spell and Extra Wild Shape and stay in Fleshraker form 24 hours/day. Throw in Frostblood Half-Orc to get Sword of the Arcane Order for free at 4th level, and he can cast up to 3rd level Wizard spells!

A Kobold Sorcerer at 6th level with the right tricks gets the spellcasting of a Wizard 9, and automatically knows four 5th level spells and eight of each level 4th and lower. His spells are written on his body so you can't steal/destroy his spellbook. He can even learn non-Wizard/Sorcerer spells by counterspelling them, and prepare and cast them forever as though they were Wizard spells.


Instead of banning level-adjusted races, I'd recommend adding an additional disadvantage to them. In E6 you normally wouldn't count your level adjustment at all, and instead start with a lower point buy. In addition to that, you could always count their level adjustment when determining how much XP they get per encounter. That makes them level up more slowly than the rest of the party, but it wouldn't really kick in until level 3+. Alternatively/additionally, each E6 virtual level and bonus feat costs 5k xp, you could add 1,000 xp per point of level adjustment to this, so level-adjusted characters would gain those virtual levels and bonus feats proportionately slower. Not allowing level-adjusted races takes a lot of the fun out of character creation, but you should still limit races and templates on a case-by-case basis (Half-Minotaur, Lolth-Touched, Mineral Warrior).

[MukkTB]

The most important thing is to think about your approach to magic that can be created above level 6. In E20 there are no 10th level spells apart from some epic rules. I highly recommend that in E6 there are no 4th level spells. You can't buy a scroll at the local magic shop for a 4th level spell, ect. Anything that requires a higher level to create than 6 is an artifact made by a god or something. Any early entry stuff that gets you to 4th level spells by level 6 probably doesn't fit the spirit of E6.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

The most important thing is to think about your approach to magic that can be created above level 6. In E20 there are no 10th level spells apart from some epic rules. I highly recommend that in E6 there are no 4th level spells. You can't buy a scroll at the local magic shop for a 4th level spell, ect. Anything that requires a higher level to create than 6 is an artifact made by a god or something. Any early entry stuff that gets you to 4th level spells by level 6 probably doesn't fit the spirit of E6.

There are monsters with higher level spells (Dragons, Nagas, Lammasus, etc.) and monsters with higher level item creation capabilities (Midgard Dwarves) that could be the source of more powerful items in an E6 game. Anything with a spell-like ability has a caster level and can use it to qualify for item creation feats and magic item prerequisites, and Incantations (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/incantations.htm) can be used to call powerful outsiders that can help craft +5 weapons and armor for example. Incantations can also be used by a 6th level character to emulate higher level spells, and the rules/guidelines for making them are very similar to those of epic spells.

[Gemini476]

There are monsters with higher level spells (Dragons, Nagas, Lammasus, etc.) and monsters with higher level item creation capabilities (Midgard Dwarves) that could be the source of more powerful items in an E6 game. Anything with a spell-like ability has a caster level and can use it to qualify for item creation feats and magic item prerequisites, and Incantations (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/incantations.htm) can be used to call powerful outsiders that can help craft +5 weapons and armor for example. Incantations can also be used by a 6th level character to emulate higher level spells, and the rules/guidelines for making them are very similar to those of epic spells.

Don't forget that Artificers have the native ability to count as two levels higher when crafting, IIRC, allowing you to get 4th level scrolls. Without any ACFs or feats or anything, just the class itself.