Working Idea: Delayed Gestalt E6

[Squirrel_Dude]

I just got out of the shower, where everyone has their best ideas (and ones like this), having thought of a different way to do E6. At least a way that I haven't heard of before. Whatever that's worth. I'm obviously still ironing out the wrinkles, and I wanted to get the playground's opinion on these alternate rules for play.

Delayed Gestalt E6:
Background: One of the complaints that I've seen about E6 is something along the lines of "I don't want to be a level 6 character forever." I figured there were two ways to define the problem behind such a complaint. Either the prospective player didn't want to be stuck in 6th level player scenarios for the rest of the game, or the problem could be that a player doesn't want to be using the same mechanics for the rest of the game after level 6. The former could be remedied by optimization and a clever DM, but isn't something that has an easy solution. I figured the latter might have a solution though.

Why not Regular Gestalt: Gestalt is something that I find more interesting than I do enjoyable. 3.X games are high-powered enough for my tastes without throwing gestalt into the mix. E6 has always appeared to me as something to avoid that, at least to some extent, so I didn't want to go full Gestalt, at least not at the start of a game.

The Rules: The rules for this aren't actually very complicated. Obviously multiclassing is banned because that would interfere with how Gestalt work. The basics of the rules are that after level 6, as characters continue to gain experience, at certain intervals they may take more class levels. However, those class levels would be under gestalt rules, so static bonuses (saves, hp, BAB, skill points, etc.) would overlap, not stack. Characters would be able to take a class level at every other "level" past 6th.

To explain it with a table, using the Pathfinder rules for character advancement.

Character Experience LevelAdvancement
6As per normal
7Feat
8Gestalt Class Level
9Feat
10Gestalt Class Level
......


So yeah, there it is, delayed gestalt.

[Demidos]

Pretty cool. So basically run E6, then go through it again adding a gestalt class. Could work quite nicely. Other only problem I can think of is for say, a focused arcane caster -- the new gestalt doesnt make them any more powerful (okay it does, but it makes them restart at 1st level spells again). I guess thats less of an issue in e6, but the warriors would follow a curve up, while the pure casters would have a brand new curve.


...if that made sense at all.

[Larkas]

I actually considered something along those lines once. My reasoning was that class features could be just as available as feats, though it would require extra effort. IIRC, my idea was to require the exchange of two "feat points" for a gestalt class level. Multiclassing wouldn't be banned, though you would be required to "top up" your classes before gestalt with other classes (i.e.: a Fighter 2/ Wizard 4 would have to get up to Fighter//Wizard 6 before considering multi-gestating). Also, multi-gestating would only be available pending DM approval, and adding a third class would require three "feat points", a fourth, four "feat points", and so on. Lastly, PrC levels would be locked out of gestalt.

Anyways, this would be my take on it :smallsmile:

[Squirrel_Dude]

Pretty cool. So basically run E6, then go through it again adding a gestalt class. Could work quite nicely. Other only problem I can think of is for say, a focused arcane caster -- the new gestalt doesnt make them any more powerful (okay it does, but it makes them restart at 1st level spells again). I guess thats less of an issue in e6, but the warriors would follow a curve up, while the pure casters would have a brand new curve.


...if that made sense at all.In a way every class would be starting on new curves. Most mundane classes would have to wait a few levels for static bonuses to kick in Casters would be the only ones to face that problem with class features, though.

@Larkas: I thought about doing something to implement multiclassing, but I didn't want to make it more complicated than gestalt already can.

[Crake]

I run a similar thing in my game, but it's an optional thing, and not e6. The way I run it is each gestalt level costs xp equal to the level x500 xp, so 1st level costs 500xp to gestalt, 2nd is 1000, etc.

In e6 terms, that's about the equivilent of 5 feats (10,500xp) to fully gestalt to 6, so it's a bit faster than your method, but i think it's a bit more balanced, because otherwise it would take a grand total of 12 "levels" after hitting 6 to fully gestalt, which seems way too slow in my opinion. Class features are nice, but not THAT nice, i think an e6 character with 12 feats is probably more powerful and/or versatile than a gestalted e6 character with 6 feats