BlackOnyx
2019-02-12, 08:20 PM
There's been some good discussion concerning E6 gameplay in a recent post here on the forums.
One of the topics I found particularly interesting was that of offering alternate progression features: that is, PC skills & abilities awarded outside of standard 6 levels + feats.
The idea is that these smaller offerings could be awarded "as appropriate" for things like quest rewards, the results of special training, or simply as points of advancement when offering a full level seems premature. You could call it "organic filler" intended to pad out the spaces between E6's slower/more limited advancement schedule.
This in mind, I've been taking a look at some of the features in the 3.5e framework that might be appropriate (balance wise) for PCs in an E6 game. (As always, any final decisions boil down to DM discretion.)
Some possibilities I've come across so far:
Free "Story-Oriented" Feats (Various)
Utility oriented and/or story rich feats that are useful, but not necessarily high on a PC's priority list.
Examples might include:
- Spelltouched Feats
- Legacy Weapons & Legacy Feats
- Initiate Feats
- Ritual Feats
- Ceremony Feats
Access to Ancestor, Bloodline, or Heritage Feats (Various)
Perhaps your character isn't a sorcerer, but they've taken a keen interest in dragons. Perhaps they discover that their ancestor was a master tactician and find themselves inspired by their exploits.
Offering feats like Draconic Heritage or Keen Intellect that they wouldn't usually qualify for could be a good way to allow them new, thematically appropriate options for growth. It also opens the door to obtaining multiple interesting feats that might be restricted to "first level only" by RAW.
Traits (Unearthed Arcana)
Personality oriented mini-feats that provide "crunch" to roleplaying fluff. Easy to award to an individual who really sticks to to their character's guns in-game (especially in situations where doing so might be sub-optimal).
Skill Tricks (Complete Scoundrel)
Encounter based mini-feats that broaden the actions a PC can take in a given situation. Typically only usable once per encounter (or less), but very fun to describe in action. Good for adding some occasional cinematic flair to your encounters.
Teamwork Benefits (DMG II)
Special actions a group of players can take based on their shared skills & areas of expertise. The DMG II offers a number of good examples for E6 characters and describes the process for building your own.
Companion Spirits (DMG II)
Essentially, these are utility based guardian spirits that encourage group discussion & tactics. As a group, players can divide daily allotments of protection, strength, and health bonuses without cutting into each other's personal stores. A good way to show players they're stronger together than alone.
Alternate Class Features (Various)
At the DM's discretion, there may be times where allowing a player to take a certain ACF (on top of the standard feature or ACF they've already taken) might open up engaging new gameplay options without being overpowering. (Take these on a case-by-case basis.)
Gestalt Levels (Unearthed Arcana)
u/Randuir actually offered this suggestion in the thread I mentioned above. Depending on how far you want to go, there's a lot of ways to do this one. You could play it as usual (allowing players to gestalt or even tristalt levels 1-6) or limit it to something smaller in scale (maybe allowing a single multiclass level or single level of a flavorful PRC).
I'd advise caution on this one, though. Allowing for too much development can really change the scope & power level of the game. Gestalting in general is probably an option best left until sometime well after the players have reached 6th level.
***
Thoughts? Concerns? Suggestions of your own? Feel free to discuss below.
One of the topics I found particularly interesting was that of offering alternate progression features: that is, PC skills & abilities awarded outside of standard 6 levels + feats.
The idea is that these smaller offerings could be awarded "as appropriate" for things like quest rewards, the results of special training, or simply as points of advancement when offering a full level seems premature. You could call it "organic filler" intended to pad out the spaces between E6's slower/more limited advancement schedule.
This in mind, I've been taking a look at some of the features in the 3.5e framework that might be appropriate (balance wise) for PCs in an E6 game. (As always, any final decisions boil down to DM discretion.)
Some possibilities I've come across so far:
Free "Story-Oriented" Feats (Various)
Utility oriented and/or story rich feats that are useful, but not necessarily high on a PC's priority list.
Examples might include:
- Spelltouched Feats
- Legacy Weapons & Legacy Feats
- Initiate Feats
- Ritual Feats
- Ceremony Feats
Access to Ancestor, Bloodline, or Heritage Feats (Various)
Perhaps your character isn't a sorcerer, but they've taken a keen interest in dragons. Perhaps they discover that their ancestor was a master tactician and find themselves inspired by their exploits.
Offering feats like Draconic Heritage or Keen Intellect that they wouldn't usually qualify for could be a good way to allow them new, thematically appropriate options for growth. It also opens the door to obtaining multiple interesting feats that might be restricted to "first level only" by RAW.
Traits (Unearthed Arcana)
Personality oriented mini-feats that provide "crunch" to roleplaying fluff. Easy to award to an individual who really sticks to to their character's guns in-game (especially in situations where doing so might be sub-optimal).
Skill Tricks (Complete Scoundrel)
Encounter based mini-feats that broaden the actions a PC can take in a given situation. Typically only usable once per encounter (or less), but very fun to describe in action. Good for adding some occasional cinematic flair to your encounters.
Teamwork Benefits (DMG II)
Special actions a group of players can take based on their shared skills & areas of expertise. The DMG II offers a number of good examples for E6 characters and describes the process for building your own.
Companion Spirits (DMG II)
Essentially, these are utility based guardian spirits that encourage group discussion & tactics. As a group, players can divide daily allotments of protection, strength, and health bonuses without cutting into each other's personal stores. A good way to show players they're stronger together than alone.
Alternate Class Features (Various)
At the DM's discretion, there may be times where allowing a player to take a certain ACF (on top of the standard feature or ACF they've already taken) might open up engaging new gameplay options without being overpowering. (Take these on a case-by-case basis.)
Gestalt Levels (Unearthed Arcana)
u/Randuir actually offered this suggestion in the thread I mentioned above. Depending on how far you want to go, there's a lot of ways to do this one. You could play it as usual (allowing players to gestalt or even tristalt levels 1-6) or limit it to something smaller in scale (maybe allowing a single multiclass level or single level of a flavorful PRC).
I'd advise caution on this one, though. Allowing for too much development can really change the scope & power level of the game. Gestalting in general is probably an option best left until sometime well after the players have reached 6th level.
***
Thoughts? Concerns? Suggestions of your own? Feel free to discuss below.