Questions about running an E6 campaign

[Mars Ultor]

I'm intending on running an E6 campaign and I've got some questions. If you have any experiences, suggestions, or advice, I'd love to hear it.

In the past I've used home-brew alterations to the Fighter and Paladin classes, are they necessary in an E6 campaign? It seems like the Paladin will get some sort of class feature every level, and they'll get their warhorse and spell casting, is that enough? For Fighter I feel as if they still need some sort of class features considering all the other classes begin accumulating feats as well. Is that the case? Does anyone have any suggestions for home-brew versions of the core classes for E6? (I don't have Monks in my campaign, so they're not an issue.)

What's the limitation on magic items? A 6th-level caster is limited to making a +2 weapon since the Enhancement bonus is three times the caster level. However, if it has any other enhancements, the higher of the two is applicable. I'm reading this as saying there can't be any bane weapons. A bane weapon counts as +2 to the enhancement bonus when making the weapons, in total that's +3, which isn't allowed. Is that correct? Similarly, you could make a +1 Keen weapon, but not a +2 Keen weapon, right?

[Daefos]

What's the limitation on magic items? A 6th-level caster is limited to making a +2 weapon since the Enhancement bonus is three times the caster level. However, if it has any other enhancements, the higher of the two is applicable. I'm reading this as saying there can't be any bane weapons. A bane weapon counts as +2 to the enhancement bonus when making the weapons, in total that's +3, which isn't allowed. Is that correct? Similarly, you could make a +1 Keen weapon, but not a +2 Keen weapon, right?

I believe the “caster level must be three times the bonus” clause only applies to the item’s enhancement bonus, not the total equivalent bonus of all of its special abilities. Special abilities have their own caster level requirements, and if a weapon has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, then you only need to meet the higher one.

Granted, that’s the rule according to the SRD. I’m unfamiliar with the minutiae of E6, so forgive me if there’s an E6-specific rule or tweak that I’m not accounting for.

[DEMON]

I'm intending on running an E6 campaign and I've got some questions. If you have any experiences, suggestions, or advice, I'd love to hear it.

In the past I've used home-brew alterations to the Fighter and Paladin classes, are they necessary in an E6 campaign? It seems like the Paladin will get some sort of class feature every level, and they'll get their warhorse and spell casting, is that enough? For Fighter I feel as if they still need some sort of class features considering all the other classes begin accumulating feats as well. Is that the case? Does anyone have any suggestions for home-brew versions of the core classes for E6? (I don't have Monks in my campaign, so they're not an issue.)

Unmodified Core Fighters aren't very hot for E6, for obvious reasons - once you start getting bonus (epic) feats from level 6 onwards, their 4 bonus feats don't matter anymore.

That being said, if ACFs (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?444354-3-5-Alternative-Class-Features-(ported-from-Wizards-community-boards))are on the table, there's several options to trade their feats for, which makes the class worth it for E6. And if you're allowing the unique E6 feats, Fighter also get access to feats requiring BAB +8 (e.g. Weapon Mastery, Improved Critical), which, again, makes them worth playing in this setting.

Paladin's fine, I believe. They get all the early good stuff Paladins come preloaded with, and can even go mini-supermount when combined with the Beastmaster PrC. But they're still, you know, Paladins...

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

A Fighter can do fine in E6 if built correctly. Level adjustment is replaced with lower point-buy, so something like Goliath with Dungeoncrasher is going to work fine. The E6 capstone feat for Fighter allows you to take feats as though you had a +8 BAB, so Melee Weapon Mastery and Improved Critical are available.

Regarding magic items, as others have said, the caster level requirement is only for the flat enhancement bonus itself, not anything that comes from a special property. The minimum caster level to create any item is only that which is required to meet that item's listed prerequisites (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#casterLevel), the printed default caster level of an item is not a requirement for making that item. So for example, you could make a +2 Speed (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#speed) weapon in E6, the minimum caster level for a +2 weapon is 6th, and the prerequisites for Speed are Haste and Craft Magic Arms and Armor, so its minimum caster level is 5th, despite its printed default caster level of 7th. The only prerequisites listed for a Bane weapon are Craft Magic Arms and Armor and Summon Monster I, so the minimum caster level for it is that which is required to meet those prerequisites, or 5th for Craft Magic Arms and Armor. You could even make a Brilliant Energy weapon in E6, as both the spell prerequisites are 3rd level or lower, so despite it having a default caster level of 16th if found as loot, it can be crafted with a caster level as low as 5th.

[Mr Adventurer]

The text for special weapon abilities refers to the listed caster level for a special ability as a requirement: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

The text for special weapon abilities refers to the listed caster level for a special ability as a requirement: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm

It doesn't say that the listed caster level is a prerequisite, only that if there is a caster level prerequisite, the higher one must be met. This was clarified in the DMG Errata, and in the updated general rules for magic item descriptions: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#casterLevel

"For potions, scrolls, and wands, the creator can set the caster level of an item at any number high enough to cast the stored spell and not higher than her own caster level. For other magic items, the caster level is determined by the creator. The minimum caster level is that which is needed to meet the prerequisites given."

You don't need to have the caster level given on an item to create it, because the creator's caster level determines the item's caster level, with a minimum of whatever's required to meet the prerequisites given for the item. The caster level entry is not one of the prerequisites, and has not been since the DMG Errata (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/errata) in 2004.

[TalonOfAnathrax]

Here is an excellent list of which magic items are available in E6.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16JL4nEgTidWybhfLys8kwz7aEYNqAP8G1vlt0-KDtp0/edit?usp=sharing

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Here is an excellent list of which magic items are available in E6.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16JL4nEgTidWybhfLys8kwz7aEYNqAP8G1vlt0-KDtp0/edit?usp=sharing

That list also doesn't take the DMG errata into consideration. It doesn't include any items with a printed caster level above 6th, even though the prerequisites of many such items can be met at 6th level without shenanigans.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Having run a E6 campaign my suggestion is to make magic items very limited, magic item power could spin out of control and you could lose the ability for low level threats to still threaten the PC's half the point of E6,

Remove the requirement that a weapon that weapons or armor be +1 before giving them special abilities. (but they'll still count as magic for DR or resistive purposes). But then cap weapons at +2 in enchantment and abilities total. So you could have a bane weapon. It'd simply be magical against everything but vs the chosen foe +2 enchantment and +2 to hit and damage.
And before anyone pouts those aren't the rules of magic item creation. E6 isn't the rules either.

My further advice is not to allow magic item creation feats at all beyond scrolls and potions. So the fighter wants a flaming sword? Well first the party has to go on a quest to find the formula to enchant such a weapon. Then once they have the formula they have to go on another quest to find the ingredients as most of them won't be found in a store.