E6: The Game Inside D&D (new revision)

Draft character sheet for upcoming game.

Here is a list of all minor wondrous items that require only spells 3rd lvl or lower to create,
and do not have specific restriction : ie creator of any ioun stone must be 12th level
some medium wondrous items are include, if I noticed them, or they fit a formula (creators level must be 3 times bonus granted etc...

I would HR quaals tokens back in, despite needing a 5th level wizard spell to create...

Elixir of love 150 gp
Unguent of timelessness 150 gp
Dust of tracelessness 250 gp
Elixir of hiding 250 gp
Elixir of sneaking 250 gp
Elixir of swimming 250 gp
Silversheen 250 gp
Elixir of truth 500 gp
Bag of tricks, gray 900 gp
Hand of the mage 900 gp
Bracers of armor +1 1,000 gp
Cloak of resistance +1 1,000 gp
Pearl of power, 1st-level spell 1,000 gp
Phylactery of faithfulness 1,000 gp
Salve of slipperiness 1,000 gp
Elixir of fire breath 1,100 gp
Pipes of the sewers 1,150 gp
Dust of illusion 1,200 gp
Brooch of shielding 1,500 gp
Necklace of fireballs type I 1,650 gp
Dust of appearance 1,800 gp
Hat of disguise 1,800 gp
Pipes of sounding 1,800 gp
Amulet of natural armor +1 2,000 gp
Horn of fog 2,000 gp
Robe of bones 2,400 gp
Sovereign glue 2,400 gp
Boots of elvenkind 2,500 gp
Boots of the winterlands 2,500 gp
Candle of truth 2,500 gp
Cloak of elvenkind 2,500 gp
Scarab, golembane 2,500 gp
Necklace of fireballs type II 2,700 gp
Stone of alarm 2,700 gp
Bag of tricks, rust 3,000 gp
Chime of opening 3,000 gp
Horseshoes of speed 3,000 gp
Rope of climbing 3,000 gp
Dust of disappearance 3,500 gp
Lens of detection 3,500 gp 57
Bracers of armor +2 4,000 gp
Cloak of resistance +2 4,000 gp
Gloves of arrow snaring 4,000 gp \
Restorative ointment 4,000 gp 68
Pearl of power, 2nd-level spell 4,000 gp
Circlet of persuasion 4,500 gp 7
Slippers of spider climbing 4,800 gp
Bracers of archery, lesser 5,000 gp
Helm of comprehend languages and read magic 5,200 gp
Vest of escape 5,200 gp
Eversmoking bottle 5,400 gp
Sustaining spoon 5,400 gp
Boots of striding and springing 5,500 gp
Wind fan 5,500 gp
Amulet of mighty fists +1 6,000 gp
Horseshoes of a zephyr 6,000 gp
Pipes of haunting 6,000 gp
Gloves of swimming and climbing 6,250 gp
Circlet of blasting, minor 6,480 gp
Horn of goodness/evil 6,500 gp
Bottle of air 7,250 gp
Periapt of health


Medium Items
Bracers or armor +3
Amulet of NAC +2
Boots of haste
Cloak of Arcadia
Minor cloak of displacement

Even though they aren't available by the rules (caster level 8th (would be possible with artificier actually)), I'd allow the stat boosters (gauntlet of ogre power, gloves of dex, cloak of cha and so forth), but only the +2 version of them... Seems fair as the spells creating those items are 2nd level...

I must confess that while I love the idea of a breakpoint (after all d20 puts it at 20th level), I have real issues with the breakpoint being at 6th level. Looking at the base character classes, so many of them define themselves over 3-6 levels. Fighter gets Specialisation at 4th level, Knight gets his Challenge ability at 4th level, Druid gets Wildshape at 5th level, rogue... well you get the drift. This makes it exceedingly difficult under E6 to make decent multiclass characters. Putting a breakpoint at 8th or even 10th level (with a maximum of 3rd or 4th level spells) would make much more sense to me, allowing players to have an X3 / Y5 or A4/B4. Now, I'm fully aware that this is entirely a personal preference, but I would urge rycanada to give some consideration to this and to how to adapt his system to this.

Secondly, and I appreciate that this is from a Powergamer / Mechanic POV but I think it's worth addressing, the ethos behind E6 seems to me to entirely obviate the fighter class as a PC class for a longer-term campaign, and obviate more than dipping into most full BAB classes. Why should a player care about feats when she can take them later? It's special abilities that count. Why take more than 2 levels of Barbarian? Why take more than 2 levels of Ranger? Why take more than 2 levels of Monk, even? Only spellcasters won't dip. Take a 6th level Cleric. Two Toughness feats and he's now got the HP equivalent of a fighter. Not that he needs them because he can take Item Creation feats and make himself magic items (+2 armour, +2 weapons) where the non-spellcaster cannot.

You can get them with the Item Creation class ability of the Artificer, which you could allow as a feat chain under Gestalt Theory. That'd keep to the RAW + feats that E6 encourages.

Edit: Oops, didn't realize they required CL 10. Never used them in the playtesting.

This is the reason why I'm remaking my classes to be balanced towards this kind of campaign. Who would take level 5-6 barbarian to get imp. uncanny dodge and trap sense +2? I know I wouldn't, picking up to levels of psion, or bard or whatever would be better... I feel that it is important that every character gains something at their "high" levels, to make it worthwhile...

Aage said:

Even though they aren't available by the rules (caster level 8th)

Click to expand...

By the rules I was using they would be allowed, every supplemental source says that caster level is not a prerequisite to creating the item, it is merely the level used if trying to dispel the item, and what you base the items saving throws on. Several items have specific caster limits listed, such as ioun stones, and many with numeric bonuses.

Even just using Core and not FAQ, sage advice, rules in Magic item Compendium - using the caster level of the item as a prerequisite is still a judgment call. (pearl of power has a caster level of 20, and the prerequisite that you have to be able to cast spells of the pearls level. This makes no sense if caster level 20 is required for all pearls)

I left off the stat boosters as a choice, regular D&D requires these items to face certain CRs - and I really appreciate the freedom from this that 6e allows. If these items are in your game they will be ubiquitous, because for their price there is nothing that gives you as powerful an advantage.

Quartz said:

I must confess that while I love the idea of a breakpoint (after all d20 puts it at 20th level), I have real issues with the breakpoint being at 6th level. Looking at the base character classes, so many of them define themselves over 3-6 levels. Fighter gets Specialisation at 4th level, Knight gets his Challenge ability at 4th level, Druid gets Wildshape at 5th level, rogue... well you get the drift. This makes it exceedingly difficult under E6 to make decent multiclass characters.

Click to expand...

Check out the gestalt approach to feats (noted in the "allowing feats") - you will probably want to use that approach if you use E6, which lets other characters pick up 6th level-equivalent abilities.

Quartz said:

"Secondly, and I appreciate that this is from a Powergamer / Mechanic POV but I think it's worth addressing, the ethos behind E6 seems to me to entirely obviate the fighter class as a PC class for a longer-term campaign, and obviate more than dipping into most full BAB classes. Why should a player care about feats when she can take them later? It's special abilities that count. Why take more than 2 levels of Barbarian? Why take more than 2 levels of Ranger? Why take more than 2 levels of Monk, even? Only spellcasters won't dip. Take a 6th level Cleric. Two Toughness feats and he's now got the HP equivalent of a fighter. Not that he needs them because he can take Item Creation feats and make himself magic items (+2 armour, +2 weapons) where the non-spellcaster cannot.

Click to expand...

The E6 answer to that is that at 6th level d20 exhibits excellent balance between the classes and between different builds (this isn't just my opinion, see threads / polls about it in the D&D rules forum). Also, with the gestalt approach to feats, everyone can eventually pick up other classes' abilities.

For more detail, check out the discussion of the fighter issue in the old E6 thread.

Here's a printable .rtf version of E6. This isn't pretty because I'm really not a layout guy.

But the price is right

rycanada said:

Extra Feats
Expanded Spell Knowledge
You learn new spell(s) whose level equals half your caster level (treating 0th level as ½). Thus, a sixth level Sorcerer could learn one 3rd level spell, one 1st and one 2nd level spells, three 1st level spells, or 6 0th-level spells.

Expanded Caster Stamina
Prerequisite: Character Level 6th
Benefit: You gain new spell slot(s) whose level equals half your caster level (treating 0th level as ½). Thus, a sixth level Wizard could gain one 3rd level slot, one 1st and one 2nd level slot, three 1st level slots, or 6 0th-level slots.

Click to expand...

Do we round up or down for characters with odd caster levels?

Also, wouldn't these feats give bards access to 3rd level spells (which they can't have at 6th level normally)? Maybe specify that characters can only take spells/slots that they already have access to?

I love the idea of the system, and am in the process of cajoling my players into giving it a try.