E6: The Game Inside D&D (with PDFs!)

[Ry]

One thing I should say about E8; you'll end up sitting at the CR12+ range, I believe. That's a work-heavy range for DMs, although the slower progression after 8 would let a DM ease into it.

 

[zag01]

I would be very, very interested in hearing playtest feedback about E8, if someone runs it.

I’m interested to hear of those as well. I’d run one myself (and may one day) but alas my group just started a SECR campaign and I don’t have the time for another group/game right now.

The more I think about it the more I’m talking myself into liking the idea of E8. You get a little more into prestige classes for those that like them. Also you’re firmly entrenched in the second quartile of the game with the chance to interlope into the third. With E6 you’re really just into the second with no real shot of seeing the action of the third quartile.

I really appreciate the work you guys have done on E6. I love ideas that get me thinking.

 

[Morrius]

I'm really liking this idea. I think it'll mesh well with a low-magic campaign world I have in mind. Are you constantly updating the list of new feats in the PDF and RTF files?

As long as we're making feats from some of the cleric spells out there, you might want to add Neutralize Poison to it. It's 4th level for most casters, but 3rd level for Druids and Rangers. Of course, Rangers don't get 3rd level spells till level 11...

Arcane casters could also use a source of sonic and cold magical damage, since Cond of Cold and Shout are too high level.

 

[Dragonblade275]

E6 Neutralize Poison Feat

NEUTRALIZE POISON [DIVINE]
You detoxify any sort of venom in the creature or object touched.
Prerequisites: Wisdom 14, Heal 9 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 9 ranks, Ability to cast 3rd level divine spells
Benefit: You may prepare and cast Neutralize Poison as the spell. Neutralize Poison prepared and cast in this manner uses up two third level divine spell slots.
Normal: Only Druids can normally cast Neutralize Poison as a third level divine spell.
Special: Spontaneous casters need not prepare Neutralize Poison. Rather, they cast it as they would any other divine spell (except that two third level divine spell slots are used).
Some casters may use Charisma, instead of Wisdom, for the pre-requisite at the GM's discretion.
This spell may be cast with a casting time of 1 minute (instead of 1 standard action) at the cost of one third level divine spell slot (instead of two)​

 

[Kunimatyu]

::shrug:: With the Heal skill and Lesser Restoration, I'm not sure how big a deal Poison is to begin with. Still, having the feat can't hurt, though I don't expect anyone to use it.

 

[Dragonblade275]

The thing I like about Neutralize Poison is that it protects from poison for the duration of the spell. Very useful if going into a fight against poisonous or poison using opponents.

 

[Kunimatyu]

The thing I like about Neutralize Poison is that it protects from poison for the duration of the spell. Very useful if going into a fight against poisonous or poison using opponents.

Sure, but chugging a flask of antitoxin provides most of the same benefits for a fraction of the cost. If you're a melee type in E6, you've probably got a +5 base Fortitude +3 Con + 2 cloak of resistance +5 antitoxin, for a +15 versus poison. Those are pretty good odds!

EDIT: Oh, and Delay Poison will keep you functionally immune to poison for 6 hours, which is probably long enough to confront whatever it is you're dealing with.

 

[Dragonblade275]

Good points.

But, I can see a sixth level cleric wanting access to it (whether it makes sense or not from a metagame perspective). The fact that some might not want the feat probably indicates that it'd be balanced (as they say that if everyone wants it, it's too good).

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

One thing I've been thinking about, no less from the apparent lack of E6 character examples in the 'optimizing E6 campaigns' thread and Rya's comment about stat blocks not being fun.

Is there a better way to list E6 charaters? I mean, instead of writing weapon focus, greater weapon focus and power attack, cleave, great cleave - would it be better just to write greater weapon focus and great cleave. The prereq feats are included since you must have them, but their benefits are included in the better feats anyway. Same way, write Extra Spell Known 1st lvl x 3, 2nd lvl x 2) etc.

Of course, in some cases it does require a certain knowledge of prereq feats, but IMO since you don't use those feats anyway, I think the problem will be small.

 

[Khuxan]

One thing I've been thinking about, no less from the apparent lack of E6 character examples in the 'optimizing E6 campaigns' thread and Rya's comment about stat blocks not being fun.

Is there a better way to list E6 charaters? I mean, instead of writing weapon focus, greater weapon focus and power attack, cleave, great cleave - would it be better just to write greater weapon focus and great cleave. The prereq feats are included since you must have them, but their benefits are included in the better feats anyway. Same way, write Extra Spell Known 1st lvl x 3, 2nd lvl x 2) etc.

Of course, in some cases it does require a certain knowledge of prereq feats, but IMO since you don't use those feats anyway, I think the problem will be small.

I don't like this idea at all. I've no objection to listing "useless" feats in a different place, or in brackets behind the relevant feats - but not listing Weapon Focus is just asking for someone to mistakenly assume 1) Greater Weapon Focus is a typo and should be Weapon Focus or 2) the character is owed an extra feat, since it should have more feats than are listed.

Something like Greater Weapon Focus (Weapon Focus) is fine by me.

EDIT: Also, I'm blocking out a new campaign using E6 and the reward, threat, resource and problem system rycanada describes in another thread. I thought, since it's relevant, I'd share the first (and at this point ony) page of a DM's aid I've been writing up. Lienars are centaurs, with a different name and no alignment (I don't play with it). Check it out!