Epic Meepo
Hero
Inspired by the E6 rules posted on this forum by Ryan Stoughton.
Playtesting is currently underway; expect ongoing improvements and clarifications.
The goal of Basic20 is to simplify high-level play by limiting access to complicated high-level abilities. In particular, Basic20 targets large numbers of attacks per round and high-level spells as problems that regularly slow down or unbalance the game. Basic20 also strives to preserve the feel of low-level play by limiting the power gap between low-level and high-level characters.
Basic Rules
Basic20 is a template that can be applied to the standard third edition rules. Except where noted below, Basic20 leaves all of the standard third edition rules in place.
~ Class Levels: The maximum level in any class is 10th; higher class levels don’t exist. In addition, starting at character level 10th, a character no longer gains Hit Dice, skill points, or feats (other than class bonus feats); a character’s base attack bonus and base saving throw bonuses remain fixed at their current values, regardless of any additional class levels gained.
~ Multiclassing: A character cannot take levels in a new class unless he has already reached 3rd level in each class to which he already belongs. In exchange for this limitation, characters ignore the normal experience point penalties for multiclassing.
~ Challenge Ratings: Because high-level characters are weaker than normal in a Basic20 game, the Challenge Rating of each monster or trap should be increased by two for every point by which it normally exceeds CR 10.
Expert Rules
The only rules required by Basic20 are described above. The following are several optional rules that can be implemented to further simplify the game on all levels of play.
~ Fixed Ability Scores: Ability scores do not increase with level. Drop all spells, items, and other effects that provide enhancement bonuses or inherent bonuses to one or more ability scores. Other effects that modify ability scores (ability damage, fatigue, etc.) still exist.
~ Reduced Level Adjustments: During character creation, a character belonging to a race that normally has a level adjustment of +1 or greater may choose to reduce that level adjustment by 1; in exchange, that character forfeits the feat he would normally gain at character level 1st.
~ Simplified Combat: Ignore the rules for attacks of opportunity and critical hits. Weapons with non-standard critical threat ranges or non-standard critical hit multipliers each deal damage as though they were one size category larger than normal.
~ Simplified Magic: Drop all spells, items, and psionic powers that change a creature’s size category or creature type. Drop all spells and psionic powers that have costly focus components, costly material components, or experience point costs.
~ Simplified Skills: Characters gain no skill points. Instead, on each of the first ten character levels, a character’s rank in each skill is increased to his maximum allowed rank in that skill minus three (minimum 0). Ignore all synergy bonuses to skill checks.
Companion Rules
The following optional rule gives high-level characters more to do than simply accumulate numerical bonuses and laundry lists of new feats and spells.
~ Name Level: Character level 10th is referred to as name level. Any name-level character that builds a stronghold automatically gains followers as though he had the Leadership feat. He does not also gain a cohort unless he has actually selected that feat.
Playtesting is currently underway; expect ongoing improvements and clarifications.
The goal of Basic20 is to simplify high-level play by limiting access to complicated high-level abilities. In particular, Basic20 targets large numbers of attacks per round and high-level spells as problems that regularly slow down or unbalance the game. Basic20 also strives to preserve the feel of low-level play by limiting the power gap between low-level and high-level characters.
Basic Rules
Basic20 is a template that can be applied to the standard third edition rules. Except where noted below, Basic20 leaves all of the standard third edition rules in place.
~ Class Levels: The maximum level in any class is 10th; higher class levels don’t exist. In addition, starting at character level 10th, a character no longer gains Hit Dice, skill points, or feats (other than class bonus feats); a character’s base attack bonus and base saving throw bonuses remain fixed at their current values, regardless of any additional class levels gained.
~ Multiclassing: A character cannot take levels in a new class unless he has already reached 3rd level in each class to which he already belongs. In exchange for this limitation, characters ignore the normal experience point penalties for multiclassing.
~ Challenge Ratings: Because high-level characters are weaker than normal in a Basic20 game, the Challenge Rating of each monster or trap should be increased by two for every point by which it normally exceeds CR 10.
Expert Rules
The only rules required by Basic20 are described above. The following are several optional rules that can be implemented to further simplify the game on all levels of play.
~ Fixed Ability Scores: Ability scores do not increase with level. Drop all spells, items, and other effects that provide enhancement bonuses or inherent bonuses to one or more ability scores. Other effects that modify ability scores (ability damage, fatigue, etc.) still exist.
~ Reduced Level Adjustments: During character creation, a character belonging to a race that normally has a level adjustment of +1 or greater may choose to reduce that level adjustment by 1; in exchange, that character forfeits the feat he would normally gain at character level 1st.
~ Simplified Combat: Ignore the rules for attacks of opportunity and critical hits. Weapons with non-standard critical threat ranges or non-standard critical hit multipliers each deal damage as though they were one size category larger than normal.
~ Simplified Magic: Drop all spells, items, and psionic powers that change a creature’s size category or creature type. Drop all spells and psionic powers that have costly focus components, costly material components, or experience point costs.
~ Simplified Skills: Characters gain no skill points. Instead, on each of the first ten character levels, a character’s rank in each skill is increased to his maximum allowed rank in that skill minus three (minimum 0). Ignore all synergy bonuses to skill checks.
Companion Rules
The following optional rule gives high-level characters more to do than simply accumulate numerical bonuses and laundry lists of new feats and spells.
~ Name Level: Character level 10th is referred to as name level. Any name-level character that builds a stronghold automatically gains followers as though he had the Leadership feat. He does not also gain a cohort unless he has actually selected that feat.
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