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

[Ry]

Dogs in the Vineyard is an RPG where the players take the roles of holy men / cowboys in a setting that riffs off of pre-statehood Mormon Utah. The thing has had excellent reviews, it's one of these indie RPGs that's very, very tightly written around its premise.

 

[TwoSix]

Uh... I have no idea what that means.

Anyway, random thought... this system would be just about perfect for Eberron. One of the main ideas is that anything above level 5 is very rare, right? I've always thought that the PC's being so much higher level than anybody else kinda ruins that effect, especially since once you have to start creating higher-level threats, that whole idea falls flat.

With E6, nobody anywhere is above level six, without being monstrous in some way. So, it really enforces the idea of incredibly power being incredibly rare. And those big beasties in Eberron that are supposed to scare the crap out of everyone? Well, they really do, now.

I don't like running other peoples' settings (I got Eberron for material to steal...), but I still think E6 would be great for those who do run it.

I made a post about that same idea on Wizard's site...some people agree, some don't.

 

[Ry]

E6 was crossposted to WotC forums? After what happened at GiantITP and therpgsite, I'm afraid to look ...

 

[DogBackward]

Well... now I wanna see what happened on the giant forums...

 

[Ry]

It wasn't as bad, but it was still a good example of why you need the whole E6 explanation and not just.

"Hey, what if after 6th level, you stopped levelling, and just got feats? Sounds cool, right?"

"Right?"

 

[TwoSix]

E6 was crossposted to WotC forums? After what happened at GiantITP and therpgsite, I'm afraid to look ...

Well, I posted it on the Eberron forums, because I'm particularly in using E6 to run Eberron. It didn't generate a whole lot of interest, sadly. I'm way too afraid to post it on a heavily trafficed spot like the Classes forum.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Well, I posted it on the Eberron forums, because I'm particularly in using E6 to run Eberron. It didn't generate a whole lot of interest, sadly. I'm way too afraid to post it on a heavily trafficed spot like the Classes forum.

Well, from my point of view, E6 is a pretty good fit for Eberron, especially because the Eldritch Machines, Creation Forges, Schemas and Artifact spells offer a way to introduce "high-powered" stuff even on lower levels.

(personally, though, I prefer E7 in combination with Arcana Evolved, therefore I've never really posted here - in AE, at least IMO, 7th level is a better breaking point, because 4th level spells there are a bit weaker than in D&D, the half-casters get there "0"-entry for 3rd level spells, the absence of sorcerers, and it is the last level before the second attack for 3/4-BABs (so full BAB remains special, unlike E8), and all classes, except Warmains, get a cool goody on 7th).

 

[joela]

E6 Midnight

Well, from my point of view, E6 is a pretty good fit for Eberron

I'll have to check my books, but E6 may be useful for an alternative Midnight campaign. I mean, E6 was partially developed with LoTR in mind (e.g., Gandalf as a 6th level wizard, 5th level Aragorn, etc.)

Hmmm. 3rd level DnD spells may be too powerful even for that campaign, never mind the "weak" Cure Light Wound spell !

 

[TwoSix]

Well, from my point of view, E6 is a pretty good fit for Eberron, especially because the Eldritch Machines, Creation Forges, Schemas and Artifact spells offer a way to introduce "high-powered" stuff even on lower levels.

(personally, though, I prefer E7 in combination with Arcana Evolved, therefore I've never really posted here - in AE, at least IMO, 7th level is a better breaking point, because 4th level spells there are a bit weaker than in D&D, the half-casters get there "0"-entry for 3rd level spells, the absence of sorcerers, and it is the last level before the second attack for 3/4-BABs (so full BAB remains special, unlike E8), and all classes, except Warmains, get a cool goody on 7th).

Exactly...Eberron has powerful magic, but I don't think it needs to be right in the spellbook or spells known of a PC. Magic in Eberron should be a function of time and resources, not individual power. Plus, once I houserule dragonmarks to make them accessible, dragonmarks become really strong choices for PCs, since they might be the only way to cast certain 4th and 5th level spells, and shows why the Dragonmarked Houses are so dominant.

E7 sounds really good for all the reasons you mentioned...the only reason I wouldn't do it in Eberron D&D is the 4th level spells, which are so strong! AE is a much better fit for that.

 

[Nifelhein]

I'll have to check my books, but E6 may be useful for an alternative Midnight campaign. I mean, E6 was partially developed with LoTR in mind (e.g., Gandalf as a 6th level wizard, 5th level Aragorn, etc.)

Hmmm. 3rd level DnD spells may be too powerful even for that campaign, never mind the "weak" Cure Light Wound spell !

Are you kidding? From Against the Shadow, "the" Midnight fansite: Midnight E6 and Mn6 Variant Classes (E6 applied to Midnight, compacting classes to make them balanced with only 6 levels.