Character progression from level 1 to level 6 is as per the World’s Most Popular Roleplaying Game. Upon attaining 6th level, for each 5000 experience a character
gains, they earn a new feat. A diverse selection of feats should be made available
in any E6 campaign, however, feats with unattainable prerequisites under this
system remain unattainable. For the purpose of experience awards, treat each 5 feats as +1 CR (or level), to an upper limit of 20 feats. After this, a ratio of 10 feats to 1 CR can be used, as it becomes more and more difficult to bring all a character’s feats to bear in a given situation. Alternatively, and at the GM’s option, player-characters with more than 20 feats can simply be always treated as if they were level 10 for experience and challenge purposes.
FOR THE GM
E6 isn’t just a change for the players: Monsters are presented differently than
in d20. Just as level 6 parties in the World’s Most Popular Roleplaying Game
aren’t expected to tangle with monsters higher than CR 10, the mighty monsters of E6 require special consideration for presentation in-game. E6 characters aren’t intended to go up against high-level threats under the same circumstances as
high-level characters; those creatures, if they can be defeated at all, require the
kind of resources and planning far beyond the typical encounter.
In terms of raw rules, CR 7-10 monsters are an excellent guide for what E6
characters can handle. As they rise to around the 20-feat range, the range is
more like 7-12. Beyond that, a DM should take monsters in the CR 7-12 range and
use feats (and to a lesser extent templates) to advance them. Hit die or class-based
advancement beyond CR 12, or base monsters above CR 12 should generally be
avoided as straight-up fights. Of course, not every monstrous encounter
is a straight-up fight. For example, insane horrors from another age might be a reason to run, and there is little a character could do in the face of an angry Titan. But these situations don’t call for direct confrontation, except with some special resource or amazing circumstance. Perhaps, in a special ritual with the presence of 20 mages, a Titan can be bound to the mortal realm (lowering its stats to an Aspect of Kord), with whom the players can do battle. Again, that’s far from a straight-up fight with a CR 20
creature, but we can console ourselves with the fact that it’s probably a very
memorable encounter. If, as a result of the restrictions on items, an item cannot be created, then it should not be distributed as normal treasure. Like high-level monsters, such items should be placed carefully and built to make sense in the context of your game. For example,a +4 sword can’t be made by a human wizard, but it could be crafted by a Titan (which makes for great god-stats). That’s a sword that no mortal can make.
E6 will always inherit d20’s balance issues at the same level, especially issues that result from scenarios where characters have long periods of downtime. The best approach is to be cognizant of these issues when considering what feats to allow in your E6 game.
ON ALLOWING FEATS
There are 3 philosophies on what feats to allow in an E6 game, each more generous than the last:
1) The Cautious Approach
2) The Gestalt Approach
3) The Lean Upward Approach
The Cautious Approach is exactly what it sounds like – a GM chooses what feats to allow in his E6 game very, very carefully. This GM does not make exceptions or new feats to accommodate players chaacter concepts - he chooses what feats to allow and the players agree to work within that framework.
The Gestalt Approach dictates that if an ability can be learned under 6th level, then it’s learnable via some chain of feats. The Gestalt Approach usually means all WotC sources are available, as well as a few extra feats to provide ways to learn class features. These can be done on an ad-hoc basis for a given player or they can be gathered from sources like the Book of Unusual Feats. The Gestalt theory is the one used in playtesting.
The Lean Upward Approach looks at the Gestalt Approach and says “6th level plus many feats is clearly more powerful than 6th level. Thus, it won’t be game-breaking to allow feat chains that bring characters from 6th level to 8th level, although this progression should be quite slow.” GMs who like the Lean Upward approach might have feats to bring BAB to +8, or to gain 4th level spells, or 8th level class features, additional hit dice, and so on.
E6 Feats
* General Feats *
Ability Advancement [Combat]You've spent time perfecting one of your abilities.
Benefit: Choose one Ability Score; you gain a permanent +1 bonus to that ability score.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, however, it may only be taken twice for each ability score.
Combat Training [Combat]Frequent and focused combat training have increased your battle prowess
Benefit: Your Base Attack Bonus increases by 1.
Special: You may only take this feat twice.
Expansive SkillBenefit: Upon taking this feat you acquire 4 skill ranks.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times.
Skill Beyond Your YearsPrerequisite: Level 6
Benefit: Upon taking this feat you select a skill. Your max ranks with the chosen skill rise from 6 to 8.
* Caster Feats *
Caster TrainingPrerequisite: Character level 6, Ability to cast Arcane or Divine spells.
Benefit: Choose a spell casting class that you have, your effective caster level for that class becomes equal to your total hitdice +2. This does not grant you additional spells or slots.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, however, you are required to choose a class with which you have not taken this feat.
Expanded Spell RepertoirePrerequisite: Ability to spontaneously cast spells.
Benefit: Choose a spontaneous spellcasting class in which you can cast spells. You gain an additional spell known for each level of spell that you can cast.
Expanded CastingPrerequisite: Character Level 6th
Benefit: Choose a spellcasting class in which you have levels. You gain an additional spell slot at any level you can already cast. This feat may be taken multiple times.
School SpecialistPrerequisite: Wizard 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 6 ranks
Benefit: You gain the eighth level specialist power from your chosen school. If you have chosen the Abjuration School, you instead increase your Resistance ability from 5 to 10.
Awakened BloodlinePrerequisite: Sorcerer 6
Benefit: You gain your bloodline's bonus 3rd level spell, and its 9th level granted bloodline power.
Ritual MagicYou've become adept at cooperating with other casters to call upon higher magics.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast third level spells; Spellcraft 6 ranks; Skill Focus: Spellcraft, Spell Casting Ability Score of 15 or higher.
Benefit: Two or more spell casters of the same type (Divine or Arcane) who each have the Ritual Magic feat may work together in an elaborate ritual to invoke 4th, 5th, and 6th level spell effects.
Each person may only begin one ritual per day, though they may assist with any number of other rituals.
A Ritual Spell takes a base of one hour to perform. Each additional caster involved in the ritual beyond the first two reduces its casting time by 20 minutes to a minimum casting time of 10 minutes with 5 participants.
Special: The spells which may be called upon are chosen by the GM.
* Fighter Feats *
Martial Veteran [Combat]Prerequisite: Fighter 6
Benefit: Upon taking this feat you are treated as having fighter level 8, and Base Attack Bonus of minimum 8 for the purpose of selecting feats. In addition when using the Power Attack or Combat Expertise feat you are treated as having a Base Attack Bonus minimum 8.
Special: Your base attack bonus benefits from feats such as Combat Training. Thus it would be 9 if you have 1 rank of Combat Training.
Master Combatant [Combat]Mastery of your craft has increased the effectiveness of your fighter special abilities.
Prereq: Fighter 6
Benefit: You acquire Armor Training 2, and your Bravery increases to +3. You may also choose a second group of weapons with which to gain the Weapon Training Bonus, however, your bonus does not increase.
* Barbarian Feats *
Focus Your RagePrerequisite: Barbarian 6
Benefit: You may select an additional Rage Power with a level requirement up to 8th level.
Special: You may select this feat twice.
Barbaric ResiliencePrerequisite: Barbarian 6
Benefit: You gain DR 1/--
Special: You may take this feat a second time, improving your DR from 1 to 2.
* Druid Feats *
Extra Wild ShapePrerequisite: Wild Shape Class Feature
Benefit: You may Wild Shape one additional time each day.
Special: You may select this feat twice.
Plant ShapingPrereq: Druid 6, Knowledge (Nature) 6 ranks
Benefit: You may use Plant Shape I through your Wild Shape Class Feature.
Improved Elemental FormPrerequisite: Druid 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 6 ranks
Benefit: You may use Elemental Body II through your Wild Shape Class Feature.
* Ranger Feats *
Extra Favored TerrainPrerequisite: Ranger 3
Benefit: You may select a second Favored Terrain, but your terrain bonuses do not improve.
Step of the Wild LandsPrerequisite: Ranger 6, Survival 6 ranks
Benefit: You gain the Woodland Stride, Swift Tracker and Camouflage class abilities.
* Rogue Feats *
Extra Rogue TalentPrerequisite: Rogue 6
Benefit: You learn one Rogue Talent of your choice.
Special: You may take this feat a second time to learn one additional rogue talent of up to Advanced Talent level.
Improved Uncanny DodgePrerequisite: Rogue 6
Benefit: You gain the 8th level Improved Uncanny Dodge Rogue ability.
* Cleric Feats *
Divine ChannelingPrerequisite: Cleric 6
Benefit: Increase your channel energy dice from 3d6 to 5d6.
* Paladin Feats *
Aura of ResolvePrerequisite: Paladin 6
Benefit: You gain the 8th level Aura of Resolve ability.
Divine AimPrerequisite: Paladin 6
Benefit: Your weapons are treated as good-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Divine MightPrerequisite: Paladin 6
Benefit: Your Smite Evil increases by 1 use per day.
Special: You may take this feat twice.
* Monk Feats *
Excelling FlurryPrerequisite: Monk 6
Benefit: You use Flurry of Blows with no penalty to your attack bonus.
Flow Like WaterPrereq: Monk 6, Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility
Benefit: Your Monk AC Bonus increases to +2.
Enlightened SpiritThe order of the universe flows through your mastery of ki
Prerequisite: Monk 6
Benefit: You gain the Ki Pool (lawful) benefit.
Enlightened BodyPrerequisite: Monk 6
Benefit: Your gain the Wholeness of Body Monk ability and your Slow Fall increases to 40ft.
Enlightened FistPrerequisite: Monk 6
Benefit: Your unarmed strike damage increases by one step.
* Bard Feats *
Dirge of DoomPrerequisite: Bard 6
Benefit: You gain access to the Bard Song ability Dirge of Doom.
Experienced PerformerPrerequisite: Bard 6, Perform (any) 6 ranks
Benefit: You may start a bardic performance as a move action instead of a standard action.
Master PerformerPrerequisite: Bard 6, Perform (any) 6 ranks, Experienced Performer, Skill Focus: Perform (any)
Benefit: You may start a bardic performance as a swift action.
Lingering SongYour inspirational bardic music stays with the listeners even after the last note has died away.
Prerequisite: Bardic Music
Benefit: If you use Bardic Music to Inspire Courage or Inspire Competence, the effect lasts for a number of additional rounds equal to the number of rounds that your performance lasted.
