Rules for E6 Gestalt Game taking place in Underdark

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

I am currently planning out a E6 Game that will be set in a Underdark setting.
I am using the following rules:

E6 w/ Conviction
Gestalt
Recharge Magic (Treat character as if they can cast spells 1 higher then their actually highest possible)
Incantations
Max HP
Point Buy per E6

Psionics
Psion/Wilder Power Point pool = 1.0 * Manifester Level
All other classes Power Point pool = 0.75 * Manifester Level
Power Points from Ability Score = 0.5 * Ability Modifier
Racial Power Points = 0.5 * Racial PP description (minimum 1)
Feat Power Points = 0.5 * Feat PP description Add Fractionals

Power Recharge
Powers that have a specific recharge time spell counterpart, also incur a specific recharge time. Powers that have a general recharge time spell counterpart do not incur a recharge time. Does not resolve power recharge for powers that do not have a spell counterpart. Retains feel of Psionics PP management, while also incurring the random nature of general recharge time.

ML 1: 1d4-3* PP/round
ML 2: 1d3-2* PP/round
ML 3: 1d2-1* PP/round
ML 4: 1d2 PP/round
ML 5: 1d3 PP/round
ML 6: 1d3+1 PP/round
* minimum 0

Spell-like Abilities
Spell-like abilities recharge independently.
The recharge time is based on the sorcerer recharge magic table. Count the highest level SLA as the highest level spell.
At-Will SLAs are not affected by recharge unless they have a specific recharge time spell counterpart or have a long duration.

Feats with # per day abilities can be used once per encounter, such as Heroic Surge
Feat Ban List: Persist Spell, Persist Power, Maximize Spell, Maximize Power, Sudden Maximize, Maximize Spell-Like Ability, Heroic Surge, Devoted Tracker, Assume Supernatural Ability
Reserves of Strength does not break the Caster Level 10 limit, but can break the cap on 5dX spells, subjecting oneself to the chance of being stunned for each CL it breaks the cap by.
Arcane Preparation causes the prepared spell to trigger the longer general cooldown time, as per the prepared spell caster table.
Versatile Spellcaster triggers a double length cooldown on the spell level of the two slots consumed. Roll twice for general recharge and add the results. Must still possess two spell slots.
Extra Rage/Smite/Music/Turning/etc add only 1 additional use per encounter.

General Rules
Lesser Planetouched Races should be banned in favor of full Outsider races, due to the nature of E6's point buy & level adjustment system.
Classes with # per day abilities based on spells have 1 use and recharge based on the spell recharge rule.
Classes with # per day combat abilities can use them # per encounter. For example, Paladin 5 would be able to smite 2 times per encounter.
Turn/Rebuke Undead attempts refresh after each encounter. Turning attempts used by Divine Metamagic with specific recharge time spells refresh when the spell recharges. ex. A Chain Spell Magic Vestment will return the 4 Turns used after 6 hours.
Class Features and Feats with ( X + Ability Modifier ) per day abilities are usable ( X + Ability Modifier ) / 4 times per encounter. For example: Abrupt Jaunt,
Items with # per day uses based on spells have 1 use, and recharge as per the Recharge Magic rule for which they are based on.
Items with # per day uses not based on spells are usable once per encounter.
Items with a fixed number of charges need to be individually evaluated. For example: Belt of Battle.
Items with fixed limited number of charges, such as standard wands, are usable as normal.
Dragonpacts: As spontaneous spell slots are irrelevant, a character must expend one feat per spell/SLA in creating a Dragonpact.
Spell Recall: Pearl of Power, Chaotic Spell Recall, Spell Clutch and other such abilities that recover spell slots should instead reduce the general recharge time of a spell level by 1 round.
Use the Tome of Battle Errata. At the very least it helps resolve things like Iron Heart Surge. www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=335.msg1509


Partial BAB & Saving Throws
Partial BAB & Saving Throws, slightly modified from the UA rule. This is intended to prevent lopsided extremes from multiclassing, and also emphasizes the importance of 1st level class choice.

Good BAB level +1 point
Medium BAB level +.75 point
Poor BAB level +.50 point

Your characters 1st level character class grants a one time +2 bonus in their good saves
Good Save level +.5 point
Poor Save level + ⅓  point


Credit to Nunkuruji for a few of these.
Any suggestions for these? Any other varient rules suggested?

[Soft Insanity]

You should look at the way Incarnum/Psionic feats interact with the psionic rules.  Incarnate is a great gestalt class, that even surpasses Factotum in E6 imho.  It makes some classes do what they normally do much better.

Also, you can't make a belt of battle in E6 to my knowledge.  Items are the biggest thing for the GM to regulate in E6.  A well played Artificer can solo most encounters if there is no cap on items, and their infusions remain one of the strongest abilities in the game.  That and stealing from lists to get spells early make it the best choice imho.  I'd play an Artificer//Incarnate Azurin Human in such a game (and do in a dormant game)

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

The Belt of Battle was being used as an example. It can't normally be crafted unless by some monster with natural spellcasting that has the proper spell/feats, like a older dragon perhaps. Could be an interesting item to reward as an artifact though.

What exactly can be pulled off with Incarnum feats? Anything overly gamebreaking? I imagine that it could be strong and synergize well with other classes, but I am not sure how far it can go in that regard.

As for the Artificer, it probably would be a good idea to remove its ability to craft at its Level +2 CL. If artificer does come up I will be sure to do so. Should also probably use the crafting point variant rules to be fair though.

[Nunkuruji]

Another thing I'm going to end up implementing in my future game is going to be

1. Elimination of custom stacked magic items (note the Extra Rings may be possible, depending on how you rule prereqs)
2. Consolidated skill list as per
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=11769.0

On #1, it's questionable whether PCs will even achieve the wealth in E6 to where custom item generation becomes attractive, unless one adheres strictly to the Cost Reduction Handbook, which my PCs might. It depends on the length of the game and how generous you are I suppose.

The only custom stacked magic items I was going to allow was going to be skill points and ability points. However, I feel like consolidation and the belt of magnificence handles what I intended instead of making a custom item creation rules exception.

What an incarnum/psionic combination can pull off is basically what a CL boosting caster can do with Sudden or Metamagic Rods. Something like Overchannel/Wildsurge their ML and use Midnight Augmentation to reduce the augment cost of their Metamagic. The expectation is that with focused feat combinations, items, etc, casters/manifesters get reach 15d6+X damage potential with Empower and any per die damage additions. I haven't personally given a lot of thought to incarnum, as it has very rarely piqued my groups interest.

With Gestalt and Recharge in mind, PCs should certainly be regularly fighting encounters that are several CR above them, backed by some sane DM judgement. You'll have to gauge things throughout the life. If casters get too strong, consider throwing fiendish/celestial/etc on them for energy resist and SR. If melee is the issue, throw Roll With It x5 on them.

Dragonmarks can be Very good under these rules. I personally view it as an incentive option for being a base race. It is very easy to stack other cool abilities and ability scores playing fringe races and manipulating/optimizing the nature of E6s point buy.

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

Ya I probably wont allow for Custom Magic Items, although I dont they will be getting the gold to abuse those rules.
I was also looking into merging some skills and was probably going to go with PF skills, but that works much better.

Would capping ML/CL at 10 or so solve these issues?

[Nunkuruji]

If you scroll down to the last section of my handbook, note the CL boosters such as,

Any: Spell Thematics (+1 CL), Arcane Thesis(+2 CL)
Fire: Bloodline of fire (+2 CL), Calishite Elementalist: Fire (+1 CL), Elemental Spellcasting (+1 CL), Fiery Burst (+1 CL)

Throw in Reserves of Strength, an effective 13CL is quite possible.

I'm not sure if you can find a 3rd or less uncapped damage spell that can make use of a 17+ CL.


Basically, I was just trying to point out that 15d6+X is probably an approximate spell damage ceiling if one were to focus on damage potential.


On the melee side, one of my players came up with a Greater Psionic Weapon (4d6) + Heavy Oversized Fullblade (6d8?) weapon build that throws quite a few dice. Hits like a Big Truck. Girallon's Blessing and Greater Mighty Wallop are certainly on the table to take advantage of any of the above.

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

Ill try to keep all that in mind.
Thanks for the help.

I made a Google Docwith my rules!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SsEEMnb2Y3SUUwxhzFUs7Givn2d67DtEMM3JQMhsDH4/edit#

credit to Nunkuruji for some of the rules.

[Nunkuruji]

Keep me posted how things go. It'll be a while before my group wraps up Age of Worms and moves on to E6. Only been able to arena test thus far.

This might also be interesting to you, if you are shaping the campaign world

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=11303.0

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

So far things seemed to have gone well. A few of the players had some trouble during character creation, but thats understanable considering I have quite a few house rules and that a good chuck of them have 35+ years on me and our used to a more traditional style game.

I ended up with a Drow Druid/Summoner, Changling Ranger/Monk, High Elf Wizard/Monk, Elan Ardent/Cleric, ???(Half-Drow?) Marshal/Cleric, Half-Orc Bard/Crusader, ??? Factotum/Warblade, Half-Drow Warlock/Incarnate, and Orc Fighter/Barbarian.

The party made through the first encounter, with the monk droppingfor a few rounds. The Barbarian/Fighter got hit by a Charm Person by a Puppeter and almost one-shot the Ardent/Cleric, but then we remembered we were using Conviction and he spent a few to get a reroll so he would miss the attack. The party quickly subduded him and took out the puppeteer charming him.
Besides that it went quite smoothly.

The PP regen has not come up as an issue so far. To be fair though the only psionic character is also a cleric so he is not as reliant on his powers. We will see how they work out in the coming encounter which will have some psionics on the opposing end.

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

Nunkuruji, I would like interpritation on one of your rules.

Spell Recall: Pearl of Power, Chaotic Spell Recall, Spell Clutch and other such abilities that recover spell slots should instead reduce the general recharge time of a spell level by 1 round.

I am reading this two ways:

1) When the ability/item is activated, you reduce the spell level on cooldown by 1 round.

2) Having the ability/item reduces the cooldown for the spell level by 1 round as a constant ability.

I feel like the latter is a bit stretching it but the first also feels a bit to weak, having to sacrifice actions which may not even get the spell to return in the next round.

[Nunkuruji]

I wrote that line hastily without recalling the activation action, primarily to avoid recharging specific recharge time spells.

It is a command word standard action.

I'd suggest either

A. Recharging a general spell slot (not specific)
B. Reducing the general recharge time of a slot by 1dX rounds, likely the same roll as the recharge time for the slot. Personally I prefer the variability, which is the largest reason I ban Maximize.

Continuous is too good, but on activation you could consider it hastening recharge by 1 round for the encounter.

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

Those seem reasonable

[Nunkuruji]

I'll also note that I'm strongly leaning towards the following

All wondrous items requiring a body slot and attunement (5 minutes), also thus the cost is reduced by half for such items that were standard slotless. Pearl of Power fastened to a necklace (neck slot) or earring (face slot) for instance.

Magic mart does not sell or create custom magic items.

Custom magic items may not stack multiple effects.

Encourage use/abuse of Cost Reduction Handbook, PCs will end up with plenty of feats to do so.


My thinking is that this should still jive with the WBL table, get PCs geared cheaply enough, and yet put some caps on the breadth of magic items at their disposal for any given encounter (reduce decision paralysis)