E6 (3.5e Sourcebook)/Benefits of E6


 * 1) Very fast play at every level of the campaign.
 * 2) Focus on planning, not leveling. To defeat the black dragon Zolanderos, the CR 10 terror of Staunwark Island, the heroes will need help, special resources, and information.  I want to further encourage party-directed adventuring, and if the heroes want to take on something 4 to 6 CR above them, then that’s what they will require.
 * 3) A low magic game that everyone knows how to play.
 * 4) Never a need for meaningless encounters. The players can be involved in a dozen or so major combat scenarios (perhaps more than one encounter each) and have proven themselves and made a major accomplishment. See Lord of the Rings movies, or most fantasy novels.
 * 5) Classic monsters stay classic throughout the campaign; Chimeras and Aboleths start scary, and stay scary. Dragons are always exciting encounters.
 * 6) Even legendary heroes remain mortal; while a 6th level fighter who has taken toughness several times can take on a good mob, he isn’t invulnerable. The sorcerer’s 6d6 fireballs are phenomenal, but not so powerful that he can destroy a village and not fear retaliation.
 * 7) Quicker prep. Make a 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th version of a sorcerer, and now you have a whole sorcerous dragon-cult that can last you through your whole campaign.
 * 8) You can put what you’ve learned of the rules to good use. It’s hard to know every 4th through 9th level spell out there; they’re the ones we see the least. But we’ve seen 0th through 3rd level spells many, many times, and mastery over them is relatively simple.
 * 9) E6 is a great system for on the fly GMing. If you’re reasonably familiar with what a 2nd level threat looks like, power-wise, you can probably get away with running it without stats handy.