Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Addax May 27, 2015 15:48:52	I'm running a 5e game set in a relatively low-magic/gritty setting based off the Kingmaker adventure path mixed in with a Game of Thrones political feeling. It's been going really well so far but as the setting is based more around politics and dealing with other human opponents like knights I'm considering capping the level at 10th at least for hitpoints and after that eventually offering them the capstone abilites that they would get later on, perhaps a choice between several based on their class.    Has anyone had experience doing something similar to this? How did it go?
#2 Tempest_Stormwind May 27, 2015 16:10:10	Not for 5e, but this is basically E6 (google it) applied to 5e. Possible cutoffs should probably bd the tier transitions - so 11th rather than 10th.
#3 AaronOfBarbaria May 27, 2015 16:10:52	I don't really see how you get meaningfully more "gritty" by setting the level cap at 10 than by leaving it at 20.   Cutting the limit down to 5th? That actually adds some "grit" since it takes a lot of the "undo button" spells off the table.   However, that said, I don't think that level or character power actually plays into the equation of whether a game is gritty or not - afterall, you can have a gritty comic book with super-powered characters in it.   Gritty is just the attitude with which you approach the campaign, not a result of the mechanics.
#4 Tempest_Stormwind May 27, 2015 16:46:38	....actually, I just remembered the DMG has a variant on healing and rest durations that is designed to add grit. Basically, short rests take 8 hours, and long rests take a week; there is a slight adjustment for lower-level slot recovery (up to 5th, I believe) but that may be optional in a lower level game.
#5 Glimjack May 27, 2015 18:00:51	I can't see how 5e could lend itself to "gritty" very well, it's too high fantasy.
#6 Illithidbix May 27, 2015 18:19:46	I'm running a game with a similar concept.   But personally I would view "Gritty" as having a level cap of 3 rather than 10 myself, even level 5 characters are pretty much superhuman when compared to CR 1/8 guards and bandits. Throw XP out of the window and only level up when it feels the players have made a major accomplishment that fits your narrative.   But more than player abilities, I'd consider "gritty" is how the world is presented. - In my game the players are pretty much unique in having class abilities, magic is not a thing that almost anyone commonly encounters (despite theoretically living in an Empire ruled by a Matrilineal dynasty of "MageKaiserins"   Also, only players (and a few similarly exceptional NPCS) take full effect from healing magic. Other people might receive some benefit from healing magic, but it won't stop them dying of a gut wound.   I do also concur that D&D generally makes assumptions that players are powerful and not that suited towards gritty games as other RPGs out there.
#7 Horwath May 27, 2015 22:17:38	I would stop at level 6, as E6 rules from 3,5E.   Then just give them feats whenever you think it's time for a power boost.   with every 2 or 3 feats you can treat them as one CR higher.   you could offer to have them take some class/archetype features with that feat.   players wont have many superhuman abilities and 3rd level spells are still somewhat "normal"   and low HP still makes them very vulnerable to low level CRs   A barbarian with 20 con and Though feat will have only 89HP and that would be his only sellpoint, unless you're already in 10+added feats after lvl6.
#8 intently May 28, 2015 11:46:10	I had never heard of E6 before, but it sounds cool. The only hard thing about translating it to 5e would be coming up with a list of feats!
#9 Horwath May 28, 2015 12:14:49	intently wrote:
(Reply to #8) AaronOfBarbaria	intently wrote:
#11 Tempest_Stormwind May 28, 2015 16:56:00	Certain higher-level class features might also work, especially if they're functionally restricted by class level or some other number that'll be lower. A great example might be the barbarian's Relentless Rage - that might realistically show up as a post-cap feat, but with a 5th (say) level character's Constitution save, it won't be as potent as it would be in a normal game. (Due to the lower HP values present, though, it will show up more often.)   You'll note that something like E6 is already in 5e: the Epic Boon system works exactly like E6 does, except with the cap set at 20 and the "feats" supplied as boons. All this does is it lowers the cap and broadens the selection of "boons" to includ higher-level class features and feats (with whatever prerequisites you choose to implement).
#12 Horwath May 28, 2015 22:33:27	Yes, but in E6 you don't have a truckload of HP and reality bending spells or abilities. No mather how many feats you pile up, with limited magic items for a fighter 10 orcs will always be a challenge,
#13 Ralif_Redhammer May 29, 2015 8:27:25	I’m currently running an urban campaign with lots of intrigue, though it’s by no means gritty. One problem I encountered early on was relying on too many human enemies. There are only so many in the MM, even with adding classes and templates, it got restrictive and I worried about the fights lacking variety. So I just decided that if I want to have bugbear thugs and chuuls lurking in my city, the heck with it.   The low-magic thing could be problematic in 5e. So many of the classes have some sort of magic ability.
#14 intently Jun 01, 2015 7:56:31	AaronOfBarbaria wrote: