X-20/E6 - A new way of d20 (Core Classs Added, Feedback Needed).

[sparkletwist]

I guess that makes me a grognard - a title I'll wear with pride.

I don't know. I think you'll have to be a lot more familiar with AD&D before you can make such a claim. :D

Gaining such familiarity might be fun and inspirational-- you seemed pretty fond of the whole stronghold thing, so there might be a bunch of other stuff in AD&D that you might find interesting, too. Personally, back when I played AD&D, I had some vague recollections of the whole system of establishing strongholds and whatever, but I was young and simple and didn't really use any of those rules. It is a pretty interesting mechanic for a deeper game, though, particularly one that is going to try to create the feeling of actually living in this society instead of just traveling around and killing people and taking their stuff. I admit, I have a feeling a lot of players were like me, which is why they took out a lot of AD&D craziness and 3rd Edition ended up the way it did.

I alos love having players advance at differing rates...healthy competition is a wonderful thing.

I'm not going to derail Xathan's thread with a long rant on why I think this is a terrible idea.  :dead:

[Xathan]

Also, and sorry for making this a separate post but I don't want this to get lost in previous post, I'd really like some specific class feedback as opposed to just overall system feedback - the current build for overall system is something I'm going to stick with until I do some playtesting, and while feedback for post playtesting is greatly appreciated and I still do want it, some class feedback is needed right now. :)

[Xathan]

I guess that makes me a grognard - a title I'll wear with pride.

I don't know. I think you'll have to be a lot more familiar with AD&D before you can make such a claim. :D

Gaining such familiarity might be fun and inspirational-- you seemed pretty fond of the whole stronghold thing, so there might be a bunch of other stuff in AD&D that you might find interesting, too. Personally, back when I played AD&D, I had some vague recollections of the whole system of establishing strongholds and whatever, but I was young and simple and didn't really use any of those rules. It is a pretty interesting mechanic for a deeper game, though, particularly one that is going to try to create the feeling of actually living in this society instead of just traveling around and killing people and taking their stuff. I admit, I have a feeling a lot of players were like me, which is why they took out a lot of AD&D craziness and 3rd Edition ended up the way it did.

Heh, I guess you're right - but familiarity with AD&D is something I'm going to gain. If nothing else, stuff like strongholds and all that can be included as optional rules as opposed to built in ones, since they were probably removed from core rules for a reason - something I'll have to consider strongly when I look more at how AD&D worked that and if I want such a thing to be built into class, an option for some classes, or something the DM can chose to make an option without it being built in. (Which might be a bit, since I left my borrowed AD&D books at the house of the person I borrowed them from. :P)

I alos love having players advance at differing rates...healthy competition is a wonderful thing.

I'm not going to derail Xathan's thread with a long rant on why I think this is a terrible idea.  :dead:

[/quote]

On this one I'm going to have to agree with Sparkle - healthy competition is good, but players feeling left behind or frustrated trying to catch up is bad, and I have trouble seeing how this could result in anything but that - though discussing this further would be a matter I'd be willing to attempt to see if my mind can be changed (unlikely but always possible) but as sparkle mentioned, would appreciate happening in another thread. :)

[Matt Larkin (author)]

LV, that's true, I was lumping, AD&D, basic, and AD&D 2nd ed into one category for the sake of brevity, much the same as I didn't breakdown the various iterations of 3.X or 4th/Essentials/etc. I can appreciate why you want to include them, though.

My statement applies on 2nd ed AD&D applies as a blanket to all of them. I think they were (or would have been, never played OD&D or basic) fun, but only because roleplaying is fun. I think the rules themselves were poorly designed by modern standards, and acceptable at the time only as a bridge between war games and because nobody had anything better.

Heh, I guess you're right - but familiarity with AD&D is something I'm going to gain. If nothing else, stuff like strongholds and all that can be included as optional rules as opposed to built in ones, since they were probably removed from core rules for a reason - something I'll have to consider strongly when I look more at how AD&D worked that and if I want such a thing to be built into class, an option for some classes, or something the DM can chose to make an option without it being built in. (Which might be a bit, since I left my borrowed AD&D books at the house of the person I borrowed them from. )

(Emphasis mine.)

Yeah. A lot of AD&D was striped for various reasons, including accessibility to new players, balance, and simplicity.

And owning strongholds, etc. can be fun, but only in certain styles of play. Which is why they make better optional rules than balancing factors built into the system itself.

[LordVreeg]

@phoenix
The rules were changed for a few reasons, but I agree strongly with your last statement.
I wrote up a template for how I would do 5e, and optional rules that allow you to actually place more emphasis on the rules you want, thus changing the rules to match the focus of the particular game the GM wants to play, were part of it.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

@phoenix
The rules were changed for a few reasons, but I agree strongly with your last statement.
I wrote up a template for how I would do 5e, and optional rules that allow you to actually place more emphasis on the rules you want, thus changing the rules to match the focus of the particular game the GM wants to play, were part of it.

And I think that's the kind of thing we need more.

[Xathan]

Vreeg and Phoenix, I do agree with the optional rules for those kind of things - and after I post the sorcerer I'm going to get together my ideas for post 6 advancement, and include details for optional rules like strongholds and such. :) thanks for the ideas...and curse you both for giving me more to think of. :P

[Xathan]

Sorcerer

HD: 3+d3
Skills: 2+Int/Level
The sorcerer's class skills are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

BAB: 
+1 per level. The Sorcerer does not gain iterative attacks.

Class Features:
Cantrips, Arcane Bond, Bloodline
Bonus Metamagic Feat
Bloodline Ability
Bonus Metamagic Feat
Bloodline Ability
Bloodline Apotheosis, Bonus Metamagic Feat

Spells Per Day:

1	2	3	4	5	6
4	-	-	-	-	-
5	4	-	-	-	-
6	5	4	-	-	-
6	6	5	4	-	-
6	6	6	5	4	-
6	6	6	6	6	4

Spells Known

0	1	2	3	4	5	6
4	2	-	-	-	-	-
5	3	2	-	-	-	-
6	4	3	2	-	-	-
7	4	4	3	2	-	-
8	4	4	4	3	2	-
9	4	4	4	4	4	3

*Note that there are no actual spells above level 4. Levels 5-6 are for spells known with metamagic feats already applied, or learning lower level spells in a higher slot.

Bloodlines:
Aberrant:
 +50% duration to polymorph spells, Summoned creatures gain the unnatural template.
1 - Acidic Spit (su): 1d6+charisma damage, usable at will, 30 foot range.
3 - Tentacles (ex): Sprout two tentacles from shoulders with a 10 ft reach, primary natural attacks that deal 1d4+str damage, can be retracted or extended at will allowing them to be hidden. Tentacles do not chance the sorcerer's threatened area. 
5: Weird Anatomy (ex): 50% chance for a critical hit or sneak attack to have no effect, +2 to fortitude saves.
Apotheosis: Spell Resistance 15, Blindsight 60 feet, Tentacle reach becomes 15 feet, gains Improved Grab when using tentacles. 

Fiendish:
+50% duration of summoned fiends.
1: Claws: Sprout at will, 2 primary natural attacks that do 1d4+str damage. 
3: Resist 5 both Fire and Acid, Gain +2 to saves vs. posion.
5: Perfect Darkvision (Can see even in magical darkness) 60 feet, Can sprout wings to gain a fly speed of 30ft with average manuverability at will.
Apotheosis: Telepathy to 100 feet, Fast Healing 2, when summoning a fiendish creature or evil outsider summons one additional one, claw damage increases by one step.

Aquatic:
+1 to save DC of spells with the Water or Cold descriptor/damage, summoned creatures have aquatic template.
1: Steal Heat: Touch deals 1d6+Cha damage, heals the sorcerer for half the damage dealt, usable at will.
3: Gain swim speed at same speed as land speed, gain aquatic and amphibious subtypes, absorb cold 5 (if hit by cold damage, convert up to 5 of the damage dealt into temporary HP.)
5: Can create 1 gallon of water/level, +2 class bonus to defense.
Apotheosis: Swim speed doubles, Gains DR 5/Piercing, and gains blindsense 60 feet (120 feet blindsight when underwater)

Celestial:
+50% duration of summoned celestials.
1: Holy Touch: Deals 1d4+Cha damage to evil or neutral targets, heals good targets for 1d4+Cha damage. Can be used at will, but when used to heal must wait 5 rounds before healing same creature again.
3: Resist 5 both Electricity and Cold.
5:  Can sprout wings to gain a fly speed of 30ft with average manuverability at will, gains Improved Low Light Vision.
Apotheosis: Permanent Tongues effect (as the spell), adds Charisma modifier as bonus damage to any evil or neutral creatures, no delay to frequency of Holy Touch's healing. 

Draconic:
+1 damage per dice with spells of associated energy type (See Draconic Bloodline in the Pathfinder SRD), Summoned creatures can gain the draconic template.
1: Gains a primary natural bite attack and secondary natural tail attack, both of which deal 1d6+Str damage. (Secondary natural attacks in X20 take a -3 penalty)
3: Resist associated Energy 5, gains natural 2/armor.
5: Breath Ray: Ranged Touch Attack (60 ft) that deals 3d6 damage of the associated energy type (no spell resistance). Once used, must wait 1d4+1 rounds before it can be used again.
Apotheosis: Gains Blindsense 30 feet, 2 claws as primary attacks that deal 1d4+strength damage, Can sprout wings at will with fly speed 60ft (Poor Maneuverability).

Earthen:
Summoned creatures can have the earthen template, +1 DC to spells with the Earthen or Acid descriptor/Damage Type.
1: Gains 2 natural slam attacks for 1d4+Str damage.
3: Absorb Acid (see Absorb Cold, above), 10ft burrow speed.
5: Forceful Blow: Slam attacks or spells with the acid or earth descriptor can push the target back 5x(1d6+Str) feet, +10 ft to burrow speed.
Apotheosis: Damage Reduction 3/- , +10 feet to burrow speed, Tremorsense out to 60 feet. 

Fire: 
Summoned creatures can have the Earthen Template, +1 DC to spells with the Fire descriptor/damage type.
1:  Burning Aura: Creatures that strike the sorcerer with a natural or melee weapon take 1d6+Cha fire damage.
3: Absorb Fire 5 (As absorb cold above), 10 ft climb speed.
5: Aura Surge: Can expand Aura to burn all creatures with in a 20 ft radius for 3d6 damage  (Reflex half) every 5 rounds, climb speed +10 feet.
Apotheosis: Climb +10 feet, Burning Aura becomes Burning Retribution: hits any creature within 30 feet that successfully strikes the Sorcerer with a targeted spell or a ranged, natural, or melee attack.  

Aerial: 
Summoned creatures gain a fly speed equal to their land speed with perfect maneuverability and +4 to their dexterity. 
1: Ranged touch attack usable at will deals 1d6+Cha electric damage, ignores DR from metal armor.
3: Absorb Sonic 5 (As absorb cold above), Fly 10 ft (Perfect)
5: Focused Gale - Burst of hurricane force wind centered on sorcerer with a 60ft radius, can be used every 5 rounds.
Apotheosis: Fly speed becomes 20 (Perfect), +4 class bonus to defense.

[Xathan]

[ooc]The Cleric is, I admit, a bit of a rush job - I did not check to make sure my extra feats or channeling masteries did not overlap with existing feats. I'll take care of this latter, I just wanted to get this out ASAP.[/ooc]

Cleric:
Alignment: A cleric's alignment must be within one step of her deity's, along either the law/chaos axis or the good/evil axis, unless her deity allows cleric's of any alignment.

HD: 4+d4

The cleric's class skills are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Attack Bonus: As Rogue.

Class Features:
1: Aura, channel energy 1d6, domains, orisons, spontaneous casting
2: Channel Mastery, Bonus Channeling Feat
3: Channel Energy 2d6, Aura Expansion 1 (Weapons Treated as Magic to overcome DR)
4: Channel Mastery, Bonus Channeling Feat
5: Channel Energy 3d6, Aura Expansion 2 (Weapons Treated as having Cleric's Alignment to overcome DR)
6: Bonus Channeling Feat, 2 Channel Masteries

Changes from Pathfinder:

Channel Energy is usable more often. While still not usable at will, it us usable a number of times per day equal to 3+Wisdom Modifier+2 for each level in Cleric the Cleric has. As in Pathfinder, the Channel Energy does either positive or negative energy depending on the Cleric's alignment.

Spells Per Day:

0	1	2	3	4	5	6
4	2+1	-	-	-	-	-
5	3+1	2+1	-	-	-	-
6	4+1	3+1	2+1	-	-	-
6	4+1	4+1	3+1	2+1	-	-
6	4+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	2+1	-
6	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	3+1

Spell slots above level 4 are used to prepare spells with metamagic feats, prepare additional lower level spells, or used in conjunction with the Extra Channeling channel mastery

Channel Mastery: The cleric gain new options for their Channel Energy class features. A cleric must take the altered Channeling mastery to apply the effects of a channeling feat to a use of Channel Energy altered by a mastery. Unless noted, a use of Channel Energy with a channeling mastery applies expends the normal 1 daily use of the Channel Energy class feature. Applying a Mastery to a Channel is a free action, but using the altered Channel Energy requires the normal action for Channel Energy unless the mastery alters the Channel Energy's action. A cleric must used the altered Channel Energy on the same round the mastery was applied unless otherwise noted.

Reshape Channel: Instead of projecting the Channel Energy as just a 30 ft radius, it can also be channeled as a 60 ft cone or 120 ft line. The normal will save applies to creatures caught in the blast who would be damaged by it.
Special: This mastery cannot be used with any other mastery that changes the range or shape of the channel unless otherwise noted.

Opposition Channel: By an additional daily of her Channel Energy, the cleric can channel the opposite energy (Negative if already channel positive, or visa versa.)

Energetic Channel: The cleric chose one energy type (fire, acid, cold, electric, or sonic) upon selecting this mastery and can channel energy of that type instead of their normal positive or negative channeling. The save against this Channeling is a reflex save instead of a will save. If the Cleric has a a domain associated with one of these energy types, (Acid for Earth, Cold for Water, Electric for Air, and Fire for Fire) the cleric must chose that energy type. All clerics can chose sonic. A sonic channel uses d4s instead of the typical d6, but bypasses the hardness of objects and half the DR from armor.
Special: The range/area of the channel is halved unless the cleric spends one additional daily use of the channel energy class feature. This Mastery can be selected multiple times. Each time it is selected, it applies to an additional energy type. If selected more than once, the second energy type can use an energy outside the cleric's domain.

Focused Channel: At will, the channel energy class feature can be used against any single creature within 30 feet per cleric level. Channeling energy in this manner only deal 1d6+Wisdom Modifier healing or damage, regardless of normal Channel energy damage (unless damage has been modified by the empowered channel class feature). The creature targeted is allowed the normal will save to half the damage, and unlike normal channel energy Focused Channeling spell resistance applies normally (unless used to heal), and using it provokes attacks of opportunity. If the cleric has energetic channeling, no additional cost is incurred, though it still only does 1d6+Wisdom damage. A cleric must be level 3 or higher to select this mastery. This mastery does not expend any any daily uses of the channel energy class feature.
Special:  A cleric must spend one daily use of her Channel Energy class feature if used with Warding Channel, Quickened Channeling, Opposition Channeling, Repelling Channeling or Drawing Channeling. A cleric must spend two daily uses of her Channel Energy class feature if used with Improved Quicken Channeling. This mastery cannot be used with any other mastery that changes the range or shape of the channel unless otherwise noted.

Extra Channeling: A cleric may sacrifice a prepared spell to gain additional uses of her channel mastery, gaining uses equal to half the spell's level, rounded down (2 level 1 spells may be sacrificed for 1 additional use). Orisions cannot be sacrificed this way. The cleric must be level 3 or higher to select this mastery.
Special: A cleric cannot sacrifice his domain spell this way. This Mastery does not use any daily uses of Channel Energy. The additional uses of her Channel Mastery persist throughout the day. Using this Mastery is a full round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Channeling Rays: For one use of their channel energy ability, the cleric may select a number of creatures to target equal to the cleric's level within a range of 60 feet. One ranged attack roll is made, though the attack roll is only required if the channel energy is being used to deal damage. This channel energy mastery can be used with either Energetic Channeling or Opposition channeling.
Special:
Special: This mastery cannot be used with any other mastery that changes the range or shape of the channel unless otherwise noted.

Extended Channeling: This mastery doubles the range or area of channeled energy. This ability can be combined with any other ability that alters the clerics range or area. It uses 2 daily uses of the channel energy class feature, unless applied to Focused Channel, at which case it only uses 1 daily use.

Altered Channeling: A cleric with this mastery can apply the effects of any channeling feat she possess to a channel altered by a Channeling mastery.. This mastery cannot be combined with any channeling mastery that alters the damage or energy type of the channeled energy used. Alternatively, for two additional daily uses of Channel Energy, a cleric gain gain the benefits of any Channeling Feat besides Extra Channeling Mastery for one round.

Quickened Channeling: This mastery allows channel energy to be used as a move action for 2 daily uses of the channel energy class feature. A cleric can still only channel energy once per round.

Improved Quicken Channeling: This mastery allow a cleric to channel energy as a swift action for 4 daily uses of the channel energy class feature. A cleric still can only channel energy once per round. A cleric must have Quickened Channeling to take this mastery.

Channeling Blow: This mastery allows a cleric to channel energy through a melee attack. The cleric adds his weapon damage to the channeled energy if using a weapon, or an additional 1d6 if using it unarmed. If used with a melee weapon, this mastery still deals weapon damage if used to heal.  This mastery cannot be used with any other mastery that changes the range or shape of the channel, even otherwise noted.
Special: This mastery cannot be combined with Quickened Channeling or Improved Quickened Channeling, and the cleric can only make a single attack regardless of feats or iterative attacks earned from feats, class abilities, or level.

Channeling Shot: As Channeling Blow, but can be used with a ranged weapon instead of a melee weapon.  This mastery cannot be used with any other mastery that changes the range or shape of the channel, even if otherwise noted.

Forceful Channeling: For one additional use of the Channel Energy class feature, a cleric's channeled energy deals force damage instead of it's normal damage type. The dice used decrease to 1d4. A cleric must be 6th level to select this channel mastery.
Special: A cleric must posses Energetic Channeling to take this mastery.

Repelling Channel: For one additional use of the Channel Energy class feature, the cleric's channel energy pushes creatures in its area or that it targets 1d4x5 feet in addition to its normal effect. The cleric can sacrifice any other effect of her Channel Energy class feature to instead push any creatures effected by (1d4+Wisdom modifier)x10 feet.
Special: A Cleric must be level 3 to select this channel mastery.

Drawing Channel: As Repelling Channel, but instead draws the effected creatures the same distance towards the Cleric.
Special: A Cleric must be level 3 to select this channel mastery.

Warding Channel: A cleric sacrifices the damage of their channel energy class feature to grant all creatures within its area or targeted by it Damage Reduction equal to 2/- per dice the channel energy class feature would normally apply.
--------------

New Feat:
Extra Channel Mastery (Channeling)
Prerequisites: Channel energy 2d6, Wisdom 13.
The Cleric gains 1 additional channeling mastery. Normal restrictions on level apply, and a cleric must meet any prerequisites of the channeling mastery.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times, but only once for each point of Wisdom bonus the Cleric possesses.

Improved Channeling (Channeling)
Prerequisites: Channel energy 2d6, Wisdom 15.
The dice used for Channel Energy increase by one step.

Greater Improved Channeling (Channeling)
Prerequisites: Channel Energy 2d6, Wisdom 17, Improved Channeling.
The dice used for Channel Energy increase an additional step.

[Superfluous Crow]

I like the way every class has talents. All in all, the classes remind me of the D20 Modern classes a bit, structure-wise.
A small complaint: the layout is pretty messy. Can't figure out what entries are talents and what are class abilities. Also, the rogue's Master Strike seems to be missing? Or maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.
An idea you could toy with: 2 level prestige classes replacing levels 5 and 6. The 5th level would be a sort of initiation cost and the 6th would yield a nifty alternative capstone ability.
Of course, when they are only six levels long, making new base classes is probably way easier.
Are you in any way designing this for multiclassing? Capstones are neat, but sometimes it's just great to be able to build your own thing from the building blocks available. Would be cool if there was some synergy.
I must admit I am warming quite a bit to this enhanced E6 concept! It looks lovely and you did a good job so far.
If you were to sum it up, what are the other major differences from vanilla D20 aside from the shortened level spectrum?

[Xathan]

I like the way every class has talents. All in all, the classes remind me of the D20 Modern classes a bit, structure-wise.
A small complaint: the layout is pretty messy. Can't figure out what entries are talents and what are class abilities. Also, the rogue's Master Strike seems to be missing? Or maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.

...I totally forgot Master Strike, partially because I spent a bit while designing trying to figure out how to properly do it without it being overly nasty but still worthwhile. And yeah, the layout needs fixing and updating - I'm aweful at organization, I freely admit.

An idea you could toy with: 2 level prestige classes replacing levels 5 and 6. The 5th level would be a sort of initiation cost and the 6th would yield a nifty alternative capstone ability.
Of course, when they are only six levels long, making new base classes is probably way easier.

I like the idea of 2 level PRCs - perhaps that's how I'll handle variant classes, one ability at level 1 and 2 for the last two levels. And making a base class that feels flexibile and cool for 6 levels is harder than I thought it would be - I like it, but the design requires much more effort and "outside the box thinking" than I had expected. :P

Are you in any way designing this for multiclassing? Capstones are neat, but sometimes it's just great to be able to build your own thing from the building blocks available. Would be cool if there was some synergy.

After level 6, you'll be able to purchase "levels" in classes other than your core class, and can multiclass freely from levels 1-6. The post-6 levels do not confer an increase in BAB, Saves, HD, Non-Bonus Feats, Ability score bumps, or Skills, but do give you the class features as if you had taken a level in that class, including iterative attacks. This is one of the things you can do to advance post 6 - you'll be able to spend XP this way (the most expensive thing but also potentially the most rewarding), as well as spending XP for a lower cost on new feats, skill points, spells/spell slots, rituals, ability increases, and other advancement opportunities, many of which will be designed to aid in multiclassing - things like armored casting, for example. I hope to get this outlined in the next couple days in greater detail.

I must admit I am warming quite a bit to this enhanced E6 concept! It looks lovely and you did a good job so far.

Thanks! It's a blast to write and work on, and I'm really glad that people are liking it as much as I am enjoying writing it.

If you were to sum it up, what are the other major differences from vanilla D20 aside from the shortened level spectrum?

Flexibility. All classes are designed to have greater flexibility than their d20 counterparts at levels 1-6, and after that level you have complete control over what you gain as you advance and even the rate at which you gain new things. Also, unlike d20 where you might have to wait till level 10 or higher to play the exact class you want to play, X20 is being designed around the principal that you should be able to be the class you want to be from level 1 - or at the very latest, level 6.

[Superfluous Crow]

Meant whether there were any significant rules changes aside from classes.
For variant classes there is always the Archetype model introduced in pathfinder.
I'm not sure I like your ideas for past-6 progression though. Unlimited advancement, particularly access to extra class abilities, is gonna skew the power level and work against the whole idea of having only 6 levels.
I think you mentioned being against buying feats as the post-6 progression, but would perhaps be interesting if you allowed buying feats from level 1. But you don't get any automatically. So players have to decide whether to go for another level or an extra feat. Maybe even skill points could be bought.
This edges dangerously close to a point buy system, but I think you can do it and still keep the classic level aesthetic.

[Xathan]

Meant whether there were any significant rules changes aside from classes.

Oh! As of right now, no: I'm planning on playtesting with the majority of rules as is, and tweaking later as needed (if needed) - but for now, anything that's not stated to have changed is assumed to work as it does in Pathfinder. (With one exception - Armor, instead of making you harder to hit, provides Damage Reduction. Your Defense is how hard you are to hit, and is influenced by your dexterity, feats, and class features.)

For variant classes there is always the Archetype model introduced in pathfinder.

I'm drawing a lot of inspiration from that, actually. :) The big thing I'm looking at is how much of that I can stick into archetypes such as styles and masteries that existing classes have, and how many of those work as variants on existing classes, and how many need to be a separate class in X20.

I'm not sure I like your ideas for past-6 progression though. Unlimited advancement, particularly access to extra class abilities, is gonna skew the power level and work against the whole idea of having only 6 levels.

I'll admit I"m a bit worried about it and the power being skewed, but I also want to still allow for progression post 6 - otherwise the game gets to 6 and then stagnates, which kind of kills the fun (read an interesting article once about frustration vs. boredom being the big balance that, if struck properly, makes a game super addicting and fun, and if you don't advance at all past 6 I feel it would become extremely boring, but if post 6 advancement is overly powerful it'll be too frustrating.) The idea is for post 6 advancement to cause characters to grow outwards, not upwards - gain a wider variety of powers without too much of a direct increase in power.

Still, the more I think and talk about it, the more I think I need levels 1-6 better balanced before I start worrying about after 6...but I can't help thinking about it, and the progression idea (which comes down to a semi-point buy) is the best I've come up with yet.

I think you mentioned being against buying feats as the post-6 progression, but would perhaps be interesting if you allowed buying feats from level 1. But you don't get any automatically. So players have to decide whether to go for another level or an extra feat. Maybe even skill points could be bought.

I normally don't say this kind of thing, but that idea just doesn't appeal to me at all. Part of it is because it punishes classes (such as, right now, the rogue) that don't gain bonus feats, part of it is because that means players would advance in three critical areas - HP, skills, and Attack bonuses  - at different rates. I don't want a situation where a player chooses one or the other and then feels like he feel behind. (That big thread about uneven advancement got me thinking about it, and I'm very solidly in favor of making advancement even.)

This edges dangerously close to a point buy system, but I think you can do it and still keep the classic level aesthetic.

This is what I'm hoping to do Post 6. Now, your idea for buying feats instead of levels would work great for post 6 advancement - I'm actually thinking of going that route, where after six the game gradually becomes a point buy - feats cost X, skills cost Y, class abilities cost Z in terms of experience - which is much like E6 works now. I'm not entirely sold on it - like I said, post 6 I'm really not having any great ideas for, point buy is best I can come up with. :\

[Superfluous Crow]

If part of your motivation for doing this is that a level 6 character is of comparable power to a well-trained real-world human individual, I wanted to note that allowing more class abilities per character post-6 is definitely going to make the game feel more like classic high-level D&D gaming with crazy all-powerful gishs.
It would also remove the main benefit of a class-based system: character role distinction. As the game progressed, all the characters would become more and more alike.
In fact, I find that with E6 especially, multiclassing is more intriguing because you have so few levels to play around with. In Steer's Fimbulwinter (where we are capping the level at 6) I'm in a deep dilemma as to how to split the 6 levels of my multiclass character. The choice becomes much more significant than in traditional D20. You should capitalize on this, not dilute it.

But compare it to D&D. Setting aside the epic rules, characters were supposed to stop advancing beyond level 20. Since you have effectively just lowered the level cap from 20 to 6, you are essentially designing a game that stops at level 6. Of course it will taper out after that, but so do all class-based games. And as you said earlier, this allows players to actually reach the capstone in their own lifetime. They'll play around with that for a while and then they will whip up new characters for a new game. E6 games are simply not designed for the same year-long campaigns you can run in D&D. You are just ensuring that the game remains intense for the duration of the campaign.

EDIT: when it comes to post-6 progression, raising the general power level is probably a bad idea since it goes against one of your design tenets. But if you don't want to do away with it completely, consider progression-as-specialization. Post-6 characters would sacrifice versatility in their field for added ability within a single subfield. Sorcerers might sacrifice known spell slots or even entire schools, fighters might disavow entire groups of weaponry and armor and combat styles. In a way you have already done this with the capstone though. Maybe make the capstone ability an upgradable effect?
Still, there has to be a limit somewhere. Unlimited progression is neither fun nor sustainable and all good things must come to an end. Of course, if the XP cost increased exponentially you might be able to put up an artificial limit while keeping the illusion of possible progression.

[beejazz]

Just wanted to chip in, but another thing you could consider is slowing the numerical side of the power curve and upping the number of levels to fit more unique abilities into the 1-6 progression. HP would be hard to slow this way, but you can do it sneakily by just upping damage potential to match. Likewise you could reset the DCs instead of the skill progression if you want to keep the skill progression math the same.

I've been thinking a lot about perk progression in my game, and one thing you can do is have feat types and feats with some number of that feat type as a prerequisite. It can keep the class based feel by using chains without chains that way. Maybe 5 of a type without the prereq and 3ish that require a minimum of 3, with a "cap" that requires a minimum of 5? So after the cap level you can just keep pouring stuff into (lets say) an illusion based feat chain and the character will stay an illusionist instead of becoming a "gish."