I've been looking around for an E6 or E8 system for NWN1 for a few weeks now. For those who don't know what this is, an E(x) system stops leveling at (x) and then every level after a player is given a feat instead of a level. This tends to keep players a little more cautious and very aware of how mortal you are at level 8 compared to level 40.

I just recently learned about this via a NWN2 PW called Legacy: Darkage of Britian. I was able to find a module for NWN2, but I would really like something like this for NWN1. I've seen NWN1 PW's with more than 40 levels, so I would think this kind of thing is possible. I've tried to look into the NWN2 E6 module, but I can't seem to get the NWN2 toolset to work in Win7. I also prefer NWN1 to NWN2 anyway. I have tried to write up a script, but I'm not familiar with the variables associated with player leveling, and have no idea how to prevent a level up. Any help would be awesome. Any ideas where to start?
To expand on why I like the E6 system, here is an excerpt that sold me.
Found on RPG.net: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=352719

To understand E6, imagine the perspective of the average medieval peasant in a d20 game. This person has the stats of a 1st-level commoner, and while they might not know their stats explicitly, they know their relation to the rest of the world. Our peasant knows that he can be killed quite easily by maurauding raiders, enemy soldiers, or even wild animals. He’s not mighty, he’s not organized, and he doesn’t have any special skills to bring to bear when danger strikes. He worries about drought and flood, and the welfare of his livestock. His extended family likely all lives within a mile of his birthplace. To him, a trip to a town ten miles off is an expedition into the unknown.

Imagine you are this peasant, and you meet a trio of 6th-level adventurers. When you address the wizard, you are speaking to someone who could incinerate your home and slay all your livestock with a few words. The fighter has prevailed against a dozen orcish skirmishers and slain them all – and he could do the same again. The cleric is a man so holy that the gods themselves have granted him the power to cure the sick and heal the wounded. These are epic heroes.

The only thing I can see you doing is to install a custom XP system that will stop giving XP to the player at your given level. After that you could keep track of xp in a differant manner. Allowing your system to just give the PC a feat applied to the PC's skin. There will still be problems given that fact that the PC skin can only have limmited number of item properties add to it.

Most of the problems when dealing with PC levels comes from the fact that the level up process is handled mostly my the client not the server.

The level's over 40 servers you have seen are most likely ran with nwnx.

http://nwnx.org/

You could try there or try the bioware social site's scripting or custom content board.

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/subindex/153

Sounds kind of like meeting George Bush. Except for the holy and hero bit.

Pretty sure you are right. NWNx or a similar system would be the only way to pull this off & I've never heard of an NWN server that used the system the oringal poster was talking about.

Thanks for the replies. I've only recently heard of this myself, and there are no NWN1 modules/mods that have this system. I'm currently working on one myself, I've made modules many times over the years, but never really did any hard scripting for NWN. It seems very similar to C programming, which I'm familiar with. I've got the level 6/8 cap finished, that was easy. I can script the feats additions fairly easy, either by an NPC conversation or by an item that grants the feat. If there is any interest in this by anyone else out there, suggest away. There are quite a few ways that I could implement this, but it looks so far that using the character level up screen is out of the question. I would have to find a way to make the client "forget" to add the level up, and then allow feat selection. It may be possible, but not likely. I am still looking into how this was implemented on Legacy: Dark Age of Britian, seems they used an Item to add the feats. Any feedback is very welcome!

I am VERY interested in such a system. Keep us in the loop, or if you need help testing it (I'm a QA Engineer by profession (heck, I tested NWN while slumming it at Infogrames (Atari)).

- Qlippoth (at) speakeasy [dot] net

This sounds very interesting. I really like the description of the peasant meeting the group of heroes. It's a good idea since, as you said, as you level up more and more you tend to lose perspective. While it's true that the enemies get stronger too, there's still less of that sense of urgency that you have when fighting a tough enemy at lower levels, simply because you have so many more tools at your disposal and a larger buffer of HP and MP (or any given systems equivalent). I think that's why JRPGs tend to add in several ridiculously hard hidden enemies at the end of the game, ones that make the final boss seem like a level 1 slime; it gives the player that sense of being a small fish in a very big ocean again.

I have no knowledge of programming although I did dabble in making a mod for Baldur's Gate 2 and have made things like custom maps for various games (many years ago). Would it be possible to simply implement a level cap at level (x) but then continue tracking exp as a variable? Also, is there a command for "give feat" or anything - say if the module creator wanted to make it so a trainer can teach a PC new tricks? If so, would it be possible to simply make it that something tracks the exp, and when you get to a certain amount "give feat" occurs?

Maybe you would need to tie this function to an item in the players inventory - I know there are many items in games like Torment that the player can interact with as if they were an NPC and they can affect player stats and other abilities (not by being equipped, but by talking to them and making certain choices).

Thanks for the feedback! I am playing around with both an Item and NPC system for getting feats to the player. I haven't decided on either yet. I am starting to think that the item might be a better way to go, but I still want to explore other options.

I am glad to see that other people are interested in this system. If you guys have any other ideas lemme know.

Interesting system but... a bunch of 6th level PCs would be feared by that peasant regardless of this system.

Just want to point out that in the days of WoWish 9836th level PCs, 6th level still puts you above 99% of the population in any reasonably "realistic" world.

I think that's his point, though. In these DnD computer games you tend to end up at a pretty high level. In NWN I think you end up at least level 40. Doesn't WoW only go up to about 60 or 70? It's not far off. But with this system, it would keep the levels and stats comparatively low while keeping them competitive through perks, traits or feats - whatever you call them in this game (been playing a lot of Fallout recently).

WoW currently goes up to 80 or 85 now, I think( I played years ago).

And yes, to the peasant in that description, 6th level players would be able to slaughter his cows and burn his home down with a wave of the hand. The heroes should seem this way to the peasant. What I don't like is what a 40th level character must seem to the peasant. 6th or even 8th level players are able to create miracles a few times a day. A 40th level character might as well be Cthulhu summoned from the abyss(which I think you can pretty much do at lvl 40 anyway). Lower level characters can still die and have something to lose. At epic levels you have magic items pouring out of your ears, and enough spells to solve any situation easily. 6th level characters can solve a situation with proper planning and timing, but still have a greater chance to fall if something goes wrong. I know the same could be said by lvl 40, but bigger numbers dont have to be the way we define difficulty. A challenge is still a challenge regardless of the numbers involved. But a level 6 or 8 player might talk their way out of a situation where a epic level player would just blow it all to high hell. Because he can. And as we all know, he will

I guess it's not about being more realistic as much as it is making the player think a little more than just summoning something/epic cleaving everything to death. By limiting to less than lvl 10, and having a permanent death, you exercise more caution, and you tend to care about your decisions more. The most fun I've had is between levels 1 and 10, because you can die at almost any time, and sometimes being careful, creates some great experiences!

alternatively you could alter the relevant 2das? Removing all bonuses (HP, save, caster level, etc) past 6/8 and changing the feat table to grant you a feat every level? Seems more smooth than capping the level at 8 and somehow saving feats on items/skins, and from what I remember from NWN modding, it should be possible.

I just dont know how you would cap the HP.

if that was a reply to my post, then yes, good point. Can you change the dice to d1-1 or something? And even then you'd have constitution based HP. And even if you somehow subtracted the con bonus too, weird stuff would happen with con spells and stuff..

You need to play a campaign, not on a PW.

In a campaign, the DM will limit all this for you, and provide appropriate challenges.