I recently saw a game that was considering using E6 rules. (E6 is a variation where the game caps out at 6th level. You gain feats as you progress further, but no more levels) And I had an idea for a variation that would feel a little different. I call it G6
You advance normally until 6th level. At 7th level you get a bonus feat, but no level. At 8th, you gestalt your 1st level class.
7th - feat
8th - gestalt 1st level
9th - feat
10th - gestalt 2nd level
11th - feat
12th - gestalt 3rd level
13th - feat
14th - gestalt 4th level
15th - feat
16th - gestalt 5th level
17th - feat
18th - gestalt 6th level
19th - feat
20th - triple gestalt 1st level
You still don't get anything that a 6th level character couldn't get, so it fits the general E6 idea. But there is still mechanical progression - your character just starts becoming broader instead of deeper. Your 20th level capstone is the triple gestalting.
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It could work pretty well - though like all gesalting some combos will work FAR better than others.
It does lead to some questions you'd need to answer. For example - if a wizard 6 take his 1st level in ranger - does he gain 1 BAB as the ranger's 1st level has 1 more than the wizard did at 1, or no as he already has 3 BAB from wizard? (I'd lean the former)
Does he gain base fort/reflex save? The wizard already has +2.
What about HP?
Gain an entirely new set of skill points? Only the extra 4 that rangers get vs wizards?
Etc
Also - the usual reason for gesalting is due to a small party who you want to boost the power of. Otherwise they end up stepping on each-others toes in terms of party role. In this case - they've already hit 8 before they even start gesalting.
Picking a first level in a class is not what I call an impressive 20th level capstone.
Well, E6 is a system designed to curb the incredible power of games that go all the way up. Another option would be to gain the 7th level of each of your classes, thus making you objectively the best in the world.
It could work pretty well - though like all gesalting some combos will work FAR better than others.
It does lead to some questions you'd need to answer. For example - if a wizard 6 take his 1st level in ranger - does he gain 1 BAB as the ranger's 1st level has 1 more than the wizard did at 1, or no as he already has 3 BAB from wizard? (I'd lean the former)
Does he gain base fort/reflex save? The wizard already has +2.
What about HP?
Gain an entirely new set of skill points? Only the extra 4 that rangers get vs wizards?
You would gain the improvements. i.e. they'd gain BAB, fort/reflex saves, and they'd get the difference in HP. I would roll the difference in die sizes and add that. i.e. wizard d6 to ranger d10 would add a d4 hp.
Also - the usual reason for gesalting is due to a small party who you want to boost the power of. Otherwise they end up stepping on each-others toes in terms of party role. In this case - they've already hit 8 before they even start gesalting.
Their secondary role is going to advance slowly, so it shouldn't step on the toes of a primary. If Sarah is a 6th level rogue and Bob takes it as a second class, it will take from 8th to 18th level for Bob to reach the level of Sarah. Meanwhile Sarah is learning something else.
Naturally there is an exception if one person optimizes much better than another, but that's something that is a concern in every game.
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Well, E6 is a system designed to curb the incredible power of games that go all the way up. Another option would be to gain the 7th level of each of your classes, thus making you objectively the best in the world.
Either make it stop at 6 or 8. Stopping at 7 is a bad idea as it'd make spontaneous casters suck. Wizards & Clerics would get 4th level spells while Sorcerers & Oracles wouldn't.
You would gain the improvements. i.e. they'd gain BAB, fort/reflex saves, and they'd get the difference in HP. I would roll the difference in die sizes and add that. i.e. wizard d6 to ranger d10 would add a d4 hp.
d6+d4 is better than d10. (Average 6 vs 5.5) Of course - you could just do PFS style HP and give them the upgrade. (4 for wizard getting bumped up to the 6 for ranger)
Sounds pretty good. I kinda like the 7th level in one or both classes angle, though spontaneous casters is a concern. On the other hand, they get more spell slots and a 'bloodline' spell known...
The thing is, lots of classes have frustrating thresholds that don't fall right along 7th/8th level. I generally find 8th or even 10th level to make great top end level points. 8th keeps it easy.
As an alternative at 20th level, instead add a mythic rank perhaps? The character has surpassed the mortal limits and become something more?
I mean, 1st level in your second class will often be a notable powerup, but first level in the third class will often do very very little.
EDIT: Though of course, if you go with regular xp for leveling, you're very very unlikely to ever reach 20. If you go with something like that level method Sean K Reynolds advocated where you get 1/4 of your level every session I could see it being relevant though.
I've actually done something very similar to this. It worked really well in our game and I predict this will work pretty well too.
We set it up so when you level, you can pick to either go up one level in a current class or gestalt into another (Max gestalt was 3 classes). Each of the classes would cap at 6.
Your statistics would increase only if the new class would improve it, just like in normal gestalt.