Rules of Scalgard
The rules for running tales in the Phantom World of Scalgard are simple: Use the basic/core d20 v3.5 rules, as found here or here. Then use Ryan Stoughton's very simple E6 (Epic 6) modification to those rules. How simple is E6? This simple:
- Character Level progression stops at Level 6.
- For every 5,000 xp a character accumulates after Level 6, he gets one Feat.
- Use Feats from most WotC "Complete" books (Adventurer, Arcane, Champion, Divine, Mage, Scoundrel and Warrior), as well as the Player's Handbook II, to provide players with breadth of options they'll need with as many Feat-slots as they'll have available.
- CR 7 - 12 creatures are ideal opponents for high-Feat E6 characters.
The point of these rules is to keep the game at the well-balanced d20 "sweet spot" between high-gritty and low-heroic fantasy, where characters can start fighting some tough opponents, but a group of low-level thugs can still be a threat. Some monster abilities (petrification and ability drain) are present in CR-appropriate monsters but still beyond the abilities of E6 PCs to deal with. The main E6 rules recommend custom Feats to solve the problem; Scalgard uses Prestige Classes, instead.
Finally, the Phantom World expects to make some use of the variant magic rules for Incantations, from Unearthed Arcana, to achieve high-end, campaign-changing magical effects. As an addition to those rules, Bardic Knowledge and Dwarven Lore checks should be considered possible (and frequently used) skill checks for Incantations to require.