After reading through most of the classes on
Gnorman's E6 Compendium, I think that's going to be the way to go. If the E6 Handbook knows what it's talking about, then E6 characters can handle up to 12th-ish level threats. That's right on track with the kind of
demographic I hope to create. The whole of the Blackwood is home to a little more than 1 million people, and the largest city only has 11,000 or so. With that in mind, I think its only fair to design a setting such that the PCs can become the most powerful mortals around.