Essential dimension relative to branched covers of degree at most n

We prove for various finite groups $G$ and integers $n\ge 1$ that there are families of equations with Galois group $G$ that cannot be simplified to a one-parameter family even after adjoining a root of a polynomial of degree at most $n$. In more geometric language, there are $G$-varieties $X$ with the following property: for any $G$-equivariant branched cover $\tilde{X}\to X$ of degree $\le n$, there is no dominant rational $G$-map $\tilde{X}⇢C$ to any $G$-curve $C$. The method of proof is new, and applies in cases where previous methods do not.