I am getting a group together for a High Power, High Fantasy, Mid Level game. We are looking for 2-3 solid players to finish out the group. The game will be a sandbox style game with a , roughly, 75-25 split of Role play to Combat. We will be playing on Saturday nights starting at 7:30pm CST. The campaign will take place in my homebrew world and has it's own unique history and pantheon. The world has a touch of steam punk added in via the Iron Kingdoms book. The only thing taken from the IK books is the Mechanika and is not mandatory, so if you don't have or know the IK books don't worry.

Because of balance issues in previous campaigns I have set benchmarks that all character MUST meet, it would be better to surpass them.

Creation Rules:
ECL 8 (Min +0 LA, Max +4 LA)
Stats - 3d6+6, drop lowest, reroll 1s. [3d6.takeHighest(2).minroll(2)+6] is the ORPG/Traipse syntax
Almost any Race and Template will be allowed
Almost any Class or Variant Class will be allowed
Almost ANY source, 3rd party or WotC, will be allowed. ALL 'alternative' rules, classes, races, equipment, and what not MUST be accompanied by a Book and page number. If a book and page number is NOT provided (in the case of online/homebrew content) your request is significantly more likely to be disallowed.
Double Starting Gold for ECL 8
We will be using the Action Point system from UA
Before your character is Finalized you will have the option of drawing from the DoMT.
Suggested Reading:
Privateer Press: Iron Kingdoms
-- Steampunk for D&D 3.0
Unearthed Arcana
-- Several fantastic variant rules, nifty feats
http://d20srd.org/
-- Specifically http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/variantClasses.htm

A quick bit on Alignment in this setting that may give a bit more leeway on some classes. Basically when a PC turned Deity ascended he made a few changes to Alignment restrictions. Being the god of Dragons, and there being few dragons in the world at the time, he removed the mandatory Alignment restriction on Dragons, which eventually changed the restrictions on all races on the material plane in this world (This does not effect outsiders, demons, devils, celestials, etc). This is not to say that all Black Dragons are now good, it just means that it is possible that some are good. This also freed up a lot of the restriction on classes. For one Monks no longer have to be Lawful (similar to the Oathsworn Variant). Paladins are no longer restricted to Lawful Good, but they are restricted to with in one step of their Deity's Alignment. Some classes though, are inherently good or evil (I.E Blackguard or Unholy Paladin).

Everyone needs to create a +10 Item up to 100,000gps. This item can fit any body slot or be a weapon or armor. If it is a weapon or armor it is restricted to +5 Bonus and +5 Enhancement, meaning not epic quality. If it fits into a body slot (i.e ring, gloves, boots, cloak, etc.) you can stack enhancements from different items into it. You can have a ring with sustenance, +5 Deflection bonus, +5 Natural Armor, +5 Armor Bonus, whatever the sneaky bonuses are, and so forth. The limit is net +10 on Weapons and Armor up to a value of 100,000gps, keep in mind there are enhancements that don't count towards the net +10, and up to 100,000gps worth of magical qualities on a single item.
This item will then be taken and the magical qualities reduced to your appropriate ECL. The item will then be given an XP Chart similar to that for PC leveling. You will then have to choose to spend your XP to enhance the item in stages. The purpose of this is so that you have one ideal piece of equipment that you can increase as you level. You can choose not to participate in this, but that does not mean that you get 100,000gps to play with.

As some of the creation rules suggest this REALLY is an Anything Goes game. If you can find it in the WotC or 3rd party books and tell me book and page it will most likely be allowed.

Character Benchmarks:
Minimum AC - 35 (DR, Fast Healing, Regeneration, etc will be taken into account.)
Minimum to Hit - +12
Minimum Average Damage (Per Hit) - 20

So far the two characters that have been finished (mostly) have met all and surpassed some of the benchmarks.

The group 'Tank' has a sustainable AC of 44, and can manage 51 for 30 rounds. The tank also has Fast Healing 3 until 50% hp where the tank can spend a standard action a round to heal 15 hp. And it can also be used on -anyone- else below 50% hp, infinitely. As well as being able to cast Regeneration 1/day as a free action. The tank has a +12 to hit and an average damage per attack of 25.

The rogue's AC is 37 and has Fast Healing 5, on top of a number of immunities and a Troll like regeneration ability. The rogue has a +20/+15 to hit with a minimum average damage per hit of 32.

To give you an idea of how deadly combat will be, the average monster's to hit will be 10 less than the Tank's sustainable AC with an average damage per hit of 20. The average monster's AC will be 10 more than the average of the highest three to hit bonuses of PCs (meaning if three PCs have a +20 the average monster AC will be 30). Also keep in mind that there will be at least one, if not more, above average monsters in every combat not mandatory for story development.

The campaign will have a darker twist than my recent campaigns and the time and place in the world will be kept secret until shortly before the first session. For more information about the setting and what has been done so far (one of the characters was built in an open forum for everyone to see what/how he built the PC and why) feel free to join the forums at S-.chaotic-reflections.net

If you are interested in joining this game feel free to join the forums and post in the Wait List board or send me a PM.

I'd like to post interest for this game. I have a few questions to ask before starting character creation.

1. Are artificers allowed? (Eberron Campaign Setting)
2. Are 'custom' magic items created using the magic item creation rules in the DMG allowed? (All I'm really interested in is using Craft Wondrous Item in conjunction with existing spells, no brand new effects. Also not interested in selling to NPCs.)
3. Is LA buyoff allowed? (Unearthed Arcana)

Depending on the answers to those questions, I'll be making a generalist human artificer, probably lawful something, but that can change depending on the rest of the party. If artificers aren't allowed, I'll probably go with a full caster type, but will still focus primarily on support (buffs, battlefield control, divination, skills).

First to answer your questions.

1. Yes, artificer is fine. Don't forget to gestalt.
2. Yes, you can build custom magic items. The D20 SRD has a good break down of the cost of creating all magic items. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/cr ... cItems.htm)
3. Yes, LA buy off is allowed.

Just as a reminder, I am serious when I say that this is an Anything Goes type of game. If you find something you like, or want to use, in any published 3.X book, WotC or 3rd Party, and can tell me book and page number it will most likely be allowed. If you don't have a book and page number, of the SRD/Wiki/etc doesn't cite it's sources, it is less likely to be allowed. I am also hesitant to allow homebrew stuff, mostly for balance reasons, but I have allowed some in the past. If you see something you like feel free to ask. The worst that will happen is I'll tell you, "No, and here is why."

I would suggest looking through books by AEG, Goodman Games, Green Ronin, Malhavoc Press, and Mongoose. They have a plethora of items, feats, classes, class variants, PrCs, templates, and races.

Well I am most definitely interested.

Now... When someone says steampunk I immediately think of Pathfinder and the gunslinger class.

Do you allow Pathfinder Classes? I wouldn't but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Now a basic Ideas for a character I wish to try since this is the fist oportunnity I ever had to use LA buyoff:

A Short Young woman with anger issues, gossamer wings and a smile to die for. Not really played for maximum stacked ++ bonuses but effective in her own way and tricky in others.

Option 1: Half Fey barbarian, Whirling variant some other variables
Option 2: Half Fey Bard with some crowd controll.

LA+2

Requirements:
to hit:
I can hit the +12 to heat no problem with either (Barbarian is a no brainer and yes I can get a l7 bard a +12 to hit...)

AC 35:
Tricky. Let me add it up in my head
Barbarian: Dex +3 (+-1) Armor +5, whirling +2, items +5... Naah. Without magic: 25 I'll have DR and flying tho.
Bard: dex +4, armor +6, surgical duelist +2, items +5 Without magic: AC27

How the heck do you get a level 8 character an AC of 35 with only 19k gold?! Am, I missing something?

Damage 20 per round...
Barbarian: 10-22 per hit... with non-magic weapon. So a +5 wapon would boost that as would feats, magic, power attacking etc...
Bard: Avg damage with a non magic weapon: 9-15, one attack per round. I can get about 5-10 more if I stack up some music and magic weapons there. Magic pushes that even higher. So until I crunch a guesstimate of... 16-30 damage. Only one attach per round tho.

Last question, clarify if I am wrong:

With La +2 and Buy off at level 6 I'd start the game as a level 7 character with 23k XP total and one level of LA to buy off at level 9?

I consider most of the Pathfinder classes as variants and they can be used with a bit or conversion back to 3.5 rules. Though because we are using the Iron Kingdoms books for the steam punk component the gunslinger would be out matched by the IK Gun Mage. Also the rogue type in the party is playing a gunslinger type. If you want to play a steam punk style character the IK books have a couple interesting classes/PrCs.

Half-fey isn't a bad way to go, it seems to be very popular. We have a Half-Nymph and a Half-Nymph/Half-Fey.

You get double starting gold for ECL 8. You will also get the opportunity to draw from the DoMT.

Yes, with a +2 LA you can buy off the first at 6th level and the second at 9th level. I would suggest waiting to do the buy off until you draw from the Deck. If you draw one of the many XP cards instead of increasing your ECL I am letting players buy off their LA, as well as some other options.

I am trying to figure this out, I thought I could do high power, but I am having trouble meeting the suggested requirements...

I would like to play a sorcerer, probably use the draconic template if we can buy off LA.

I rolled the following for stats:

(0) Athos: [3d6.takeHighest(2).minroll(2)+6] => [5,3,6] = (14)
(0) Athos: [3d6.takeHighest(2).minroll(2)+6] => [5,4,6] = (15)
(0) Athos: [3d6.takeHighest(2).minroll(2)+6] => [6,6,6] = (18)
(0) Athos: [3d6.takeHighest(2).minroll(2)+6] => [6,3,6] = (15)
(0) Athos: [3d6.takeHighest(2).minroll(2)+6] => [6,6,6] = (18)
(0) Athos: [3d6.takeHighest(2).minroll(2)+6] => [5,3,6] = (14)

which are VERY high... as a sorcerer, one of the 18's would go to charisma, probably the other to constitution for extra HP.

thru spells, I can do a lot of damage or hinder the enemy, but not sure how with an 8th level arcane character I can get my AC up to 35, even with double normal gp of equipment.

am I missing something? where is the fast healing coming from for the other characters?

Don't forget that any/all 3.0 and 3.5 books are available, and the aim is to find the cheese in the books that most other DMs would laugh at you for. It seems to be one of those "loopholes encouraged" type games.

Indeed, getting all of the "useful" abilities from the Deck (at least the ones that matter), and only one negative (that's ignored thanks to the avoid-the-situation card) is about 0.2%. Unless everyone is given the chance to use every good ability from the deck, it's not very fair.

This game is not about finding the 'cheese' or exploiting 'loopholes'. Contained within all the 3.X books there is more than enough material to build a character that meets these benchmarks. I have been doing it for almost 8 years and have not had any problems. I will admit that some classes and builds have a harder time meeting the benchmarks and that it is impossible when using Vow of Poverty (which in my opinion is intended for low to medium magic games anyway). To help players having a harder time I give everyone the opportunity to draw from the DoMT, which you are not required to do, as well as create a custom 100K item. I find that the people who have the hardest time are those who have no experience with the 3rd Party sources or limited experience with the WotC books.

Is this a gestalt game?

I readily admit I have no experience with third party materials, although I am pretty up on WotC stuff.

Although I am still not seeing how an arcanist can get the 35 ac.

well if ya still have an opening I'd like to remake a charater i had in another game. He was a warblade/bloodstorm blade melee/thrower. Hes designed around cleaving through groups of mobs and doing decent damage 1v1. He can fight melee or in medium range. after about 12-13 he starts throwing in melee taking the aoo hit to deliver an extra hit.