Party!!

[wannabedm]

I have been reading this forum for almost a year now but never posted. It's beginning to look like the campaign I am currently in will be coming to a close soon which will put me in line for participating as a DM for the first time ever. I have many ideas but I need a party to design around. Luckily I do have time as it could easily be a year before my turn, though a TPK means next campaign/new dm.

My current group is more about flavor than power but can sometimes come-up with some surprising tricks, so I figured I'd begin designing with you guys in mind, and dumb it down as needed once it gets closer to time for me to DM and I get their characters.

Rules:

Rule 0>RAI>RAW - if my signs are right that means no pun-pun crap as I know my group will not be breaking the game unnecessarily.

Character design limits:
Its a party of 4 - but I don't need 4 from all who respond one will be fine as I will pick both based on power and likelyhood someone in my group would play a similar character
start 22nd level
treasure: as 21st level
IF any classes or special abilities (ie. Spells, item creation) would require xp it must be spent from your total pool of xp that a level x character would have, so with items and ifyou have every spell permancied that xp would actually mean your only 20th +xp that you didn't use to permanency stuff.
Also, will be using LA buyoff as well though I fail to see how this may impact character build, at this time. maybe something to keep in mid if you were playing from level 1.
Books are any Wotc 3.5/3.0 with all 3.0 rules superseded by 3.5 when applicable and converted if necessary.

Lastly let me know the key strengths and how you would counter the character and maybe even what a typical day would look like when ready for a dungeon crawl. Story is welcome but not needed (it's always great for Ideas). Thanks for any help and I apologize if this happens to be in the wrong forum.

If all goes well I'll be posting semi-regularly with questions and probably referencing the characters I choose.

Thanks in advance for your participation,
~Wannabe

[GnomeGninjas]

Don't randomly generate character level, it doesn't accomplish anything (correct me if I'm wrong). Also I'd recommend against starting in epic levels, epic levels aren't very balanced.

[SowZ]

Hmm, yeah, if your players really enjoy the random element it is fine. But I am not a fan, myself. I recommend allowing the extra levels to be spent as XP for things like permanency and Racial Hit Dice/Level Adjustments and maybe any unspent XP is set aside as a pool for spending on magic items and spells and the like. Don't let them just level up with the bonus levels.

RHD and LA are almost always going to be weaker than Epic Levels so not even giving the option of using them that way encourages more flavorful builds and will mean less of a power gap between someone who rolled a six and someone who rolled a one.

(Really, someone who is level 21 and someone who is level 26 is a big enough gap that it is a real problem.)

Calculating when you used the LA buyoff for XP so how much more XP you would have gained because XP is a river is really complex. I'd say if you have a pool of free levels/XP specifically for LA races and the like, it would be easier not to allow LA buyoff. Maybe just don't count LA into ECL considerations for XP rewards?

[wannabedm]

K adjusted what u guys mentioned now 22 and can use la buyoff/item xp as originally mentioned thx for those suggestions.

[Iron Orbit]

You might want to seriously consider playing a campaign in the non-epic bracket of levels. If they want a campaign at that high of a level/power then by all means go for it, just know that things get out of hand quickly and easily, and normal everyday problems will mean little or nothing to characters who are so strong.

[Gavinfoxx]

If you aren't quite sure exactly what you are doing, you should not go near epic levels. It sounds like you dont have a clue what is going on.

Seriously, by Epic Levels, characters can go around with power greater than how the gods were statted out, and have total immunity to harm and are basically capable of, on a whim, making an epic spell to do anything they ever want.

Are you prepared for a game at that level?

[wannabedm]

Well, I will be prepared. The idea is to get a sample party to see if my idea truly works. I know epic is outrageous but honestly If I can prevent them from decimating the entire dungeon in one session with some spell trick I didn't see coming then all will be well.

I really don't plan on them staying epic long. basically the heroes are gathered BECAUSE of their legendary status and sent against this evil power that will actually destroy the world, blah blah blah whole world turned on edge reversal of time and everyone is level 1 but only the heroes have any idea what is coming and only they will have a chance to stop it for good before it gets out of control.

My plan is to build everything around a pretty op'd group and dumb down as necessary. I plan to give them a time-limit to find the guy so resting and resetting spells will be null'd, there will be a barrier to keep them from any sort of presience as well and then I'll just send wave after wave until the PC's are beat down and spells are exhausted.

This game likely won't start for months, we are on the verge of a TPK with current DM, the next player is already selected for his turn at DM and as the newest guy I will be after that, if I am ready.

So for now think of it as a thought exercise, with the hopes of being viable.

Thanks again,
~Wannabe