AvatarVecna
2021-09-03, 07:51 PM
Welcome one and all to the thirty-eighth Zinc Saucier challenge, where Playgrounders come to test their skill in the art of beautiful and bizarre (and bizarrely beautiful) builds, summoning a savory dish of superb swordplay and sublime sorcery.
The challenge? To come up with a build that has the same abilities and feel as the Secret Ingredient WITHOUT actually using it!
For the thirty-eighth challenge, we'll be studying the blade and cooking up a Kensai (the PrC)
Our challengers will have about 2 weeks to build a complete build up to Effective Character Level 20 using a 32 point buy and all official WOTC D&D 3.5 materials (excluding Dragon Magazine, but including any WOTC online enhancements) with the abilities and feel of a Kensai without actually using any levels in it.
Entries must be submitted by Friday, 9:00pm GMT, September 17th, 2021. As usual, please submit your entries via private message to the chairman, so as not to influence the other sauciers.
Judges will then have until Friday, 9:00pm GMT, October 1st, 2021, to post scores for all dishes.
Contestants will be judged and awarded a score of 1 through 5 in each of 4 categories:
Innovation (Uniqueness in character concept, race, class, etc)
Power (How powerful and versatile it is compared to the base class)
Elegance (What can only be described as how well the build "flows", i.e not using lots of 1-2lv dips, sacrificing flavour for power or using flaws)
Ingredient (How well the build captures the abilities and feel of the base class)
Presentation would be best in the style of how the iron chef does their presentations, however any style is allowed so long as it is clear on how the build was made.
Submission:
To standardize Entries, please use this format when sending it in:
PM: AvatarVecna
Subject: Zinc Saucier 38, Name of your Entry
For Revisions and disputes, do the same thing. It makes it easier for me finding the entries in my mail box.
If you have questions about the contest that feel inappropriate to ask in the main thread, please PM me with "Zinc Saucier 38 Questions". Keep in mind that I am not a judge, and so questions about how acceptable X or Y might be to judges will get (at best) a guess on my part due to my somewhat limited familiarity with the competitive community.
Recommended style is as the spoilers below. The end of the second post has a link to a Google Sheet that helps show the layout, if that will help you with planning out your build.
NAME OF ENTRY
Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features
1st
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
2nd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
3rd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
4th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
5th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
6th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
7th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
8th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
9th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
10th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
11th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
12th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
13th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
14th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
15th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
16th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
17th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
18th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
19th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
20th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
Code immediately below (spoiler).
Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features
1st
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
2nd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
3rd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
4th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
5th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
6th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
7th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
8th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
9th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
10th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
11th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
12th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
13th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
14th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
15th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
16th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
17th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
18th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
19th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
20th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
For entries with spellcasting, use the following table for Spells per day and Spells Known. (Spells Known only if necessary, i.e. Sorcerer or Bard, but not Wizard or Warmage)Spells per Day/Spells Known
Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3rd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
7th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
11th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
12th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
13th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
14th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
15th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
16th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
17th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
18th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
19th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
20th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Code immediately below (spoiler)Spells per Day/Spells Known
Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3rd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
7th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
11th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
12th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
13th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
14th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
15th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
16th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
17th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
18th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
19th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
20th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Please do not post details of your build on the board before it is ready, so as not to spoil the surprise for others. Similarly, please try to refrain from speculating on possible builds too much even if you don't intend to use them yourself.
Sauciers may submit up to two builds each, as we don't want to overfeed the judges.
Previous Challenges:
Soulknife
Bard
Monk
Assassin
Barbarian
Warlock
Paladin *
Warblade
Pyrokineticist
Ninja *
Druid
True Necromancer
Dervish
Whisperknife
Epic Infiltrator *
Master of Vipers
Ranger *
Flayerspawn Psychic
Totemist
Walker in the Waste
Drunken Master
Cleric
Duskblade
Psibond Agent
Argent Fist
Fighter
Artificier
Knight
Spellthief
Factorum no cooks submitted
Dragonfire Adept
Battle Dancer
Illithid Slayer one cook submitted
Swashbuckler
Chameleon
Dread Necromancer one cook submitted
Warmage
*: Classes marked with an asterisk have had their original posts updated to reflect the final results.
This competition is inspired by the Playground Iron Chef Competitions and uses mostly identical rules.
Competitors will be free to use any official 3.5 rulebook in constructing their builds. Dragon magazine is disallowed, and Unearthed Arcana is allowed; but see Elegance below. Web-exclusive 3.0 or 3.5 materials by WotC are expressly allowed, but take care to verify that an updated version did not appear in print elsewhere, as this may cause an Elegance deduction at the judges' discretion. Alternate rule systems from UA such as gestalt and generic classes are not allowed, as they create a different playing field. Also, item familiars are forbidden because I hate 'em.
Power level is up to you. Cheese is acceptable, but should be kept to a sane level unless you're showcasing a new TO build you've discovered. In the words of one of my predecessors, a little cheddar can be nice, but avoid the mature Gruyere unless you're making a cheese fondue.
Elegance could bear a little elaboration. It basically measures how skillfully you put your build together, and whether you sacrificed flavor for power. We're cooking here - if your dish doesn't taste good, it doesn't matter how well-presented it is. Use of flaws is an automatic loss of one point per flaw in this category. Other things that will cause lost points here are excessive multiclassing, and classes that don't fit the concept - using Cloistered Cleric in a front-line melee fighter, for example, may lose you points. Please note the following: a legal source's relative obscurity should not be considered as penalizing Elegance, excepting the aforementioned issues with Unearthed Arcana. Using too many sources may be an Elegance deduction at the judges' discretion, but a book's relative obscurity may not.
Concerning Experience Requirements: Each build is allotted exactly 200,000 EXP. This is roughly 10,000 EXP more than necessary to get to 20th level. Please take note of this when planning your character for circumstances like LA Buyoff, Item Crafting, Magic Use, Multiclassing EXP Penalties, etc.
Definition of Power for scoring: Since this has been a point of contention, let me lay down this guideline. Since the goal is to emulate the Secret Ingredient, achieving much higher power than the Secret Ingredient is capable of is overkill and should be marked accordingly. Likewise if the build cannot match the power of the Secret Ingredient it should be marked accordingly. Individual judges can decide how much is too much for Power scoring, as each judge will have different tastes. The goal here is to prevent all entries being Wizard 20 because "they do it better."
What's the minimum score in a category? Assuming an entry is legal, the minimum score in any category is 1. If a judge is convinced that an entry is illegal by the RAW, the judge may give a 0 or decline to score a given entry. Because this contest focuses on Player Characters, an entry that is not technically allowed for a PC, but is viable as an NPC, counts as a legal entry, but may receive a minimum score at the judges' discretion.
Is Dragon Compendium Allowed? Yes, but individual issues of Dragon Magazine are not.
What about 3.0 materials? 3.0 materials, whether online or in printed form, are allowed unless they've been officially updated to a 3.5 edition.
Are Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, or Kingdoms of Kalamar allowable sources? The Dragonlance Campaign Setting is allowed, but the subsequent books for Dragonlance are considered 3rd party, and are therefore not eligible, despite the "WotC approved" status of those books. The same holds for Oriental Adventures (1st party) and the subsequent Rokugan books (3rd party). Materials from Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, and Kingdoms of Kalamar are considered 3rd party for purposes of this contest, and are therefore not allowed.
What about online sources in general? If the online source is a) published by WotC, and b) not replaced by an updated version at a later time, it is eligible. Use it, link it.
Where's the line drawn with "acceptable/unacceptable" for Unearthed Arcana? This will likely vary a bit from Chairman to Chairman. Variant class features and variant character classes are espressly permitted. Item Familiars and Gestalt have always been verboten; don't expect that to change. Flaws have similarly always been noted as warranting a deduction; even now that its me that is Chairing, its still extended to Traits, though they warrant 1/2 the penalty in Elegance that a Flaw would because they're roughly 1/2 as useful. Alternate spell systems, alternate skill systems and alternate crafting rules all create an uneven playing field, and as such, will be disallowed for as long as I am Chairman. Bloodlines are ripe for abuse, and will be discouraged as long as I am Chairman. Note that judges are allowed to look askance at any use of Unearthed Arcana not specifically mentioned above, at their discretion, and otherwise penalize Elegance according to their preference.
What, exactly, does the ban on Leadership mean? As folks have started to try to work around the edges of this one, I'm forced to spell it out more plainly. No Leadership, Draconic Cohort, or Feats that grant a similar ability are allowed EXCEPT Wild Cohort while I am chairman. Any PrC you choose with Leadership or a Leadership-analog has that ability entirely ignored for this contest, as it may neither be used nor traded away via any means whatsoever.
How the heck do I even do this? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to select a combination of race, templates, classes, alternate class features, prestige classes, skills, and feats, meld them into a single character that progresses from ECL 1 to ECL 20, that is as close as possible to the secret ingredient as possible in look, feel, class features. How you do it is up to you, I recommend you read previous competitions if you are interested in seeing how others have done it before you. Capture the essence!
Links amusement/edification:
Handy Tips for the Iron Chef in the Playground Noob
GitP Blank Iron Chef Entry (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BG0-5sq4dL9Ooh7-QfXuyHzO4rXSz-CRcj29t6BeUVE/edit#gid=0) (credit to mattie_p)
The challenge? To come up with a build that has the same abilities and feel as the Secret Ingredient WITHOUT actually using it!
For the thirty-eighth challenge, we'll be studying the blade and cooking up a Kensai (the PrC)
Our challengers will have about 2 weeks to build a complete build up to Effective Character Level 20 using a 32 point buy and all official WOTC D&D 3.5 materials (excluding Dragon Magazine, but including any WOTC online enhancements) with the abilities and feel of a Kensai without actually using any levels in it.
Entries must be submitted by Friday, 9:00pm GMT, September 17th, 2021. As usual, please submit your entries via private message to the chairman, so as not to influence the other sauciers.
Judges will then have until Friday, 9:00pm GMT, October 1st, 2021, to post scores for all dishes.
Contestants will be judged and awarded a score of 1 through 5 in each of 4 categories:
Innovation (Uniqueness in character concept, race, class, etc)
Power (How powerful and versatile it is compared to the base class)
Elegance (What can only be described as how well the build "flows", i.e not using lots of 1-2lv dips, sacrificing flavour for power or using flaws)
Ingredient (How well the build captures the abilities and feel of the base class)
Presentation would be best in the style of how the iron chef does their presentations, however any style is allowed so long as it is clear on how the build was made.
Submission:
To standardize Entries, please use this format when sending it in:
PM: AvatarVecna
Subject: Zinc Saucier 38, Name of your Entry
For Revisions and disputes, do the same thing. It makes it easier for me finding the entries in my mail box.
If you have questions about the contest that feel inappropriate to ask in the main thread, please PM me with "Zinc Saucier 38 Questions". Keep in mind that I am not a judge, and so questions about how acceptable X or Y might be to judges will get (at best) a guess on my part due to my somewhat limited familiarity with the competitive community.
Recommended style is as the spoilers below. The end of the second post has a link to a Google Sheet that helps show the layout, if that will help you with planning out your build.
NAME OF ENTRY
Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features
1st
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
2nd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
3rd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
4th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
5th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
6th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
7th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
8th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
9th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
10th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
11th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
12th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
13th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
14th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
15th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
16th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
17th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
18th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
19th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
20th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
Code immediately below (spoiler).
Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features
1st
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
2nd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
3rd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
4th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
5th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
6th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
7th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
8th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
9th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
10th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
11th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
12th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
13th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
14th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
15th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
16th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
17th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
18th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
19th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
20th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities
For entries with spellcasting, use the following table for Spells per day and Spells Known. (Spells Known only if necessary, i.e. Sorcerer or Bard, but not Wizard or Warmage)Spells per Day/Spells Known
Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3rd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
7th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10th
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11th
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12th
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Code immediately below (spoiler)Spells per Day/Spells Known
Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
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2nd
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4th
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5th
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6th
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8th
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10th
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11th
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19th
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20th
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Please do not post details of your build on the board before it is ready, so as not to spoil the surprise for others. Similarly, please try to refrain from speculating on possible builds too much even if you don't intend to use them yourself.
Sauciers may submit up to two builds each, as we don't want to overfeed the judges.
Previous Challenges:
Soulknife
Bard
Monk
Assassin
Barbarian
Warlock
Paladin *
Warblade
Pyrokineticist
Ninja *
Druid
True Necromancer
Dervish
Whisperknife
Epic Infiltrator *
Master of Vipers
Ranger *
Flayerspawn Psychic
Totemist
Walker in the Waste
Drunken Master
Cleric
Duskblade
Psibond Agent
Argent Fist
Fighter
Artificier
Knight
Spellthief
Factorum no cooks submitted
Dragonfire Adept
Battle Dancer
Illithid Slayer one cook submitted
Swashbuckler
Chameleon
Dread Necromancer one cook submitted
Warmage
*: Classes marked with an asterisk have had their original posts updated to reflect the final results.
This competition is inspired by the Playground Iron Chef Competitions and uses mostly identical rules.
Competitors will be free to use any official 3.5 rulebook in constructing their builds. Dragon magazine is disallowed, and Unearthed Arcana is allowed; but see Elegance below. Web-exclusive 3.0 or 3.5 materials by WotC are expressly allowed, but take care to verify that an updated version did not appear in print elsewhere, as this may cause an Elegance deduction at the judges' discretion. Alternate rule systems from UA such as gestalt and generic classes are not allowed, as they create a different playing field. Also, item familiars are forbidden because I hate 'em.
Power level is up to you. Cheese is acceptable, but should be kept to a sane level unless you're showcasing a new TO build you've discovered. In the words of one of my predecessors, a little cheddar can be nice, but avoid the mature Gruyere unless you're making a cheese fondue.
Elegance could bear a little elaboration. It basically measures how skillfully you put your build together, and whether you sacrificed flavor for power. We're cooking here - if your dish doesn't taste good, it doesn't matter how well-presented it is. Use of flaws is an automatic loss of one point per flaw in this category. Other things that will cause lost points here are excessive multiclassing, and classes that don't fit the concept - using Cloistered Cleric in a front-line melee fighter, for example, may lose you points. Please note the following: a legal source's relative obscurity should not be considered as penalizing Elegance, excepting the aforementioned issues with Unearthed Arcana. Using too many sources may be an Elegance deduction at the judges' discretion, but a book's relative obscurity may not.
Concerning Experience Requirements: Each build is allotted exactly 200,000 EXP. This is roughly 10,000 EXP more than necessary to get to 20th level. Please take note of this when planning your character for circumstances like LA Buyoff, Item Crafting, Magic Use, Multiclassing EXP Penalties, etc.
Definition of Power for scoring: Since this has been a point of contention, let me lay down this guideline. Since the goal is to emulate the Secret Ingredient, achieving much higher power than the Secret Ingredient is capable of is overkill and should be marked accordingly. Likewise if the build cannot match the power of the Secret Ingredient it should be marked accordingly. Individual judges can decide how much is too much for Power scoring, as each judge will have different tastes. The goal here is to prevent all entries being Wizard 20 because "they do it better."
What's the minimum score in a category? Assuming an entry is legal, the minimum score in any category is 1. If a judge is convinced that an entry is illegal by the RAW, the judge may give a 0 or decline to score a given entry. Because this contest focuses on Player Characters, an entry that is not technically allowed for a PC, but is viable as an NPC, counts as a legal entry, but may receive a minimum score at the judges' discretion.
Is Dragon Compendium Allowed? Yes, but individual issues of Dragon Magazine are not.
What about 3.0 materials? 3.0 materials, whether online or in printed form, are allowed unless they've been officially updated to a 3.5 edition.
Are Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, or Kingdoms of Kalamar allowable sources? The Dragonlance Campaign Setting is allowed, but the subsequent books for Dragonlance are considered 3rd party, and are therefore not eligible, despite the "WotC approved" status of those books. The same holds for Oriental Adventures (1st party) and the subsequent Rokugan books (3rd party). Materials from Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, and Kingdoms of Kalamar are considered 3rd party for purposes of this contest, and are therefore not allowed.
What about online sources in general? If the online source is a) published by WotC, and b) not replaced by an updated version at a later time, it is eligible. Use it, link it.
Where's the line drawn with "acceptable/unacceptable" for Unearthed Arcana? This will likely vary a bit from Chairman to Chairman. Variant class features and variant character classes are espressly permitted. Item Familiars and Gestalt have always been verboten; don't expect that to change. Flaws have similarly always been noted as warranting a deduction; even now that its me that is Chairing, its still extended to Traits, though they warrant 1/2 the penalty in Elegance that a Flaw would because they're roughly 1/2 as useful. Alternate spell systems, alternate skill systems and alternate crafting rules all create an uneven playing field, and as such, will be disallowed for as long as I am Chairman. Bloodlines are ripe for abuse, and will be discouraged as long as I am Chairman. Note that judges are allowed to look askance at any use of Unearthed Arcana not specifically mentioned above, at their discretion, and otherwise penalize Elegance according to their preference.
What, exactly, does the ban on Leadership mean? As folks have started to try to work around the edges of this one, I'm forced to spell it out more plainly. No Leadership, Draconic Cohort, or Feats that grant a similar ability are allowed EXCEPT Wild Cohort while I am chairman. Any PrC you choose with Leadership or a Leadership-analog has that ability entirely ignored for this contest, as it may neither be used nor traded away via any means whatsoever.
How the heck do I even do this? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to select a combination of race, templates, classes, alternate class features, prestige classes, skills, and feats, meld them into a single character that progresses from ECL 1 to ECL 20, that is as close as possible to the secret ingredient as possible in look, feel, class features. How you do it is up to you, I recommend you read previous competitions if you are interested in seeing how others have done it before you. Capture the essence!
Links amusement/edification:
Handy Tips for the Iron Chef in the Playground Noob
GitP Blank Iron Chef Entry (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BG0-5sq4dL9Ooh7-QfXuyHzO4rXSz-CRcj29t6BeUVE/edit#gid=0) (credit to mattie_p)