Got some spare XP to use, what to use it for?

[Shadowhunter]

Hi dudes and dudettes. Found a PbP on mythweavers with character creations rules I instantly fell in love with.

Character Creation Rules:
Stats: Roll 7m4d6v1r2 or 40 point buy if you don't like it.
8th level Gestalt Characters with 5k exp for crafting and LA buyoff only. (Will dissapear before game play)
Only advances 1 PRC at a time. Dual Progression classes are allowed, as long as they are on the same side.

Class 1: Wizard 3/ Cleric 3/ Mystic Theurge2
Class 2: Ranger 8

Any race with listed LA is allowed. Otherwise, no. No Oscelamo monster classes. RHD and LA must go on same side.
Level Buyoff is allowed, using the allotted exp.
Double Starting Gold for level. Can't spend more than 1/2 starting gold on one single item.
All WotC Sources allowed, including dragon magazine. Cite your sources though so that I know where to look.
Homebrew is not allowed
Intelligence for skills is retroactive
2 traits and 2 flaws allowed (but are not required)

My stats are 17, 16, 16, 15, 15, 13. Yes, those are bonkers stats. I'm going to go Binder 8//random assortment of good dips X/usefull-prc-perhaps-Chameleon Y.

So you see those 5k xp for LA buyoff and/or item creation. If I go with my idea of a Chameleon, I would have all the item creation feats I could ever need with Astaroth, the Unjustly Fallen and have a wizard spell book for required spells for crafting. I'm working under the assumption that custom magic items are off the table, due to the "no homebrew" clause.

So, I'm thinking either spend some xp buying of a +1 LA and maybe craft some items OR spend it all on crafting.

What would you all do under the circumstances? What items seems like a good idea to craft, is there any +1LA race/template that I really ought to look at (no need for Mineral Warrior, I have a strong feeling that would make my chances to play very small).

Also, Chameleon requires Human or Doppelganger, so perhaps a template is better than a +1 race.

Also, only items requiring 2nd level spells or lower to craft will work with Chameleon.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Yeah getting an LA+1 template sounds like a good idea, since it's free.
Would an LA+2 template work say like 1 level is out, but the other LA+1
left-over has to be carried to 9HD/Level like normal ??
It'd be worth it for a decent set of templates.

Crafting with the rest of the exp is OK, fitting with the double gold
and possible big stick.  How well stocked is the local Magic Mart ?!

Gestalt with allowed Dual Caster Progs = wow.
So a triple 9s build is in the easy pile.

[I Cast Fireball!]

...Could someone explain some of that for me? How that stat roll should be read, their Gestalt rules, that part about "Only advances 1 PRC at a time.", the part about "Dual Progression classes are allowed, as long as they are on the same side." And what's an "Oscelamo monster class"? I've never heard of such a beast before.

[Periaden]

...Could someone explain some of that for me? How that stat roll should be read, their Gestalt rules, that part about "Only advances 1 PRC at a time.", the part about "Dual Progression classes are allowed, as long as they are on the same side." And what's an "Oscelamo monster class"? I've never heard of such a beast before.

Okay a few things, the stats are determined by rolling 7 times, 4d6 dice, reroll 1's & 2's.

From the sample in the Op

Class 1: Wizard 3/ Cleric 3/ Mystic Theurge2
Class 2: Ranger 8

This shows the build that the PrC is on one side, the Wizard and other on one, and the Ranger on the other, and as the Mystic Theurge, is a PrC that advances both divine and arcane magic, it also remains on the correct side.

So You can't have something like this. Warning, Highly Stupid example. 

Wizard 3/cleric 3/Arcane Trickster 10
Wu Jen 3/Rogue 3/Mystic Theurge 10
Because it broke the rules, Mystic Theurge and Arcane Trickster were taken on the wrong side, and the PrC's were taken at the same time.

Oscelamo monster class is homebrew to allow playable monsters.

[I Cast Fireball!]

Thanks. One last question: So "1r2" means "reroll 1s and 2s". What does the "v" part of "v1r2" mean?

[RedMetal]

v1 means drop lowest, r2 means reroll 2 and lower.

[I Cast Fireball!]

v1 means drop lowest, r2 means reroll 2 and lower.

Thanks.

[Shadowhunter]

@aDMg:

If we are designing a LA+2 Character (who therefore has 6 HD) is it possible to use the reservoir of 5 000xp entirely in the upcoming LA reduction payment so that the first payment (which would cost 7 000xp) will only cost 2 000 xp due to the first payment made in advance?

Sure I will allow that. Just make a note of it though.

The way it seems to work out if I've understood it correctly, the DM lets you get away with counting the LA on only one side of the build. So I could go Binder 8//something 7/template that was LA+2 from the start.

I'd be 2000xp behind where I'm supposed to be (yet still I'm level 8 on the binder side...). Then, after I get enough XP to level to level 9, I could pay of my second LA with 9000 xp. Then the clusterfuck starts, with one side being lvl 8 and the other side being lvl 6 and now I can progress both sides like normal...

So you see, I'll just stick to a +1 template I know I can buy off without a headache. I think the cost for that would be 3000, leaving 2000 for crafting.

There's not many 1LA templates that I find interesting to be honest. Mineral Warrior is out, since I don't want to play a straight frontliner, Lolth-Touched might be a bit overkill compared to the other applications I've seen so far... they all seem to fall squarely within high Tier 3, at least those who are not playing casters. The blooded ones from MM5 are underwhelming... it's Shadow Walker, Blooded, Feral and Dark Creature left pretty much. I'm not sure either of those would serve me better than spending the xp on items, but I haven't gone into detail of what items I can and can't craft yet. Astaroth bases of my binder level, so the caster level requirement can be at most 8th. I have access to any 3rd level spell or lower, divine or arcane.

There are no dual primary casters in the current applications, but I can sort of understand that. This is the game description:

This game will be a Horror campaign, taking place in the world of Greyhawk. You will have to fight to survive, having little to no time to rest between encounters. Fighting monsters will not be the only challenge that you will face. Conserving resources, fighting off hunger and thirst, and many other challenges await in this titillating tale of terror.

Now, Binder is my favourite class and it gains an additional vestige bound at lvl 8, so there was no question of playing anything else. But coincidentally, they can manage not resting properly far better than any spellcasting class. So if I can't sleep for long enough, I'll just choose Divine Focus and pretend to be a cleric. Heck, if I can't prepare spells since we missed the sunrise, I guess I'll just chose something else.
Also worth noting, items that create food and water (ring of sustenance, everlasting rations etc.) are banned. Spending spells on Create Food and Water is fine, since that's a resource spent, using items not so much.

My plan is to be a Jack-of-all-Trades, being generally useful and never dead weight. Out of combat, I could be the Healer with Buer, 1d8+8 hp healed as a standard action once every 30 seconds ought to come in handy. Between Buer and Wild Focus, that's a +6 to Survival rolls without ranks spent.
I really, really wish that fractions for Initiator level counted upwards, because then I could go Rogue 1/Fighter 1/something 1/Swordsage 2/Chameleon 3 and be able to choose 2nd level maneuvers from the beginning. WIS to AC in light armor, 2nd level maneuvers, a 3rd level spell, choose two.

I'm seriously considering a single level in Incarnate for even more flexibility, but I'm not sure how much time I'd have to spend each morning getting all my stuff ready.
Chameleon requires an hour of meditation to choose a Focus. It's then unclear if I need to spend another hour meditating for Arcane spell-prepping (since it says the process is identical to how a wizard preps his spells), or if that is included in the first hour of meditation. If I'm going to pick a level in Incarnate and I want to switch my soulmelds, that's another hour. At least the Binding process only takes 2 minutes. So worst-case scenario, it'd take me 3 hours and that's a lot of time. I'm going to ask to see if it all can be condensed into a single hour, in which case I'm definitely taking that level of Incarnate.

[Rebel7284]

What about: Binder 8 // Monster of Legend 7/x1

MoL gives you Cleric 5 casting, incredible attribute boosts, and a selection of abilities including always on spell turning.

[sambojin]

I say it all the time, but it goes double (or triple) here. Choose Illumian for your race (Races of Destiny pg53).

+2CL? Thank you Krau. It will boost the silly amount of spellcasting you get from multiclassed gestalts an even sillier amount.

Tie ALL your spellcasting stats to one stat, Strength or Dex (AeshKrau or UurKrau). Then you can spend that 40pt stat buy in ridiculous ways if you want to. Be a frontliner or a stealthy tumbler or just have good AC and initiative (it's a real pity that it doesn't work with psionics, nor does the +2CL).

You could have mini-meta-magic instead if you want it (NaenHoon). Divine mini-meta-magic at that. Choose the metafeat you want from the Chameleon PrC each day, and power it with turn attempts a couple of times a day. It's extra free resources while you're level capped on spell levels and slots.

Humanoid (Human) subtype. Chameleon PrC should be allowed. Probably. For all intents on racial purposes, you're a human with glowy letters floating around, even if you're an Illumian (Human).

+0LA. Slap on a fun template if you want, or craft extra gubbins with Chameleon bonus feats for whatever items you want.

Illumians are already good (tier 1 or 2 as a race). With gestalt characters they're absolutely friggin ridiculous.

[sambojin]

There's a heap of great items to magic craft, but as long as you throw an 8 (or even 6) skill point class in as your initial level (maybe on both sides), you'll have plenty of points left over for a crafting skill or two as well. It doesn't all have to be magic items.

Don't overlook the little, but incredibly useful, common items. It sounds like a bit of a tough survivalist campaign, so being able to make some stuff from whatever is laying around could be handy at some point. Or an RP thingy for non-combat friend making.

Poisonmaking is an awesome craft skill to give a handy-wavy explanation to why you have all kinds of crap with you at the start too.

My personal favorite is the Potion Bladder from Drows of the Underdark (pg 92). Buy/craft two of them. Do it for everyone if allowed. Probably takes Leatherworking or something. They will thank you. You will use potions in combat at some point. You will brew a heap of them with 5000xp before the campaign. Bring a couple of drink bottles for them.

The Poison Mister is amazing as well. Ingestable poisons used in combat? Yes please. They might get a double save (reflex + poison save), but nary a morsel of food is wasted.

A few pages down (94), there's some nice stuff to put in your mister. Psychotropic Rot is cheap as, and does a reasonable amount of damage. Crappy DC, but what do you expect for that amount of gold?

I've always wondered if you can make masterwork Poison Misters. Or enchant them.

[Janthkin]

There are no dual primary casters in the current applications, but I can sort of understand that. This is the game description:

This game will be a Horror campaign, taking place in the world of Greyhawk. You will have to fight to survive, having little to no time to rest between encounters. Fighting monsters will not be the only challenge that you will face. Conserving resources, fighting off hunger and thirst, and many other challenges await in this titillating tale of terror.

Now, Binder is my favourite class and it gains an additional vestige bound at lvl 8, so there was no question of playing anything else. But coincidentally, they can manage not resting properly far better than any spellcasting class. So if I can't sleep for long enough, I'll just choose Divine Focus and pretend to be a cleric. Heck, if I can't prepare spells since we missed the sunrise, I guess I'll just chose something else.
Also worth noting, items that create food and water (ring of sustenance, everlasting rations etc.) are banned. Spending spells on Create Food and Water is fine, since that's a resource spent, using items not so much.

Sounds like a very interesting premise, though I'd consider Warlock or Dragon Adept for your other half, if you REALLY want to be immune to running out of resources.  And yeah, sounds like a conventional dual caster is going to have to play a little stingy with the resources.  Reserve Feats, I guess?  But divine casters don't require sleep to get their spells back, just prayer at the right time of day.

[Shadowhunter]

I ended up applying with a Binder 8//Rogue 1/Fighter 1/Swordsage 2/Incarnate 4, but I didn't get in among the 25+ applications. I had hoped to enjoy the Burning brand-meteor hammer(rope dart)-Paimon Dance of Death/Whirlwind Attack, but alas, no dice.