Rules
Welcome, contestants, judges, and guests to Iron Chef. Here in Optimization Colosseum, contestants will endeavor to create an optimized and flavorful character using a specified D&D3.5 prestige class as a "Secret Ingredient".
Contestants: You will need to present your build at at least one of the following points: 5th level, 10th level, 15th, 20th, and a "sweet spot" that you feel is the high point of the build. Feel free to present as many of these as you like, and please give a rundown of the build's abilities and playability at all of the levels you didn't show. The rules are as follows:
Menu: For most challenges, the "special ingredient" will be drawn from Core plus Completes. There will, from time to time, be special challenges that showcase secret ingredients from other books--for example, the XPH.
32 point-buy is the presumed creation method, but we have generally allowed other levels of point-buy.
If you do use a different point-buy, please make your case for its necessity in your entry. Keep in mind that for using exceptionally large or small point-buys may warrant deductions in elegance and/or power.
Kitchen: 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. Alternate rule systems from UA such as gestalt are not allowed, as they create a different playing field. Also, item familiars are forbidden because I hate 'em.
Cooking Time: Contestants will have until the last day of April to create their builds and email them to nyxironchef@gmail.com. Builds will then be posted simultaneously, to avoid copying.
Judging: Judging will be based on the following criteria, with each build rated from 1 (very poor) to 5 (exemplary) in each area: Originality, Power, Elegance, Use of Secret Ingredient.
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, will lose you points.
I am going to have to ask the contestants to PM me about any disagreement with the judges. Under no circumstances is a contestant to defend themselves inside the thread, since it breaks anonymity.
Presentation: Builds will be posted anonymously, in order to avoid the potential of bias towards a particular competitor. For this reason, please don't put your name in the build, as I'm likely to miss it when reviewing the entries!
Due to concerns about standardizing entry format, I'd like everyone to try to use the following table for their entry - see separate tab.
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)
For other systems (Psionics, ToB, Incarnum, etc.) keep track of PP/maneuvers/essentia separately, preferably in a nice neat list.
Speculation: Please don't post or speculate on possible builds until the "reveal," in order to avoid spoiling the surprise if a particular competitor is producing a build along those lines.
Leadership is banned; we're producing a meal, not a seven-course banquet for a hundred diners.
LA buyoff might result in lower scoring for elegance. If you really need to use it, explain in the build, why is it crucial.
So! Who wants to sign up as a contestant, and who wants to sign up as a judge? Looking for about 5 judges and as many contestants as feel like playing!
Template for class progression
NAME OF ENTRY
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features
1st|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
2nd|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
3rd|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
4th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
5th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
6th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
7th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
8th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
9th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
10th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
11th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
12th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
13th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
14th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
15th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
16th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
17th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
18th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
19th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities
20th|New Class Level|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|
+x
|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities[/table]
Template for spell progression
Spells per day/Spells Known
{table=head]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|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-[/table]