Almost any race or class is fair game as long as it comes from a D&D 3.5 sourcebook. If it's something I'm not familiar, I'll need to review it prior to approval, but its unlikely you'll have any trouble. Meanwhile, as a rule, I do not allow races, classes, spells, etc from third party sourcebooks, such as Sword and Sorcery or Mongoose. I may make an exception if given the chance to review the request, but it is unlikely.

Background is essential. Please tell me who your character is, where he or she is from, what his or her childhood was like. Friends, family, associates, any backstory at all. I can work this into the game and make things interesting for you. Moreover, it causes your character to be more than simply numbers and statistics on a character sheet, it makes him or her more of a real, fleshed out person. I will award bonus experience for this.

Because I look at the experience system and leveling up as a way to measure what your character has learned over the course of using the abilities he learned to do his trade, I don't have characters train prior to being able to gain a level. A wizard is apprenticed and taught for years and years until he learns his trade, just like a blacksmith or a farmer learns his profession. Then, the wizard uses his skills and abilities, learning from real life experience and practice to improve himself and his abilities. Experience is the best teacher, they always say--and this is represented through experience points. It's actually a gradual thing, however the system isn't set up for gradual investments into individual abilities, so you simply level up when you get enough experience to do so. However, this does not apply when multiclassing. When taking the first level in a class that you haven't already been taught, you're learning something entirely new! Whether its a base class or a prestige class, you'll need to seek out someone who can show you the ropes. Downtime will ensue and you will train in the new class. After this point you'll be able to advance normally.

I use the traits and flaws as listed in Unearthed Arcana. I suggest that everyone invest in at least one trait or flaw, as they help to round out characters. If you wish to create your own trait or flaw, there are guidelines for doing so and I will be happy to work with you to accomodate your request.

Speaking of experience. I award experience almost exactly like the DMG suggests. Experience is largely based on overcoming encounters. Those encounters may be enemies, they may be traps or puzzles, or they may be diplomatic challenges. An encounter could be most anything that the PCs have to succeed at that is critical to the group. I also award story experience/mission experience, as well as roleplaying experience. The better you're roleplaying your character, the more you put into the effort, the higher the award will be.

I use the point buy system for character creation, with a 28 point pool to spend for ability scores. If you're not familiar with the system, then you can find it either in the Dungeon Master Guide on pg 169, or on the character creation section I've provided.

I want to be clear about the rule of 1's and 20's. If you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll, ability check or saving throw, it's an automatic failure. A natural 20 on these checks is automatic success. On a natural 20 with an attack roll, you also score a critical threat, which may become a critical hit. You roll the die again and add your attack bonus. If the number you score hits your enemy's AC, then the hit is a critical hit. On the other hand, a 1 is simply a miss. There is no critical failure. Meanwhile, on skill checks, the rule of failing on a natural 1 and succeeding on a natural 20 doesn't apply. You always add your score in the skill to the roll to determine success or failure.

This isn't really a house rule, but bears mentioning. These are options that are often forgotten, but very useful. As a general rule, unless stated otherwise, taking 10 can't be used in combat or when under pressure and taking 20 never can. Otherwise, if you have to make a skill check and you're relatively sure that you can succeed, you may take 10. Basically, you don't try extra hard, just take your time and do average. It's as if you've rolled a 10 and then you add your skill modifier. On the other hand, when there are no consequences for failure, you can take 20 on a skill check. You basically take a long time working at succeeding, failing many times before you get it right. Mechanically, you take 20 times a long to make the check, then assume you rolled a 20 on the die and add your modifier to it. You couldn't use it to climb a cliff because there would be consequences for failure, but you could use it to pick a tricky lock by taking your time.

Death from massive damage is a standard rule. However, I use the massive damage variant rule. What this means is that when a certain amount of damage is taken in a single strike, there is a chance that the character or monster will die from that wound instantly. When a single strike deals a certain amount of damage the creature must make a Fortitude save DC 15 or die. The amount of damage is determined by the size of the creature.

Fine: 10, Diminuitive: 20, Tiny: 30, Small: 40, Medium: 50, Large: 60, Huge: 70, Gargantuan: 80, Colossal: 90

Most of this is just part of the standard rules, however, I want to lay it out in simple terms so that there's no confusion. I'm also expanding upon it slightly. If a character is reduced to -10 hit points or more and dies, but the body is still available and fresh enough, it may be raised with a Raise Dead spell.

However, since the Raise Dead spell specifies that the body is not restored completely if it is not entirely intact, there will be a chance of permanent deformity or even a chance that the spell cannot raise the person. If the character is -20 or more hit points at the time of death, or is otherwise mutilated afterward a random roll will be made on the chart below:

1-5: Head- 20% chance injuries are too great to raise via Raise Dead. If raised, subject loses 2 points of Int, Wis or Cha.

6-10: Arm- 20% chance one arm is lost entirely. If not, then arm or hand is mangled or damaged severely enough that it is difficult to use. -4 penalty on any checks that require the use of that arm.

11-15: Leg- 20% chance that one leg is lost entirely. If not, then character is left with a permanent limp severe enough to slow movement speed by 10. In addition, the character may take a double-move, but may not run.

16-20: Torso- 20% chance that injuries are too severe to raise via Raise Dead. If raised, subject loses 2 points of Str, Dex, or Con.

Any ability score losses are in addition to the lost level or lost Con associated with the spell. In addition, a character slain by a magical death affect, such as Symbol of Death or Finger of Death may not be raised by this spell or Reincarnate. The useful thing about Reincarnate, however, is that it does allow the resurrection of a character who is below -20 without any penalties or chance of failure, since an entirely new body is created. In fact, only a small portion of the body is needed, like with the spell Resurrection.

So, to sum up:

Raise Dead- Cannot raise characters killed by death effects and the body must be intact and above -20 HP or there will be permanent deformity if the spell succeeds at all. As per normal, the character loses one level or 2 Con if at level 1 at time of death.

Reincarnate- Can bring back a character as long as the character was not killed by a death effect and some portion of the body remains. As per normal, the character loses one level or 2 Con if at level 1 at time of death. Also, its ability scores are adjusted for the new race the character becomes.

Resurrection- Can bring back a character as long as a small portion of the body remains. As normal, the character loses 1 level or 2 Con if level 1 at the time of death.

True Resurrection- No worries. Death is a minor setback for this spell. The dead can be returned to life with no penalties, without even a portion of the body, even after decades. Cheesy, but expensive.