CHARACTER CREATION:

Characters start at level 1. Most will not live to see level 2, and some of those that do might even survive to go on to level 3. Those who reach level 4 or above will be adjudged mighty indeed.

Stats are to be rolled using 4d6 (drop lowest) 7 times, arranging the best 6 results as desired.

Once you have been accepted to the game and have rolled your stats, choose a faction. There are many factions within the game-world, and most of them are not open to new PCs (at least, not at first).

Your choice of starting faction determines your character's race. Most factions are further divided into sub-factions, which must also be specified at character creation.

Sub-factions occupy one or more faction strongholds, which are areas where different groups within a given faction hold power. This is not necessarily a literal stronghold, but rather an area of influence within which a given faction is dominant.

Each stronghold is treated separately for the purpose of how Honour, Fame, and Reputation (among other things) are handled, though different strongholds belonging to the same (sub-)faction are linked in this regard. How great the effect of this linking is varies from place to place and faction to faction.

The starting PC factions and sub-factions are as follows (follow the links for more information from the game wiki):

Humans
  Lokrenian
  Ardryn
  Lantari
  Half-orcs*
Elves
  High
  Wood
  Wild
  Half-elves*
Halflings
  Tallfellows
Gnomes
  Forest
Dwarves*
  Hill

* These (sub-)factions have no strongholds in the starting region. Hill dwarves have strongholds beyond the Forest of Piges. The half-caste races have no strongholds at all and do not form true sub-factions. If you choose to play a half-caste race, you must choose another sub-faction from within your racial faction, to represent your parentage. Half-elves may choose either a human or elven sub-faction (but not both).

Next, pick a class. Most canon classes are available for play in this game, but if I am not familiar with the source material for a given class and it is going to involve a lot of time and effort on my part to get up to speed on the way a class works, it will not be permitted. I simply don't have the time or the motivation for that these days.

What this means, up front, is that Magic of Incarnum classes will not be permitted in this game. This is not the only restriction on canon classes, but it is probably the most important to mention right away. Please do not ask me if you can play an Incarnum class, or use any of the Incarnum rules. The answer is no.

No third-party classes are permitted, nor are classes or class-variants from other editions of D&D.

Once you have a faction, race, and class, carry on as usual with character creation, but do not roll starting gold or purchase equipment. Because of the nature of the game, you will start with nothing but the clothes on your back - any required equipment or materials must be gathered during play.

I think the only house rule that I need to mention up front concerns the Dodge feat. This grants a constant +1 AC bonus in all circumstances where you are not denied your Dex bonus to AC, rather than only applying to a single attacker, since, in my estimation, not only is the latter mechanic a colossal nuisance, it also devalues the feat to the point of being an unworthy use of a feat slot.