Starting level of seven, gestalt. No single class feature can be advanced at more than the base maximum speed - for example, if you have rogue on one side of the gestalt, and vivisectionist alchemist on the other, you can't advance sneak attack faster than base rogue. The same applies to any single class's spellcasting (so for example wizard and mystic theurge can't advance wizard casting twice at once), animal companion progression, and similar. You take the higher of HD, BAB, save progression, skill points, and gain all class skills and proficiencies from both sides of the gestalt.

For classes, I tend to be pretty permissive, particularly for this. I do want to keep it to first-party material, though. Multiclassing is fine, but please keep it relatively sane; I'd say that probably at least one class should have full advancement or nearly so, and on the other side you can multiclass as needed, as a loose guideline. Prestige classes are fine. I'm not outright banning any classes in this, but I will note that gunslinger is liable to face challenges in getting guns and ammunition, and that arcanist is a class I have a personal distaste for. Summoners should use the Unchained variant, while other classes can use regular or unchained as preferred. Attributes are 27 point buy. HP are max first level, and average thereafter, rounded down at the end if there's a floating. 0.5 on it.

For races, I'm fine with almost all paizo races, including things like specific heritages for aasimar, dhampir, etc. They've done some really silly or bizarre ones over the years (munavri, green Martian, and reptoid come to mind) that I'd prefer to avoid, but broadly speaking you have pretty wide freedom here.

The Background Skills variant rule from Pathfinder Unchained is in use. You can take two traits, or three and a drawback. Everyone gets your choice of Signature Skill or Skill Focus in a skill of your choice as a bonus feat. The Leadership feat, and similar abilities, are banned, as are Sacred Geometry and Arithmancy. If you get Leadership as a bonus feat from something we can work out a replacement; I just prefer to have followers happen as a consequence of story events rather than from the feat.

Everyone gets 23,500 gp to spend. Crafting is fine. I tend to not restrict item availability much, particularly in a setup such as this where there's a high amount of trade and a relatively high proportion of the populace are spellcasters who can do crafting themselves.

Let me know if there are any questions.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:59, Wed 15 Mar 2023.