Ok so the way me and my crew do this is Round Robin Campaign design. I will either select a module path or stand alone module and then after mine is done I will trade off with another and my DMPC becomes a regular PC so we all try to make our characters well balanced for falling back or leading the charge.
I am homebrewing a campaign currently though starting at level 5. Because its just me and two others we tend to Gestalt alot to add an increase in our power output (Again we normally do modules and some are ment to be with a few more people or expect the stock Mage, Cleric, Fighter, and Rogue party set up)
Well I was gonna run a Kasatha Monk 2(Kata Master of Many Styles)/Warpriest (Sacred Fist) 3//Barbarian (Serene Barbarian) 5
And focus solely on Unarmed Combat.
But my one friend wants to use Guns, advanced guns like revolvers and so forth, so I think he will be good with a ranged or semi ranged build but I want to be sure I am not overwhelming his character because of my four attacks (Four arms)
The other is likely going to play a Swashbuckler and something else. (She tends to favor healers or rogues).
My game starts with the two of them as bought bodyguards for a caravan of merchants crossing a very large desert where the Kasatha hold control over several of the Oasis' and must barter and trade with them to allow you to stop and rest there as well as buy supplies off them left by other travelers (A little different then the Kasatah from the book I know). Very honor bound and the guy leading the merchants is a bit of a mouthy jerk who might get them into trouble. This is also were the DMPC gets deployed, as a guide to the end of the desert at the very least.
But is this idea of an unarmed fighter throwing 4 attacks at level 5, too much? Now with 10500 I can buy a lot of gear, including a Agile (or Guided) Amulet of Mighty Fist. And a Corresponding Belt or Headband for most of my gold. But like I said I want him to be valid later on, but not too powerful right now.