character creation system

[esper]

Hi, all. I'm making the character creation process for the next ESPER game, and was wondering if anyone could throw some ideas at me, or tell me what they think of what I have so far.

It will be very unlike most "pen and paper" RPG character creation processes. The game, for those of you who didn't play Town on the Edge of Darkness (shame on you!) is about a group called ESPER (Extraordinary Supernatural Phenomena Explored and Revealed) that investigates claims of the paranormal and occult and ritual crimes. It takes place in modern times.

At first, the player will be asked which they find most important: BODY, MIND, or SPIRIT.
Once they choose, they then must select the most important trait of that attribute.

BODY: Strength (physical power), Agility (manual dexterity and bodily flexibility) or Constitution (Stamina, resilience).

MIND: Intellect (ability to store information), Wisdom (ability to think for oneself, perception), or Psyche (mental or psionic abilities).

SPIRIT: Faith (belief that luck comes from a higher power), Luck (belief that luck comes from Fate), and Will (ability to resist attacks on the mind or spirit).

Once you have chosen, you will be given a class description. The classes are (note: this is one place where I need some help. You'll notice a couple are empty)-

Ã,  Ã, Strength: Hunter- those who attempt to fight the darkness with physical weapons.
Ã,  Ã, Agility: I think something rogueish, but I don't know how to fit it in to this type of game.
Ã,  Ã, Constitution: I have no idea.
Ã,  Ã, Intellect: Investigator- a detective who uses his mind to outwit the unknown
Ã,  Ã, Wisdom: Funker- a "code word" for someone who practices magick.
Ã,  Ã, Psyche: Psionicist: Someone who uses psionic powers.
Ã,  Ã, Faith: Outcast-someone who, once a member of the clergy, has left their religion to battle the unknown. A modern version of the D&D "cleric."
Ã,  Ã, Luck: Skeptic-one who doesn't believe in the unknown, but is thrust unwillingly into battle against it. Although they have no special talents, a skeptic is ruled by luck, and so they get bonuses to almost everything they do.
Ã,  Ã, Will: Victim- one who has been thrust into the thick of evil and is only trying to get out. They, like skeptics, have no special talents, but they can resist the effects of magick, Psi, or evil more than anyone else.

So, what do you think? I would like to make this into a pen and paper RPG along the same vein as Call of Cthulhu, Chill, or the White Wolf World of Darkness games, but I also want to apply these ideas to a computer game. What do you all think, and does anyone have anything to add?

[Gilbert]

The character creation system in RLBAT is the best ever made in the universe!

[esper]

What's RLBAT?

[Nikolas]

I've played a lot of RPGs and I think that this is a fine creation system, on which a game such as yours can be based on.

[Babar]

Hybrids! Please?
When I play a game, I try getting a little of everything. It makes me feel like I'm missing something if I can only solve something in 1 way. Like in the Quest for Glory game, even though I always chose Wizard, I liked fighting with my sword more in some places, climbing places instead of using a "fetch" spell, etc.

Agility: Could be (get ready for cliche) a thief? Someone who doesn't really care about the "Evil", but wants to make money off it? Or a smuggler (Han Solo is the first thing that pops into my mind with the word "rogueish")?

Constitution could be a Miner? No idea how to fit that into your game, though. Geologist type person who's discovered how to create incredibly beautiful gems by trapping spirits in certain rocks, which in turn also provide protection? Although you're "Constitution" person sounds very much like your "Will" person.

[esper]

Hmm. I thought "thief" was cliche too... But then you're idea on his motivation made it all better. I like the idea of a treasure hunter seeking after magickal artifacts.

The miner idea, though: I'm trying to base the game as much on "real" paranormal activity, rather than a fantasy style one. It sounds like an awesome idea for another  RPG, but I don't want to go too "fictitious" here. I think that real things can be scarier than anything we might see in a movie, and that is how I want to make this game... Things that are scary out of real life, I have always thought, would be scarier than anything fake if done properly in a game or movie. Even Psionics and Magick are things you find in real life, just not with enough evidence to back them up. Think of the ESPER world as the real world, only where everything you've ever heard of being possible really is.

I like hybrids too... I think what I might wind up doing is have the character choose his most important attribute in each of the three categories, and make the class based on that. For example, a Strength, Intellect, Luck would be a combination hunter-detective, while a Strength, wisdom, Faith, might be more of a Van Helsing type character, with a little knowledge of magick and the ability to perform exorcisms. I don't know, yet, though...

[Huw Dawson]

For constitution, I'd initially think of something like a barbarian. Seeing as that is a very fantasy idea for here however, I think a "gangster" or "mob" type of person would work better.

IDEA:
Mobster: A turned-around criminal who, although similar to the Hunter,  fights his enemies with primarily with pistols and their bare fists. Has high health but average damage in combat.