Alfryd:
I have wanted to jump in for a while now but a legion of business kept me busy and / or distracted, sorry. I really like these, especially the quotes.
Your solution to non-human heroes should be interesting. Are non-human heroes their own classes under your system, or they can have any classes ?
Also, have you ever tried running pen and pencil campaigns using your system ? that could be a good way to test it.
If I were to actually run or implement this as an RPG, I'd probably envision this as a classless system with nonlinear progression- i.e, individual skills advancing through practice. The various hero types would represent social backgrounds or training institutions, not intrinsic limits on how a character is subsequently allowed to develop or advance. (I haven't been able to organise a gaming group for some time, however, so it's a little academic.)
As for whether non-human characters could adopt
any class- I've
listed in summary the 'job positions' that I think they'd be
likely to fill, based on natural aptitude or cultural norms- and I'd also
associate peasant vocations with gnomes, townsfolk vocations with dwarves, and nobility vocations with elves. Exceptions might exist, but they'd be in a minority. ...But then again, so are heroes in general.
On the third hand, I have read some
compelling arguments that in order for a detailed setting to work as a genuine basis for interesting free-form stories, it very much helps to have characters that actually 'fit' the location and setting. (This is part of the reason why I've tried to incorporate details on civilian life, precisely so that PCs can, if desired, be appropriately embedded in local geopolitics.)
I have toyed with the notion of just
writing a short story set in the Majesty setting while invitingpublic input on what the protagonist(s) might do, something similar to a Let's Play. If it worked out, I might try to introduce some actual mechanics and perhaps ease some of the 'voters' into contributing passages of their own. But that would be a project for the long term, and most likely a less deserted forum.