Just tossing out a few ideas...

Some ideas to try and get classes to stand out more.

Warriors can choose to either specialize in a weapon or to grab Weapon Mastery to become more versatile. For specialization, it only works on the weapon you chose to use in character creation. However, when you hit 100% on that weapon, a new option becomes learnable - Weapon Focus. After mastering that at 100%, a final option comes up - Weapon Specialization. These are boosts to that weapon, and ONLY that weapon. If you chose Axes, then it's axes. Those who chose versatility, however, unlock a different path. Instead of Weapon Focus and Specialization, due to the versatile nature they get when learning about all weapons as opposed to a single one, perhaps they could get Improved Parry, as well as maybe a counter move once that's mastered.

In a nutshell, they should be more about skillful fighting.

Bashkhars would act more like berserkers. They'd have special abilities they could learn that would only activate when under the effects of Berserk/Frenzy. These abilities range from passive abilities that increase damage or evasion, to abilities that you have to activate. Example could be Cleave, which has a lower accuracy, but hits harder than a normal attack (with cooldown time between uses, of course).

In a nutshell, they should be more about a brute-strength style of fighting.

The 'rivalry' between the two types is still there, only it's more of a Strength VS Skill kind of rivalry.

Avari and Noldor elves should be fused. Perhaps just call them "High Elves" or something. If not, then change their and xp penalties so that they're actually different. Perhaps the Avari could be stronger, while the Noldor more wise.

Magic CON can be useful if we have CON factor into Poison and Plague damage. The higher the con, the lower the damage. Alternatively, a chance to recover from the effects (though I prefer the reduced damage myself).

Shields really need to be split into several types. After all, not all shields are the same.

Bucklers could focus on DB, but don't have much on AC and aren't that great for bashing.
Tower/Wall Shields could focus on AC, give decentish DB, but won't be that great for bashing - they'd push more than damage.
A third type could focus on bashing. It'd have mediocre at best defensive boosts, but would have pretty good bashing power.

Not all skills and spells should be learnable at character creation. Some should require the mastry of a certain skill before it can be learned. Furthermore, some support skills could be introduced to boost skills that exist. For example, if you master Bash, you could elect to spend your hard earned trains on "Improved Bash", which acts as a boost to bash's power. These things could and SHOULD be limited by Level, Race, and Class, of course (Hobbits learning Improved Bash? Ha ha... no. Improved Trip, sure, but not bash.), but a lot of what could be added should require 100% of a certain skill (or set of skills) before it can be learned.

For the improved parry I mentioned earlier, it'd need BOTH Parry and one weapon skill at 100%. It'd only kick in when checking to parry either vs or with that weapon - you can't train it with a weapon that's not 100%, since it won't activate. With Weapon Focus, if you started with, say, Spear, then you'd need Spear at 100% before it'd show up. If you get it, then start using another type of weapon, not only do you not benefit from the skill, but as you didn't choose to specialize in that skill at character creation, you cannot learn a Weapon Focus skill for that weapon.

Let's say Alienne has mastered Sword and Parry (which she has). As she did NOT get Weapon Mastery at character creation, Improved Parry does not show up. However, Weapon Focus does. She spends trains to learn it, and gets it to 86%. Then for some strange stupid reason, she learns how to use Flails. Even at 100% in flail, she cannot gain a Weapon Focus for that, and Weapon Focus will not affect that. She cannot learn Improved Parry either, since she didn't chose Weaponmaster at character creation - it's one or the other.

There should be many skillsets and spellsets that use this - that focus on branching paths. You'd have to choose how you build your character wisely.

Another example... a Mage could get each elemental law. Upon hitting 100% on each of the elemental bolts, a new spell can be learned via trains, Mana Bolt. It'd be basically a non-elemental magic bolt, stronger than lightning bolt (and learned at a higher level, of course). However, if they only got a single elemental law, then upon hitting 100% on one of those spells, they could learn "Improved Spell". In the case of, say, Shock Bolt, it'd be "Improved Bolt" This would boost the power of the spell (for Lightning Bolt, despite also being in that series, it's not effected until it hits 100%).

It would be interesting to see different people focus on different aspects of the various classes.

Another minor idea could be:

Lesser Ring of Detection - pretty much grants all the detection effects (detect good, magic, evil, hidden, etc). Level 25
Ring of Detection - same as lesser ring, but it's a Level 50 ring (and as such, Level 50 spell effects)
Greater Ring of Detection - same as above, only Level 75

They'd have no stat boosts. Not something you'd use in combat, but it'd be a nice trinket just to have lying around.

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