Eva Wrote:It gets Mary Sue to me when someone is not only accomplished at multiple talents, but "the best". Much as I'm a fan of keeping things parallel with regard to job/class levels and actual RP skill, I get put off when I see Mr. Hero who can wield an axe or punch things while casting flare spells and curing his party the whole time as he weaves baskets with his feet.
This is a good summary of my own thoughts. Being multi-faceted is fine, but you want to make sure that it's balanced. One approach I've seen that seems to work well is the give/take method. In other words, for everything area you make your character excel in, you make another where they're hopeless, or similar. IE, your character is blessed with the ability to heal through song, but unfortunately he or she also has two left feet and attempting to dance looks more like they're having a seizure than anything artisic. Or perhaps he or she is also accomplished in medicine, but due to so much time spent studying and practicing, social awkwardness abounds.
