Thanks all for the input. I'll definitely check out that book V. We are aiming for making something skill-based so that it's more customizable. I've never enjoyed class/level based games much because it's always so limiting.

Dust, you are one crazy mother. I worked part-time pretty much my whole time through school. I had the GI Bill to help me out with finances too.

"Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat." - Marcus Tullius Cicero