Jerry: First, these characters I want, and want to keep. So the paladin is a no-go for the first char because of xp penalties. Also, I want to have a rogue/bard, so it will be not all rogue.
Marty: I know that int rule for mages. I was planning to use Shield and Mirror Image for when the fighter can't wear armor effectively anymore. A 24 Dex with a +7 bonus from shield would do nice I guess
Also, could you inform me a bit about that crossbow? I would like one but I hate the problem that you cannot shoot more than one bolt in a round.