[Sir Mandorallen]

Instead of "brute strength", why not use subterfuge? I mean sure a barbarian can proboly lift up the computer you are typing on and the desk, and hell most likely your printer too, and throw them across the room, but a assasin with a poisend blade could sneak up on the lumbering oaf and slide his blade into the barbarian's back...

WHAM!! The barbarian who was all muscle falls to the floor more dead than a door-nail!

And adressing the area of powerful weapons... there are plenty of short-swords out there that are specificly made for assasin-type characters, and (of course!) an assasin gets the theving skills.