[the pickup game] - descriptor tables

[Nev the Deranged]

I recently posted over in AP about "the pickup game", http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=25253.0, and I am doing further thinking about it.

So, I have been fiddling around with a chart to facilitate coming up with descriptor combinations for the imaginatively challenged, or just for fun. It was going well at first, but the more I tried to add, the less well it worked. Here are some of the combos I was coming up with, you can see for yourself how lame most of them are:

Sexy           Woodsman
Humble           Warrior
Traitorous   Parasite
Delusional   Spy
Homocidal   Knight
Scholarly   Tinker
Fearless   Elf
Infected   Seer
Maniacal   Mercenary
Homocidal   Monk
Spacefaring   Outlaw
Alien           Cop
Wanton           Psychic
Cowardly   Necromancer
Humble           Nurse
Barbarian   Heretic
Dwarvish   Tinker
Shamanic   Photographer
Shamanic   Tribesman
Brave           Beastmaster
Wise           Athlete
Insomniac   Doctor
Cursed           Hacker
Angelic           Musician
Infected   Storyteller
Wanted           Botanist
Swashbuckling   King
Undead           Scholar
Bumbling   Assassin
Psychotic   Alien
Flamboyant   Viceroy
Fanatical   Leader
Circus           Shaman
Lost           Lion
Flamboyant   Knight
Reluctant   Superhero
Brave           Merchant
Manipulative   Pilot
Manipulative   Mime
Pirate           Demon
Paranoid   Zealot
Vengeful   Sidekick

There are a few interesting ones in there, and granted, what interests you might not interest me, and vice versa.

But I was thinking about it, and I think I know what the problem is. To me, a combination really only grabs me if it is a combination of one "mundane" term and one "exotic" term. Like, "Reluctant Superhero" is way more interesting than "Reluctant Cop", although certainly someone could probably make a story about a reluctant cop really neat, it's just not grabby to me.

Thing is, I don't know if I'm the best judge of which terms are "mundane" and which are "exotic". Basically right now I have an A column and a B column, and what I want to do is color all the "mundane" terms in both columns blue, and the "exotic" ones red, and maybe ones that could go either way purple. And, basically, I'm looking for feedback on which should be which. Some of them are obvious, others not so much, hence my desire for outside opinions. Ideas on doing it a completely different way are also welcome.

Here are the lists:

A
Absent-Minded
Addicted
Adventuring
Afflicted
Alien
Ancient
Angelic
Artistic
Athletic
Avaricious
Barbarian
Blind
Brave
Brilliant
Bumbling
Cantankerous
Circus
Clever
Cowardly
Cursed
Delusional
Demonic
Determined
Disciplined
Disgraced
Dwarvish
Elemental
Elvish
Exiled
Fallen
Famous
Fanatical
Fearless
Flamboyant
Gunslinging
Half-Blooded
Haunted
Heretical
Heroic
Holy
Homocidal
Honest
Honorable
Humble
Immortal
Infamous
Infected
Insecure
Insomniac
Juggling
Lost
Mad
Magical
Maniacal
Manipulative
Mercenary
Musical
Mutant
Ninja
Obsessive
Outlaw
Paranoid
Parasitic
Persecuted
Pious
Pirate
Psychic
Psychotic
Refugee
Reluctant
Robotic
ROLL AGAIN ON TABLE A
Scheming
Schizophrenic
Scholarly
Sexy
Shamanic
Singing
Sneaky
Spacefaring
Stealthy
Storytelling
Student
Swashbuckling
Thoughtful
Traitorous
Tribal
Undead
Vengeful
Vicious
Villainous
Wandering
Wanted
Wanton
Warrior
Wealthy
Wise
Witless
Wrathful

B
Zealot
Writer
Woodsman
Witch
Warrior
Wanderer
Vigilante
Viceroy
Undead
Tribesman
Tinker
Thief
Teacher
Swordsman
Superhero
Student
Storyteller
Spy
Sorcerer
Soldier
Singer
Sidekick
Shaman
Servant
Seer
Scout
Scientist
Scholar
Schizophrenic
Samurai
Sailor
ROLL AGAIN ON TABLE B
Robot
Refugee
Psychic
Prostitute
Prince/ss
Priest/ess
Pirate
Pilot
Photographer
Parasite
Outlaw
Nurse
Ninja
Necromancer
Mutant
Musician
Monk
Minion
Mime
Messenger
Merchant
Mercenary
Magician
Lion
Librarian
Leader
Knight
King
Juggler
Inventor
Immortal
Hunter
Highwayman
Heretic
Healer
Hacker
Gunslinger
Ghost
Gardener
Freak
Fanatic
Explorer
Ex-Cop
Emperor
Elf
Elemental
Dwarf
Doctor
Divinator
Detective
Demon
Demigod
Courtier
Cop
Chef
Cheerleader
Carpenter
Botanist
Beastmaster
Barbarian
Athlete
Assassin
Artist
Angel
Alien
Agent
Actor

This is a somewhat ancillary endeavor to the game itself, which really doesn't need any such chart to be played, but I think that if I can work it out, it might be an interesting enough tool on its own.

Thanks,

D.