Carnifex
SasqWatch
I admire your zeal on avoiding mage-types, as I do the very same thing. This certainly can be done with any of the wizardry games, although it is a pass less taken. Bard is a solid pick, and the ninja can solve your thieving conundrums, albeit a bit slower. The samurai/ninja duo is quite powerful, and should serve you well. Whatever you choose, if you find any class not pulling their respective weight, just try another till you get a group that functions for you.