This is a bit of a radical solution...
Why don't you simply REMOVE strength and agility entirely and make the skills the sole determinants in a players stats?
Currently, the two attributes perform two [and a half] functions.
1. Hedging the maximum that a player can invest in a given skill
2. Strength - Increased Melee weapon damage, increased HP, Agility - Increased movement speed, increased melee speed
3. For Strength, certain melee weapons are restricted if the player lacks the
Now for the second one, all of the core functions of strength and agility are already subsumed under all of the skills...
Strength simply bolsters attributes covered by Powerstrike and iron flesh, and agility bolsters attributes already covered by athletics and weapon mastery. So in the process of eliminating strength and agility you bolster the
This wouldn't directly solve the problem of strength being the more effective attribute than agility, but it would make it easier to balance the strength based skills with the agility based builds, since the skills are no longer being proxied by anything.
I imagine a player's access to Armor be determined by their iron flesh instead of their strength. A player's access to melee weapons would be dependent upon either weapon proficiency or Power strike would vary depending on the weapon in question. For example;
Weapon Proficiency; All one handed Swords, Lighter Two handed swords [Katana, longsword, Bastard Sword] One handed picks, 'Lighter' spears [Warspear and red tassel spear for example]
Power Strike; Maces, Heavy Twohanded weapons [Mauls, large two handed swords, and large polearms]
