I will point out, Shuriken, that many of the mental disorders you give PC's are not the mark of an insane mind, but rather the result of a formerly sane person in an insane situation.
Why are so many PC's afraid to take of their armor? Because doing so is often followed by the words "Roll for Initiative."
Why do PC's get so suspicious of everyone? That is another learned behavior. One DM I have played under managed to get the party to in unison to decide that we would kill any gnome who ever shows up, period. Why? Because every single gnome he ever had appear was going to stab us in the back, make every saving throw, and drive us all crazy fighting illusions that never allowed a saving throw in return. Needless to say, I will never again be part of a gaming group that has this guy as a player, much less one that is foolish enough to allow him behind the screen.
i guess you are right. they start sane, as soon as they take thier first class level, they are risking the loss of sanity.
thier lives are very dangerous, insanity will soon develop, even the tagalong child will eventually become a sociopath upon recieving her first magic item.
Actually, what you described is a very common occurrence in games where the DM acts like he is competing against the players. Thankfully, I don't have to put up with such nonsense when I play anymore.
I will never again play under a DM who thinks he has to "win."
And I will have much more fun because of it.
And back on topic, there are several ways to approach how PC's are measured against the "normal people."
Are the PC's merely normal people with class levels? Personally, I get to be a normal person in everyday life, so I don't like being the crapped upon guy when I game.
Are the PC's practically demi-gods compared to everyone else? Without a good DM, this often becomes like playing a video game with a cheat code. Fun for a little while, but it gets old quick.
My group tends to take a middle ground. Most of the PC's are exceptional people, but aside from slightly higher stats, more levels, and cooler equipment, they aren't all that much different from everyone else. They are more like the players from the Trojan War (aside from that guy who could only be killed by a shot to the ankle) than the great heroes of old. Capable of doing things others would balk at, but not the truly crazy tings such as slicing mountains in half with a sword stroke or anything.
depends on level, i guess your middle ground uses kenshin himura (or the equivalent) as a measuring stick. he's not like achilles or anything, but he is powerful enough to pose a serious threat to a swat team should he turn. luckily he doesn't. though he does get pretty close against equivalent foes.
I'm not sure who your example is, to be honest.
But, yes, IMO the PCs should be people like Hector, Jason, any of the Arthurian knights aside from Mallory's Lancelot (who you need at least the 10 next best fighters in the world to attack him all at once to have a chance), and so on.
have you seen Rurouni Kenshin? the guy may be no lancelot as he does have equally powerful opponents, any magicians are smoke and mirrors. but common cannon fodder he knocks down pretty quick, without even inflicting a killing blow, as he made a vow to never kill again before the series starts, to atone for his past as a murderer. he would be probably a 5th-8th level swordsage. who somehow aqcuired the ability to finesse a katana (his has a reversed blade as to soften the blows and prevent death)
PCs do have ay least some kind of disorder.
all pc's are manic sociopaths with a lust for power, a desire to kill, intense avarice, a constant need for thrills, too much free time, an unrivaled arrogance, sadism, sadomasochism, a need for glory, a desire to be remembered for eternity to come, intense sexual urges, extreme suspicion of every living thing, an intense personal image of self they have to maintain in various ways, a phobia or bathing, sleeping, or any other act that would involve removing thier magical gear, a fear of constant pursuit, intense depravity, a constant need to keep a powerful cleric with them at all times, a feeling of inadequacy, and godlike levels of megalomania. a pc may have additional disorders as well.
Aside from overt depravity, this is a gem for its hidden truths. Some attributable to just PC paranoia (which can be measured by character level, btw). Does your Sorcerer say grace before each meal, or does he detect poison? And common folk should fear them (even though in the fantasy world the common folk absolutely need them). There is a great divide....