I tend to seperate the roles into two areas: Expertise and Personality...
Expertise wise I prefer 2 types: Johnny One Skill - someone who is a master at doing that one thing, but he's not so good at anything else; and the Jack of All Trades - someone is second or third best at doing everything. I rarely play the "Wizard" the guy who is great at everything, I think that's boring.
Personality:
Loveable Rogue - not necessarily charming, though they might be, but more endearing. When they get into trouble, which they always do, it's laughed off. They also have a tendency towards failure, which puts a blunt edge on any cutting they might do inter-party wise.
Stone Cold Killer - They don't like killing (okay sometimes they do), they are just ready to do it. They prefer when things go "according to plan" and violence is minimized, but when killing has to be done, it's done. No fuss, no muss, no second thoughts. They are also not above causing pain to achieve their goals.
Tarnished Paladin - Sometimes they lost Faith in the why of "why the war is being fought" but they haven't lost sight of the cause. They no longer fight because they belive, they fight because they have to, because no one else will. Usually they lost something or someone important during the war, their ideals or a loved one. He is still fighting the good fight, but now he's questioning his motives, or questioning his tactics. Probably still above committing "wrongs" in the causes name, but likely has at least once.
Exuberantly Heroic - Often a younger (early twenties or even teenage) "do-gooder" who launches selflessly headlong at problems. Often their only tool is a hammer, so every problem is a nail. They can grow into the other three types above pretty easily depending on how a campaign goes...
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"Race" wise? I tend towards Elves in a fantasy setting, though I'm not above playing other types.
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