newb needs character build advice :P

[Blash]

Because I can't imagine a Paladin without a shield
And, moreover, I play in "iron man" mode, that means no reload and if I die.. end of the game. So I need a better protection.
Anway I found that using the "X" and "Enter" keys mapped near each other on my G11 keyboard is a good solution after some training.

My other doubt is.. Is Skullduggery worthy of being trained if I don't train Lockpick? I mean, can I find a trap while bashing a lock and then be able to disarm it? Or I can find traps only while picking locks?

[Randomizer]

You can find traps on doors and chests, but you usually can disable them by throwing or shooting the object from a safe distance to trigger it. It does take lots of skullduggery to remove the better ones and in an iron man game where you don't reload to avoid bad results you might not want to go that route.

[Kreador Freeaxe]

And, discovering a trap WHILE picking a lock or bashing a door or chest means that you discovered in the hard way--by setting it off.

[Painted Lady]

In reality, you can pretty much survive any traps that you accidentally trigger. The worse that happens is that you need some Cure Disease potion if you catch something nasty. There is also a spell that Mages can cast which does the same thing.

I've never put points into Skullduggery. A little Spot Hidden usually gives you an alert that there is a problem. Then you can use Fire Dart to disable the trap.

[Kreador Freeaxe]

In Book I there are a couple traps that are pretty hard to survive at the time you often find them (and depending on your character's health). For instance, that chest out on the island East of Mary.

With either spot hidden and/or a really good perception, you'll spot most traps with a walk or two around a chest. Just remember to play the Chicago way--save early and save often.

[Blash]

I already wanted to choose Spot Hidden because I love finding hidden doors etc., now I know it will serve another purpose

Anyway, saving often is of no great use since I play iron man; I'm just used to that practice in case of game crashes

Well, in the end I won't train Skullduggery nor Picklock, I'll stick to Spot Hidden and throw an arrow whenever I find a trap

Now I'm ready to start my adventure, thanks to all