New to P99 and looking for tips on starting and SK or Paladin

[Gnomish Elite]

So I'm excited to be back at classic EQ and am just looking on a little input for my first toon back. Used to play a Wood Elf Ranger in classic and wanted to try something a little different but stick to hybrid cause I like spells/warrior play style.

I'm looking to start off as either a Paladin or SK and am wondering what I can expect with roles in groups/raids, as well as solo ability in case I need to resort to it? Also I'm wondering how gear dependent these classes are at least early on, and what races I should consider for each?

I'm looking at Iksar, Gnome, or Dark elf for SK and Dwarf, Half elf, or Gnome for Paladin. Any thoughts on those options? I don't really care about min/maxing but I don't want to be absolutely awful either.

Other than that any other relevant comments or tips are appreciated.