I went with two handed weapons (swords and bow/crossbow), so didn't bother with shields (though I did use one handed swords and clubs in act 1).
For bows/crossbows I would max Reload Time and put a few points in Point Blank, but for weapon expertise such as Two Handed Slashing, I just put a point into the damage bonus and a couple into accuracy.
Character Build help... /
Warrior Character Build + questionRepair is handy, but not really essential. If you keep a decent backup weapon on each character, you could probably get by without it (I had to repair bows/crossbows noticeably more often than swords, though still not frequently, and don't recall needing to repair any armour).
Identify I maxed as it became available if I had the skill points to spare, or as I started running into higher level items, so I could tell what I was looting as soon as possible. I don't think I would want to have to do a mass identify and sort session periodically, from neglecting Identify.
Lockpick is handy for looting, but not essential. There are doors and chests that require a key or lever to open, and can not be lockpicked.
Sharpen is another handy support skill, to give some types of weapons a damage bonus, assuming your characters have a high enough agility to use a sharpened weapon.
Near the end of the game I maxed Alchemy to make 6 permanent potions (got 1 holy water from a quest, and once had the BF merchants each offer one). A level or two of the Combine subskill will let you mix small or medium restoration potions.
I also upgraded my summoning dolls very near the end of the game, using the DK's skill points (the point of the plot is to escape and get separated, after all, so the DK isn't around for the after game BF). Until then I never bothered, as they are not that tough even when upgraded, and you can un-summon / re-summon them if you need them to move more than their base range. The act 1 doll can equip a crossbow, so can provide good support for tough battles if kept out of melee fights.
On the second level of the game you will find a spellbook that teaches the healing spell. I found it quite handy to heal up after a battle, or even sometimes during battle if I wanted to conserve potions (though they are much more available in the patched game once you get access to the BF). I did use the skill throughout the game (though it becomes less important), but never put more than those two skill points in for either character. Potions are faster, and during battle you pretty much need to have a character move away from any melee fights (even just a couple steps) in order to take the time to cast the spell without receiving a bunch of extra damage (usually one character is fine by themselves for a short time, though).
I used passive resistance bonuses (from equipment, etc), but no resistance spells. Such spells / buffs may be useful, especially going into tough fights, but I didn't find them necessary.
Some early stat distribution is described in the topic
Killing Fergus. The math appendix of the
Beyond Divinity Strategy Guide goes into more detail about the secondary stats and gives some general advice on stat distribution.
More effective and mana efficient spells, especially shaman magic, start to become available in act 2. I played around with a couple spells, but not enough to know how well they would work as a primary attack method (I don't generally play mages).
