Be prepared to adjust your stat plan as you upgrade equipment and get various bonuses, or find a particular attribute either lacking or not.
Like Senior Cinco, I would focus a lot more on strength than dexterity at first. Getting the occasional critical hit that doubles damage probably isn't going to help as much as consistently doing a bit more damage. I have not checked what the damage or critical hit chance effect is per stat point in DKS, though.
Equipment bonuses and enchantments can provide a lot of hit points later in the game, so eventually you will be able to stop boosting vitality.
You shouldn't need very much mana, at least at the start of the game. In D2:ED, with a melee warrior I got my spirit up to 5 and mid game learned Mana Efficiency, and had no trouble with running out of mana. Currently, playing an archer on nightmare, level 2, I only have spirit at 1, but frequently casting Poison Arrow for tough fights (ie a couple level 4 opponents, or a large group of level 2-4 opponents) I have not had any mana problems yet.
In D2:ED I tried Thousand Strikes late in the game, but didn't really need it. In DKS it may work great with unarmed combat, but don't invest a bunch of skill points early in the game for something you may or may not use late in the game. After the beginning of the game, keep a few stat points in reserve, so you can boost spirit (etc) if you need to.
I never tried Fatality or Death Blow. Some people like Fatality, but I don't see much point to it, other than certain special circumstances. Death Blow seems like a good idea, if you have skill points left over after maxing Bleed, etc.
In D2:ED I put one point in Evade, which helped, but didn't like the return on investment for higher levels (10% chance for level 1, +5% for subsequent levels). Even if the effects are the same in DKS, if you start taking a lot of damage and can not boost your own damage, a better defense should help.
I saved and tried Battle Rage in D2:ED, and thought it should be useful to cast before heading into difficult fights or larger groups. I kept going, rather than reload, and never cast the spell again (didn't relearn it after reskilling once I got the battle tower). If you don't mind the constant upkeep, or would remember to use it for tough fights, then it would help.
