My first start was with Fane; but that was mostly just getting the hang of things. My second start has Fane as a party member; main as a custom male (Knight .. totally badass.. just waiting for that perfect 2h Hammer) - and it's going better.
That said, I think I will start a custom undead and grab Fane from the get go; then focus on Rain/Contam and poison potions and weapons. Just to see what it's like. :>

I love the idea of the R/C combo because it heals and causes a lot of damage at the same time. Will need to see how it plays out though.