Arch Mage with a Holy Symbol mule is what I would go for personally. Either way, having a mage is so beneficial in the long run that I would recommend making one anyway even if it isn't your first character. Else, a Hero is always a good choice. Great damage both for bossing as well as mobbing and no washing needed (and if you wanted to wash, a Hero is one of the easiest classes to wash).
Probably, since you'll need to wash some in order to zerk at HT. Heroes have the added bonus of having cheaper skillbooks (Brandish 30 is a fraction of the cost of Berzerk 30).