First Character: Human Melee/Magic

[cyrxi]

I just stumbled on to Wyvern a few days ago and it seems like it's going to be pretty cool - the website definitely has a ton of info which is awesome, but I haven't found much info on builds (or even how much to put into certain skills).

I originally made a halfling and was leaning toward ranged/magic, but after reading some more I think I'm going to make a new human character to start off and "get into" the game.

I generally play mage characters, but I figured it's going to be easier to learn (and play) with a character who has good fighting ability. I would love to do a 50/50 Melee/Magic type character if it's viable, but I can definitely lean more toward Melee with just a smattering of magic if the 50/50 build will hold me back too much.

Questions:
Is it viable to train a weapon up high enough to overcome to penalties of joining the Mage Guild later?
If not, is it worthwhile to use a staff (seems like the only weapon that doesn't get penalized)?
Or am I better off using a sword, forgoing death magic, and going for the Paladin Guild?
Or, do I not need to worry about a guild, and if so, what's the best weapon type to start training for?

Edit: I should probably note that I am coming from a MUD background here, which is why Wyvern seems "pretty cool" to me.