Just a follow-up to my last post... I haven't had time to even start a new playthrough due to work events, does anyone else know if choosing a kit from the get go in BG1 will limit how much XP or levels I can earn? Thanks very much. I like the idea of a paladin, but if I have to take a kit I just want to know it will unfold smoothly.

In terms of XP or levels there's no difference between being kitted and being unkitted.

Is there a paladin kit that is more useful in BG1 than others? I was thinking of the Inquisitor since I don't know how useful an Undead Hunter would be in BG1 but in BG2 one of the best NPCs is also an Inquisitor.
Here's something else, if I'm planning to play as a Paladin from BG1 onward (probably as a Cavalier), what prevents me from playing as a Barbarian? Is a Barbarian only worth taking as a half-orc? I'm pretty much set on going human. Thanks.