About turning undead: If you're playing a good-aligned
paladin,, they turn undead three levels lower than a cleric of the same level would.
Let's say you have a level 20 cleric and a level 20 paladin in your party, both trying to use turn undead on a lich. The cleric has a chance of blowing the lich to kingdom come, since the cleric's turn undead ability is the same level as he/she is, 20. The paladin, on the other hand, turns undead at three levels lower than the cleric, even though they're the same level. So the paladin turns undead at level 17, even though he/she's 20. The paladin needs to be level 23 before he/she can start exploding liches.
(Note that this is just for blowing up undead. A level 20 paladin can still cause undead to flee, and fleeing undead can't cast spells.
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Coolest stronghold quest: This is all about personal preference.
(STRONGHOLD SPOILERS AHEAD)
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(Arr, me hearties, plunder the riches!)
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FIGHTER/MONK/BARBARIAN
Stronghold: de'Arnise Keep
Recieved: completed the quest for Nalia
What to do: solve the problems that the Keep has. Messengers will come and tell you what's what, and do a good job solving the problems to get experience and keep your stronghold.
What this stronghold does for you: Extra source of income.
Downsides: There's a chance to get lots of gold and experience, but only if your PC is a fighter/monk/barbarian OR if Nalia's in your party
THIEF
Stronghold: Mae'Var's old guildhouse
Recieved: finished Renal Bloodscalp's quest
What to do: Run the guild and keep the thieves in your employ out of trouble and making (stealing) money to pay the Shadow Thieves.
What this stronghold does for you: Extra source of income.
Downsides: Easy stronghold to get and keep. There's a mod out there that improves the difficulty of obtaining and holding onto this stronghold.
MAGE/SORCERER
Stronghold: Planar Sphere
Recieved: finished the quest
What to do: Don't kill off the Solamnic Knights, and you'll get the Planar Sphere as a home and your own apprentices to make magical items. Make sure they don't blow themselves up in the process.
What this stronghold does for you: Nice magical items.
Downsides: This stronghold is a pain in the butt to get. You need Valygar in your party or his dead body to open the Sphere to do the quest, and you need to be precise with everything you do, or you'll lose out on experience.
CLERIC
Stronghold: temple of Lathander (good alignment), temple of Helm (neutral alignment), temple of Talos (evil alignment)
Recieved: finished the Unseeing Eye quest
What to do: Prove yourself as a cleric of whichever temple you belong to by advising citizens on what to do according to your temple's beliefs.
What this stronghold does for you: Easy experience.
Downsides: Not really much to do, and not that hard to do either.
RANGER
Stronghold: Umar Hills ranger cabin
Recieved: finished Shade Lord quest
What to do: Protect the Umar Hills as its new ranger. Just don't ask for any money.
What this stronghold does for you: Good experience and a sweet little item.
Downsides: Over too soon.
PALADIN
Stronghold: Order of the Radiant Heart (They give you a room with no toilet. How nice.)
Recieved: Rescued Garren Windspear's kid
What to do: You're the new errand boy/girl for the Order, so get out there and do your job. By the way, don't deal with Firkraag until they tell you to!
What this stronghold does for you: Best paladin weapon EVER.
Downsides: Room with no toilet?!
BARD
Stronghold: Theater in the Five Flagons basement
Recieved: finished Planar Prison quest
What to do: Run the theater, make good decisions, enjoy the show!
What this stronghold does for you: Extra source of income, best experience.
Downsides: Longest stronghold quest, IMO. It'll take you the entire game to finish it, and depending on how you play, this can be a good thing or a bad thing.
DRUID
Stronghold: Druid Grove
Recieved: finished Trademeet quest AND level 14 (can't get the grove before level 14)
What to do: Listen to the spirit of the Grove and do what it tells you to do
What this stronghold does for you: Good experience and a nice item.
Downsides: Short, not much gold to be had.
The best one, IMO, is the bard stronghold. Might have something to do with a theater minor, but this quest spans the entire game, gives the party heaps of experience (a quick way to get late-game low-level characters up to snuff with the rest of the party, for example), makes money for the party (only half the strongholds do that), and the theater is fun to watch and makes me laugh. What more could you ask for?