Oh, I get the dispel reference.
Every paladin must have a sword - maybe it makes up for not getting a steed.
I went with a sorceress, and now I'll stick with it; it's not too bad, because I have two other spellcasters, one of which is a druid that's shaping up nicely. I don't really miss the lack of choice (yet), and I really like the option of choosing the best spell for the situation.
I've narrowed down my next 3rd lvl choice to Stinking Cloud v. MMM. Crowd control v. multiple ranged attack.
I imagine Melf's is darn good for kicking the fanny of opposing spellcasters, right? And I do have Web already...