I used to play a paladin hero about 5 years ago, before dedication. What's the deal? Does it come with skills, like specilizations; and if so, is either one more powerful than the other?

You can live.

What's the deal?

Like all commands, it has a helpfile outlining its basics that you can access from either the website or within the game.

Does it come with skills, like specializations;

Yes. They're available here and here, as linked from the parent helpfile. It's a good idea when playing a new class to look at 'help classname' as well as all the cross-referenced helpfiles inside (here, including Empowerment and Paladin Code, the latter of which may be new to you). After that, check the "Classes" link in the sidebar and you'll get a list of all the skills and supplications.

and if so, is either one more powerful than the other?

I don't think so. The general rule is that if we thought one was "better", we'd be adjusting one or the other so that fact was no longer true. Characters have been successful with both-- obviously the shield specialization is more defensive and the weapon specialization is more offensive, so choose something that suits your style of play more.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com

Paladins pick at level 10 between shields or two-handed weapons, neither has the ability to dual-wield anymore. Shields are more defensively oriented, two-haders are more offensive. Both can be quite good, however. Each one has a couple of skills that goes with it... I would venture to say four or five? I haven't counted in a while. It does not change your communes.

Make sure you're familiar with virtues also!

Aarn

I would venture to say that two handed dedicants have a much wider range of utility with Templar's defense, seeing how there is what, somewhere in the range of 20 different moves you can do with that.

This is not to belittle shield dedicant's, who can be tanking beasts, they just do not have the wide ranging skill that is templar's defense. And Angel's Wing does not quite equal out in the end, seeing how it only provides three different effects.

Two-handed dedicants are a stick-shift, shield dedicants an automatic.

..neatly controlled with a Tac 2.

but it is so true.

This is pretty true.

If you're going to pay attention to shifting (i.e., you're going to be actively using your dedicate moves), two-hander is better.

If you're not (i.e. you're going to spend more time healing, using attack communes, or bashed into next week), shielder is better.

Neither is really a better choice overall; it depends on your style of play and the specifics of your character. If you want to play more like a warrior with sanc/heal, two hand looks good, and if you want to play more like a healer or mage, shield looks good, and so on.