I'm thinking about playing with a friend to duo our way to 20 with the following rules:

1) All quests on Elite.
2) All optionals on all quests.
3) If it's not possible to do this without hirelings - we will use hirelings... (not ddo store bought)
4) Raids are skipped.
5) We will start as level 7 veterans, doing level 5 quests. We will TR when all quests level 5+ are completed and then we will continue following the rules until all quests are completed.

Traps / Locks - One of us will need to be a trapper that can get elite traps.

Runes - We will need to have Str / Int / Wis / Cha all at a high enough level to get through runes. Can hirelings pass these on elite quests?

For gearing - at the lower levels we can craft our gear, but before long we will not be able to make current gear anymore (I'm in the upper 40's and I think he is in the upper 50's for skill levels) Both characters will be on the first life, and we can do some farming for BtA items on other characters.

========== My first thoughs on the builds ==========

Excuse my lack of experience on elite quests. For example I may be putting far to much importance on having high saves. Thats why I'm posting this here first

I normally zerg quests, so I have little experience in this style of questing. I could be very wrong, but I don't think that two casters will have enough mana to get all the slayers in elite quests.

Idea 1:
My first though is two radiant servant clerics. One will need either rogue or arti levels. All the other levels can be in either fighter or monk. Both builds need to be super tough and most of the healing would be from radiant servant. Two arua running at the same time would be a lot of passive healing.

HE 12 Cleric / 6 Rogue / 2 Monk with paladin dilly. - This is the evasion trapper. High int and rogue levels for max trap skills. The monk levels for handwraps and wis to armor. The level order would be Rogue, Monk, Cleric x 6, Rogue, Monk, and then Cleric with Rogue as needed to keep skills high enough to open all locks and traps.

HE 12 Cleric / 8 Fighter with paladin dilly - THF with intimidate, a bastard sword and a tower shield. Level order would be Cleric x 6, Fighter x 2, Cleric x 6, Fighter x 6.

We can pass wisdom runes and str runes ourselves. We would need a hireling to pass cha and int runes. Simple enough with two hirelings.

Idea 2:
WF 18 Wizard / 2 Rogue - Trapper with evasion and normal wizard dots and abilities...
WF 20 Sorc - Pure DPS.

Both able to self heal very well. Hirelings for Str / Wis runes.

Idea 3:
WF 18 Wizard / 2 Rogue - Trapper with evasion and normal wizard dots and abilities... (Int Runes)
WF FvS 18 FvS / 2 Paladin - Melee healer (Str / Wis / Cha Runes)

Idea 4:
WF 18 Wizard / 2 Rogue - Trapper with evasion... -40% hate Subtle Spellcasting.
HO 14 Cleric / 6 Fighter - Melee healer with THF, intimidate, a bastard sword and a tower shield. This guy holds the aggro while the other does the dps. +50% hate with HE Brute Fighting and Stalwart Defender 1.

HO charges the room and the Wizard drops a couple AE's.

I like the 1st and 4th idea the most.