7 noob questions...Follow

I just started the 14-day trial a few days ago and am completely new to this game. I was hoping to get some help with several questions...

1. Is the Berserker's thrown axe make him a true ranged threat, or is it more of just a weak-damage pulling tool?
2. I've read that Berserkers are usually not wanted much for groups. Is this true?
3. Is the Paladin ever expected (or able) to function as the primary healer in a group, or is his role usually just tanking with maybe some back-up heals?
4. I've read that barbarians (among others) have no night vision, and that rangers cannot bind. How significant are these factors? Should they be weighed heavily when choosing a race, or do they matter much at all?
5. At what level do players usually leave the Gloomingdeep mines? (Also, can you return once you leave?)
6. I am currently a level 8 dwarf Paladin and still in the mines. I seem to have reached a point where I have difficulty killing anything that actually gives exp. I'm doing a quest right now where I need to kill grunts, warriors, slave wardens, and one other mob. I've already killed the first two, but am struggling with the slave wardens. Is this a point where I simply need to get a group, or do I need a better weapon? (currently using an iron sword)
7. I am still trying to decide if Paladin is truly the class for me. Personally, the best class that I have ever played in any mmorpg was the Thane class in DAoC. It was perfect for me -- good tanking, could use shield or 2H, and cool ranged lightning damage to add some flavor. With this in mind, what do you think would be the best class for me in this game? (I'm currently considering Warrior, Berserker, Paladin, and Ranger)
Any other miscelaneous advice is certainly welcome too! Thanks in advance!

Edited, Feb 16th 2009 4:13am by kcfalcon

3 and 6
In certain circumstances a paladin can be the only healer in the group. However at higher levels (60 plus, that would be a lot of dead folks.)
I did act as healer with my paladin in dranics scar one day. It was a paladin, a rogue, a beastlord and a wizard. Single pulls with paci and about the time I was needing to stop and cast a heal I could root mob, let beastlord warder tank and the wizard would start blasting. Only worked due to the high dps of other members. I have been duoing my two paladins in diff zones and they can keep up by healing each other. One heals gets the aggro and the other will self heal then attack again.
As for the weapon ther are steel bars that drop (or are they iron?) that you can turn in for a weapon to absor. You can also head out to pok by hailing the revolt leader (barbarian you first meet.) and saying ready to leave. If you leave by cave you go to Cresent Reach. Buy a weapon in the bazaar they are cheap. To re enter tutorial simply camp out and re-log making sure you have the ENTER Tutorial button on.
1 and 2 I would never turn down a zerker. The dps is very very good. However the axe at lower levels is really for pulling. Miss Mandie can tell you all about berserkers if she reads this thread.
4. No night vision with humans, barbs and erudite is a small pain that is now, mostly, a minor irritant. Lots of gear acts as a light source, and you can adjust the game lighting in the options.
5 Leave the mines when bored, when you have done most of the tasks and picked up some of the armor drops. That is usually between level 10 and 14. Two nice items to get as drops besides the skull charm are the stone that has a 5 percent haste on it.

8 I have played Paladin and ranger up to 66 and 63. Both class can solo ranger very good solo in outdoor zones. Paladin takes a lot more damage and you have to kill him twice with the lay on hands. Small drawback to ranger is using up your arrows and having to make them. I have seen quite a few solo Berzerkers
but my personal preference would be to box one with my druid or cleric.
If you leave the tutorial via crescent reach take the time to do the newbie quests in the zone for nice items.

You can stay in mines to level 11ish. Go beatup the fort and the jail area. Overlord and slavemaster can drop a nice 1hs, 1hb, 2hs and 2hb. Rufus (named rat in 1st room with rats) and overlord can drop a 10 % worn haste item. Aggro every rat and bat in that room and bring them to guards to kill to spawn rufus. Rufus will eventually drop the haste item. Farm overlord and slavemaster until you get the weapons. Open the barrels to look for the bows that sale for 1pp. The staffs off the shaman sale nicely as well. After the mines there is a quest giver right out from soulbinder in plane of knowledge.(bind my soul to her). Work on these several quests. This will bring you to level 20. The prince area in the warrens will also net you some nice pp. Be sure to root the mobs in warrens as they will make a huge train when they run, ack root is level 19 spell for you. Might need to wait till 19 to do warrens then. You can make 19 in kurns tower off field of bone if you need to. At 20 you can start the wonderful james the watchmaker series from the gnome in plane of knowledge and the silverwing quest line from the drakkin close to guild lobby. This will give you plenty to do. Attack haste potions are sold by the alchemy vendors in plane of knowledge. There are 3 kinds of attack haste; worn haste, spell buff attack haste(the attack haste potions are spell buff haste) and bard song overhaste.

No minimum level for POt anymore. Levels dropped for a lot of the Planes to open up content.

Disagree about 1hs for paladin. There are some very nice paladin, sk only 1hb weapons out there. My 1hs us usually fabled ghoulbane, though I did just buy the evolving blade to use with winjon. Never had a weapon evolve and wanted to try.
All my weapon skills are close to max with both paladins, and with my ranger.

Throwing axes are viable DPS and Zerkers can do a number of different effects with them, all instantly, including stun, jolt and snare. Zerkers have the best throwing arm in the game. And I've actually killed mobs that were too strong for melee with my Zerker, Lizzieborden Tookanaxe, by kiting them (snare and stun) and throwing axes as I ran from the mob.



I've never heard anyone, when starting a group say, "Okay, I really need a Zerker." The reason for this is that all classes have some form of utility. Zerkers are very limited in their utility. But I think their ability to stun and snare instantly, as well as their DPS makes them valuable in a group. Problem is, that's not well known. So, basically, you need to sell it.



They CAN be the primary healer, with the right focus. But you're dealing with an EQ mindset that has been cultivated to believe that there is only one healing class in EQ: Cleric. I often see groups in General asking for a Cleric, never a healer. If you stay with your Paladin, you will rarely, if ever, be asked to be the group's primary healer. You're a meat shield.



Barbarians, like Erudites, are related to humans and as such, have no night vision. This is not a terribly serious detriment as buffs and gear can supply you with night vision.

Binding (the ability to give you a location to return to when you gate or when you die and opt to return to your bind point) is an ability of only pure casters (Enchanter, Necromancer, Wizard, Magician) or Priest classes (Cleric, Druid, Shaman). Rangers, being hybrids, cannot bind. But that's not that serious. There are soul binders (NPCs who bind) in PoK and in the Guild Lobby. If you prefer to be bound at another spot, any of those listed classes can bind you at your preferred spot.



You can log into Gloomingdeep until you're level 10. After that, you will no longer get the option to return to the Tutorial at the log in screen. If you're bound there, you can gate to Gloomingdeep until level 15. Try to gate there after 15, you will be sent to PoK.



Are you getting buffs from Rytan? Run up to him, the Erudite Cleric near the cave entrance to the mines and say "blessed." If you can't find a group, go to Rashere and say "Bind My Soul," and he will bind you. Then go to Arias, the Barbarian and say "Ready to leave." He will send you to PoK. From there, run to the Guild Lobby and beg a Temp from a Cleric, Augmentation or Epic Haste (Speed of the Shissar) from an Enchanter, then a TL from a Wizard (or use a Gate Potion). You will be warped back to Gloomingdeep, ready to kill. And with those buffs, you'll be pretty much a match for anything.

Check the merchants. Sometimes some good weapons will drop (the Defiant line). It may be that someone found one and sold it to the merchant. For plat, open every barrel you see. The staves carried by some of the kobolds also sell well. There are much better weapons than the iron sword. Just a matter of finding them.



Paladins, because of their limitations of having to either use 2 handers or carry a shield (no dual wielding) suffer from rather poor DPS among the tank classes. They hold aggro well, because of their use of stuns. Against the undead however, they are unmatched in DPS. It sounds like the class most like the one you used to play is Ranger. While they are not generally considered a tank class, they can tank, and with their bow they are supreme. They do have some fast cast nukes and innate proccing spell that make them rather burst with the fireworks in melee. Great DPS. Sometimes too good. They tend to steal aggro, which is why there are so many jokes about how often Rangers die. Sounds like the class you'd most enjoy. Sometimes, you just need to reign it in. Zerkers are good DPS, too. But not as fireworky. No magic. Warrior has the most HP in the game and are generally main tanks during raid events. Like the Zerker, they are not as spectacular in their damage dealing as the Ranger, but they can take a beating and they have the tools to hold the aggro. Use them.

If you get the answer then please do inform me also.