Paladin, Monk, or Ranger?

[Shadio]

So I'm looking to start an alt and I was hoping for some advice. My main is a defiler, so I'd like my alt to be basically the opposite, a melee-oriented good character better at solo-ing. I've narrowed it down to Monk, Paladin, and Ranger. Any thoughts? Thanks!

[Reev]

<DIV>Well, I'm sure it will earn a flame from some Monks out there, but from my experience with them, they do some fantastic amazing damage and they look cool as heck, but they are almost (not quite) on par with a caster.  Great damage, but can't take much of a hit.  Ok, a few more hits than a caster in flowing robes, but really their hps go down fast.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Never had the opportunity to group with a ranger, but I said no to it because I'm too lazy to fletch my own arrows and didn't want to have the constant money sink to buy them.  Call me lazy, I already have.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Pally for me, is fun, lots to do, nice versatility, and I always like the fact that I'm not main healer, but in a pinch, I don't have to sit back in dismay and watch someone's health bar go down.  Plus those dd spells are just so much fun, dunno, it's like having a fighter, a healer, and a caster all rolled up into one neat lil package that makes something fun to play.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Bladezil]

<DIV>All fighters tank in different ways and are just as effective.. equiptment and group pending. Monks do more damage though, everyone can agree on that.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've been told on several occasions, as a 22 Ogre Paladin, that I am the best tank people have ever grouped with. My stuff is top of the line and I know how to balance my heals/wards well though. Paladin is not a dps class, that is for sure.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I think you might also wanna check into Berserker, they have mad damage output and are a much more meaty tank then monks are. Monks rely on avoidance for their tanking, and I have seen some do excellent jobs.. but they just can't take the damage that orange group DUP mobs dish out (especially when they are a caster mob).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Ranger is a scout and has a totally different form of survival. You won't be doing any tanking and your arrows cost a bit, till you're able to summon your own. There are guides on rangers and I don't feel I know enough about them to comment. (I'm a 21 Troubador and a 22 Paladin.. lvl 24 Dirge in beta)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Basically it comes down to flavor and how YOU see yourself in the gaming world. What is your style? I promise you will hear this a lot, but in EQ2 it holds true. Most stuff is Aesthetic.. Noble knight in silver armor on a white horse? Stealthy ranger with his trusty bow and dual wielded blades? Tranquil Monk who's lightning quick martial arts abilities dazzle passer byers?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>These are choices you have to make for yourself and asking other players will do little. Your best bet is to start tracking down spell lists and ask yourself what you would be happy playing. Good luck.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV> <DIV> <HR> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#ccffff size=4>- <FONT color=#333333>Blade</FONT><FONT color=#009900>zilla</FONT> <U>Killa</U> - The Absolute <EM>Sexiest</EM> <FONT color=#333366>Ogre</FONT> <FONT color=#ffffff>Paladin</FONT> Ever.. One to Walk the Lonely Path of Redemption.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#ccffff size=4>- <FONT color=#ccffcc><U>Valcutio</U></FONT> <FONT color=#ff0033>Phoenix</FONT> <FONT color=#ccffcc>- The Absolute <EM>Sexiest</EM> </FONT><FONT color=#663300>Wood Elf</FONT> <FONT color=#9999ff>Troubador</FONT> <FONT color=#ccffcc>Ever.. One to Walk the Famed Path of Popularity, Grandeur.. and all that other happy go lucky spoony bard stuff.</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV> <HR> </DIV></DIV></DIV>

[Shadio]

That's great advice and info, blade. Thanks! Thing is I like to play support roles that allow me to help my party out. Never been that interested in pure damage dealing but rather find myself enjoying healing and tanking. The former I've done a ton of, the latter only a taste. The character I have in mind I really see as either a Paladin or a Ranger, and probably a Paladin a bit more. Thing is, this is really going to be my 'solo' character, as my defiler needs groups, I need a character I can play when I have no groups.As a long time healer and sometimes tanker I've 'never' had dps, so a bit of me craves it, but I don't think I'd sacrifice that for the kind of character I want to play. Berserker sounds cool, but again, doesn't fit my character image. Looks like Paladin is my path. At least with a Paladin I can minimize my downtime between fights.Thanks for all the advice!

[Sam]

<DIV>I have a 23 paladin main, and a 13 predator alt now (which will become a ranger).  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you like the idea of a paladin I'd say play that, but don't come to the class looking for DPS.  I have cried while watching an equal level monk triple hit for 40++ while I'm swinging for 27 or so (around level 21-22).  Our smite spell is very nice for pulling and much longer range pulling than I have seen other tanks get (regular DD spell range)  I have observed plenty of tanks get adds trying to pull with short range taunt.  I worry about our aggro capability also as I have seen berserkers pull aggro from me by damage and some taunts even when I was throwing my two taunts every round they came up (single + aoe).  Granted, my one hander is grey right now (got an orange 2hander for non MT'ing but the damage is still on the weak side) and I don't have all the adepts I would like but there you go :p.  Looking at our full spell lists makes me think we may end up being the best at keeping aggro when you factor in all the healing, group buffs, and hate buffs we can do too though, but damage to keep aggro we don't have.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>With my predator, I have been able to solo orange solos so far.  I haven't really tried to solo the paladin much. If he can do it, it will take an agonizingly long time, long enough to where I would not consider soloing viable with him personally.  I am able to kite with the predator with snare + arrows until I close to melee range and then do combo ho/stun/backstab type stuff, but it takes much more in the way of twitch reflexes to do these things than does anything playing a paladin.  It takes much more twitch reflexes to play than did any kiting class in EQ1 because of the much faster combat and positional requirements as well, although maybe not as much reflexes as say, a stealther in DAOC needed.  (I soloed a necro to 50 in EQ1and did some quad kiting with a wizard when he was high enough before quitting the whole game in disgust.  DAOC I had some high 30s healer + shadowblade combo in midgard that I two boxed mainly because my roommate played.)  Quivers of 99 iron arrows are running me around 5 silver per if I remember right and they last a goodly while.  I expect to see much better results soloing with the predator/ranger than I do the paladin, which is fine because I made my paladin for groups anyway.  Because of the damage factor, personally I think a monk would make a better soloist, esp. if you consider feign death type stuff which I think they still get?  Wish I had an "abort combat button" hehe, but the horse can get you away from stuff unless it involves: 1) Water 2) Indoors.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Sam]

<DIV>Oh I wouldn't worry about downtime between fights with any class, if you carry food and water it is nothing...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Healing yourself just means you'll be waiting for the power to regen instead of the hp which you need to finish the fight anyway, esp. while solo.</DIV>