Newb Crusader - Seeking Guidance

[Geldo]

<div></div><p>Hello everyone I am a long time EQr (took 3 toons to max level in EQ) and have played and left EQ2 three times since the launch. I came back this time because my girlfriend was interested in playing so I thought it might be fun (after 6 months away).</p><p><!-- [if !supportEmptyParas] --> <!-- [endif] --></p><p>I have always made casters (Chanters and Necros mainly) but it seemed smart to start her out as a healer so I made her a fury and decided I would try a Pally. I like the Pally so far it is much more fun to play “hack and slash” in EQ2 then I thought it would be. However, I do have a few questions; (I am level 11)</p><p><!-- [if !supportEmptyParas] --> <!-- [endif] --></p><p><!-- [if !supportLists] -->1)<span>      </span><!-- [endif] -->My stats seems to be appropriate however, my avoidance is red (9%)? Should this be higher, if so any recommendations on how to get it there?</p><p><!-- [if !supportLists] -->2)<span>      </span><!-- [endif] -->Items – I have decent items for most slots except “feet” and “shoulders” – any quests for these or am I just stuck until AQ?</p><p><!-- [if !supportLists] -->3)<span>      </span><!-- [endif] -->Skills – any skill that I should be worried about that will not be obvious until much later when I will hate working them? I am currently using two handed slash, should I be worried about one handed and shield for example?</p><p><!-- [if !supportLists] -->4)<span>      </span><!-- [endif] -->Finally any basic advice or good quests you guys recommend for an early teens “Crusader” heading to Pally-dom. (Please don’t tell me how badly you have been nurfed and how much it sucks now – noone feels sorry for Pallies fair or not).</p><p><!-- [if !supportEmptyParas] --> <!-- [endif] --></p><p><!-- [if !supportEmptyParas] --> <!-- [endif] --></p><p><!-- [if !supportEmptyParas] --> <!-- [endif] --></p><span>Thanks in advance for all the help. Remember while I am very familiar with both EQ and EQ2 I am totally newb to actually being a “tank” or a “fighter” in general. As a caster I know what to yell at you guys about, but as a player I am pretty new to actually trying to do it myself – hehe. </span><div></div>

[Taeolen]

<DIV>If your avoidance is red like that it usually means you have a buff/stance on that lowers your defense skills in order to be more offensive (or an item).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If that's not the case check your defense skills (parry, Defense) under the Skills window to make sure those are capped out for your level.  A few points behind might not seem like a lot but believe me it make a big difference. <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you are wanting higher avoidance carry a shield with you, that will make your avoidance jump up when you equip it.</DIV>

[Geldo]

<font color="#ffff33">QUOTE - If your avoidance is red like that it usually means you have a buff/stance on that lowers your defense skills in order to be more offensive (or an item). <font color="#ffffff">Hey thanks, I bet this is exactly what it is. I am pretty much still just soloing (lvl 11) so I put all the offensive stances on to fight.</font> </font><div></div>

[Oakbr]

Yeah, red avoidance is gonna be from using offensive stance. Definitely work your weapons skills.  Solo, you'll probably want to use your 2hander most of the time, but for tanking, you'll want a one hander and a shield.  For the higher levels, you'll sometimes see raid targets that are immune to crushing, piericing, or slashing--sometimes 2 of the 3, so you want to be able to use all weapon types available to us.  Around level 20 or so, there's a good 1 hand crusher available--think it's called Starfell or something.  May find one fairly cheap on the broker.  For quests-- Greystone Yard has a couple good ones.  The woman NPC that talks about the Celestial Watch will send you into the sewers to kill some easy mobs, and gives you a choice of weapons as a reward.  Also, in the Inn, up on the second floor, is a Dwarf that is some type of bureaucrat.  He'll give you a multi-step quest hunting in Antonica, and the reward is some decent boots.  You'll need to speak dwarven to get the quest--buy the primer off the sage in the zone. North Qeynos--I forget the names of the NPCs, but they run a seamstress shop on your left if you enter from Eldar Woods heading towards the Claymore.  Think each woman has quests--one is something about getting a package from SQ, no big deal...but the others are for pants and something else...maybe boots or a belt--been a long time. Oakmyst--hard to describe how to get there, but in Oakmyst, if you cross a bridge near some deer, there's a clicky rock that gives a quest to visit points across the zone--reward is a decent belt.

[Geldo]

Great stuff Oak I will go ahead and work on weapons more - I read around on forums and 1hand with shield certainly seems to be the prefered tanking setup (extra mitigation I guess) and I see I get some sort of "Bash" ability soon so that will make a shield more fun anyway. The quests look good, thanks, I did the one dressmaker lady for the waist item sash (remember this from my casters) but it is kinda a (all) item with alittle +wis and +int I think no real mitigation or anything. Leveling seems even faster then before now so I dont know if should worry about it to much if I can be 19 or 20 in a few days and start the AQ (can you start this at 18 by the way I cannot remember?). Any suggestions on jewlery from anyone? It seems one of the nice things about Pally is you use every stat so almost any item can be useful, but is there a preferred strategy for jewlry items (seems improving INT and WIS might the way to go here) as the plate armor and stuff should give good STA-MIT stuff? I dunno am I way off here, also how important is AGI to us, and what is a good strategy for a plate wearer to get some? <div></div>

[Oakbr]

Frankly, I'd stick to dropped gear until level 30.  You aren't going to be in those levels long enough to make the investment in rare crafted items worthwhile  (unless you have a high level main and are twinking your alts, which many of us do).  You can find some of this stuff (Treasured) on the broker relatively cheaply.  Once you get to 30 though, it's time to start thinking about upgrading to rare crafted gear whenever possible.  For rings, you want imbued ones for clicky stat buffs that last 25 minutes.  You can cast the buff and then swap rings to get other buffs--but at a minimum you'll want STR and STA.  Wisdom is nice, but you get the most wisdom bang for your buck by upgrading your defensive stance to adept 3 when you can.  AGI is not all that important to Pallies--nice to have, but how agile can a guy (in my case a troll) in full plate possibly be?  We get power primarily from STR, with a smaller bonus from WIS.  INT helps with spell damage, and STA for hitpoints.