Halfling Warrior/Rogue or Human Monk?

[Stormhowl]

I want to focus on a pure melee class for a change, since my usual has been to always be a caster (or bard) since I started playing back when Velious came out, and I'm not a fan of hybrids since the time investment to keep spell skills up at level 9 and the slower leveling feel prohibitive to me even if they truly are not.

But I'm not sure which one I want to be, and I've narrowed my choices down to a Halfling Warrior or Rogue, or a Human Monk starting in Qeynos, and I've never played any of those classes, so would anyone have any suggestions or recommendations for someone who has stuck to Shaman / Druid / Bard for most of his EQ career? :3

[Knuckle]

Qeynos is gay as fuck, start as a monk in freeport.

[YendorLootmonkey]

But I'm not sure which one I want to be, and I've narrowed my choices down to a Halfling Warrior or Rogue, or a Human Monk starting in Qeynos, and I've never played any of those classes, so would anyone have any suggestions or recommendations for someone who has stuck to Shaman / Druid / Bard for most of his EQ career? :3

Rogue will never be able to solo and will be purely dependent on groups for XP your entire career.

Warriors have issues holding aggro without the correct gear, and will also be very dependent on groups.

Monks appear to be #2 in DPS, plus mitigate damage fairly well to the point that they are actually decent tanks. All that, plus mend & feign death.

[Stormhowl]

Rogue will never be able to solo and will be purely dependent on groups for XP your entire career.

Warriors have issues holding aggro without the correct gear, and will also be very dependent on groups.

Monks appear to be #2 in DPS, plus mitigate damage fairly well to the point that they are actually decent tanks. All that, plus mend & feign death.

So monk sounds like the way to go. Which is good, because I "grew up" with Qeynos when I first got the game and I have a sentimental spot for that zone (plus the +5 HP jewelry that drops in the sewers is just nice on top of that for someone like me who can't twink). That, and I <3 Gnolls more than stupid ol' Bixies or Orcs. :3

I did know about Warrior aggro issues because of the Tigole / Furor temper tantrums that crashed zones back in the day when Knights were kings of tanking. I was just curious about what else they were capable of (which I suppose I neglected to include in my original post) but you answered that part as well. So thank you for the actual and polite response. :)

[baalzy]

Well, monk is the only option out of those three which is capable of soloing. Keep in mind they tend to be poor at low levels since you can't carry many bags/coins/loot without hitting the 14wt cap and lowering your AC. But you won't need much equipment either.

Warriors/Rogues, especially untwinked, cant really solo. Rogues depend a lot less on items than a warrior, a halfway decent piercer in your main hand and you'll be able to perform adequately as a rogue. Warrior will have the rougher time of it because you'll have to spend more energy getting gear as you level up than a rogue would need to.

All three of them are going to be fairly desired in groups, however monks are the most plentiful by far out of the three. In later levels (50+) rogues become a lot more desirable and in certain camps, required (Crypt, Sebilis) and at end game warriors are going to be the ones doing most of the tanking on raid mobs.

Edit:
If you're looking for the easiest time in-game while avoiding playing any kind of caster, Monk is the way to go.

[Estu]

Warriors and rogues are very gear-dependent (especially warriors), so if you don't have a character to twink with, starting one of those could be tough. Doable, but tough; you need to know how to make money early and what to spend it on. Monks are less gear-dependent and more versatile, with better soloing ability, and more interesting to play, with feign death pulling. I'd go monk.

[Stormhowl]

Well, monk is the only option out of those three which is capable of soloing. Keep in mind they tend to be poor at low levels since you can't carry many bags/coins/loot without hitting the 14wt cap and lowering your AC. But you won't need much equipment either.

Warriors/Rogues, especially untwinked, cant really solo. Rogues depend a lot less on items than a warrior, a halfway decent piercer in your main hand and you'll be able to perform adequately as a rogue. Warrior will have the rougher time of it because you'll have to spend more energy getting gear as you level up than a rogue would need to.

All three of them are going to be fairly desired in groups, however monks are the most plentiful by far out of the three. In later levels (50+) rogues become a lot more desirable and in certain camps, required (Crypt, Sebilis) and at end game warriors are going to be the ones doing most of the tanking on raid mobs.

Yeah the end-game viability for Rogues and Warriors sounds nice and is really tempting, but by the sounds of it, unless I can twink or something I won't be doing much leveling without a group, heh. And it's not as if grouping is bad, I played healers all of classic, but irregular and unpredictable play time makes grouping hard to do every session.

However, they are both classes to keep in mind if I ever get money or gear and still have a char slot available, I suppose... /shrug.

Thanks for the response. :)

Warriors and rogues are very gear-dependent (especially warriors), so if you don't have a character to twink with, starting one of those could be tough. Doable, but tough; you need to know how to make money early and what to spend it on. Monks are less gear-dependent and more versatile, with better soloing ability, and more interesting to play, with feign death pulling. I'd go monk.

I never realized they were so hard up without twinking in the solo department, at least not before this thread. Maybe those GUComics taking jabs at warrior soloing weren't entirely fiction after all. ^^;;

[baalzy]

I never realized they were so hard up without twinking in the solo department, at least not before this thread. Maybe those GUComics taking jabs at warrior soloing weren't entirely fiction after all. ^^;;

Monks can bind wounds up to 70% at a lower level (40?) then warriors/rogues, have a higher damage output (rogues can't backstab from the front) and can use mend to allow for faster killing. They can also feign death if its obvious that they won't win the fight. A rogue or warrior attempting to do the same will take longer to recover between fights and have nothing to fall back on when things go south.

[Lorastine]

Halflings are the only race with an EXP bonus.

[skorge]

make a halfling warrior right now and ill hook you up with some stuff...my character's name in game now is Wakky or pm here...i hang out in Rivervale/Misty Thicket a lot.

with a halfling warrior you get hide/sneak and super fast leveling; so fast its like having a 50% bonus compared to other people in the game...i got a level 27 halfling warrior so i know this

[YendorLootmonkey]

with a halfling warrior you get hide/sneak and super fast leveling; so fast its like having a 50% bonus compared to other people in the game...i got a level 27 halfling warrior so i know this

He reached level 27 in 5 mins!!!!!!

[Fourthmeal]

If you're a Qeynos monk you can kill those frogs in the sewers for some magic gloves

[Stormhowl]

If you're a Qeynos monk you can kill those frogs in the sewers for some magic gloves

I've been camping the Undead Knight for the +5 HP ring (already got one, and two +5 HP earrings from the Injured Rat down the hall) for a while now, as well as the Bloated Alligator for the egg it drops (stackable, light, and sells for 3.3g a piece). I've seen those Frogloks before, near cuburt in a camp of 3, right? You're referring to Netted armor?

[Tarathiel]

Play a monk if you want to dps like everyone else play a rogue if you wanna dps with style. Do you really wanna be beating on shit with sticks all day?? Oh and what's a warrior?

[Pyrocat]

Halfling rogue! More DPS than a monk, amazing exp bonus, and you even have fun stuff to play with when you get tired of exp (throwing crits, poison, exploring)

[Dravingar]

Halfling Warrior imo, they look awesome.

[Eabon]

^^^^^^^^^^

It's true that I spend more time just looking at my character than actually tanking.

[Bubbles]

If you wanna melee things untwinked and live to tell the tale, play a necro.

If you wanna melee things without having ungodly downtime, play a necro.

If you wanna sit and med and watch something you call your own melee things down more efficiently than actual melee, play a necro.

If you get sick of soloing and wanna duo/group as efficiently as humanly possible, play a necro.

p.s. - if you wanna have a meaningful EQ experience starting from scratch in the Qeynos area, you just barely missed it by about a year and a half.

< 3.

[Stormhowl]

If you wanna melee things untwinked and live to tell the tale, play a necro.

If you wanna melee things without having ungodly downtime, play a necro.

If you wanna sit and med and watch something you call your own melee things down more efficiently than actual melee, play a necro.

If you get sick of soloing and wanna duo/group as efficiently as humanly possible, play a necro.

p.s. - if you wanna have a meaningful EQ experience starting from scratch in the Qeynos area, you just barely missed it by about a year and a half.

< 3.

Actually have a 4 Erudite Necro, but I can't play him because he's stuck on Odus due to the stupid broken boats. :(

Why is Qeynos a less than meaningful start now; other than the lack of newbies?

^^^^^^^^^^

It's true that I spend more time just looking at my character than actually tanking.

I'm surprised you don't spend more time in Rivervale just listening to the music rather than looking at your character. ^^;

[Estu]

Actually have a 4 Erudite Necro, but I can't play him because he's stuck on Odus due to the stupid broken boats. :(

Try /petition ing about the boat if you're having trouble with it. Also, I can port you; come on P99's IRC channel and bug me about it. By the way, you can level in Toxxulia up to level 8, which is really what you should be doing because that's the level you get invis, letting you get on the boat safely (although apparently you were able to get to the boat anyway?).

[Stormhowl]

Try /petition ing about the boat if you're having trouble with it. Also, I can port you; come on P99's IRC channel and bug me about it. By the way, you can level in Toxxulia up to level 8, which is really what you should be doing because that's the level you get invis, letting you get on the boat safely (although apparently you were able to get to the boat anyway?).

I thought it was weird too, but apparently I'm only KoS to the Clerics and Paladins in the main part of town (haven't been near the other caster guilds though). Everyone else, from guards to merchants, were dubious at best.

I hear that Erudite SKs are hostile to everyone though.

The lore reason I heard was there was some sort of ceasefire due to the event that caused the Hole to prevent another disaster like that. But why I can tromp through their city without issue is a mystery to me. :/

Actually the only reason I HADN'T petitioned it was because, since it's a bug, it belongs in the Bug forum, and there was already a post there from another user anyways. /shrug.

Thanks for the offer. If I pop on and see you I'll send you a tell, should I decide not to go back to Toxx. :)

[Estu]

Actually the only reason I HADN'T petitioned it was because, since it's a bug, it belongs in the Bug forum, and there was already a post there from another user anyways. /shrug.

Even if it is a bug, GMs are generally willing to port you if the boat isn't working. Anyway, the point is, don't give up on a character because of something as silly as a boat not working :p

[Trench_Raider]

First off, why do so many people rate character classes by their end-game viability? Let's be real here. Most players (especially the casaul players who make up the majority of any block of gamers) are never going to see the end-game. So while end game performance is part of the whole, it is but a minor consideration.

Ok, as to the original question here we go.
I hate monks. Period. So I urge you not to play a monk. The fewer of them out there, the better. I've always found the class to be rediculous. This has nothing to do with their in-game performance. I find the idea of anyone, no matter how skilled, going into an enviorment of metal armour and edged weapons unarmed and without armour absurd. Yes, yes. It's a fantasy game. I realise that. But I have a tough time doing the "suspension of disbelief" thing with monks. I'm sure my real world contempt for Asian style dojo martial arts (the most over-rated combat styles in the world and of limited utility in real world self defence situtations, especially against armed opponents) color my view.

So that leaves the rogue and the warrior.

The rogue is fun and has some pretty cool tricks. But as others have pointed out, you are very party dependant. At least with the warrior you can effectively solo. (yes, you have down time, but that's what minimizing the screen and reading blogs is for, right?) Like others have pointed out, the hobbit warrior is probably the best exp bonus going and (solo donwtime asie) will be the quickest to level. Another thing that others have not pointed out. As a small race, you actually are a more party friendly tank as it is easier to target around you, you don't block up corridors in dungeons as much, you are less likely to get stuck, etc. It's a small point (pun intended) but a valid one.

But then I play a Hobbit warrior as my main, so I am a bit biased here as well.

TR

[Estu]

I should just point out that the EXP bonus is not a big deal for a rogue or a warrior since they tend to be in large groups. The bigger your group is, the less your EXP bonuses/penalties matter, since they are effectively spread throughout the group; a 10% bonus in a group of five will become a 2% bonus, and that's without counting the probable penalties other group members are carrying. (Before anyone gets on my case, yes, this is not technically how it works, but in a party with equal-level people this is the net result.)

Point being, just because you have a 10% EXP bonus and a troll shadowknight has a 68% penalty, this doesn't mean you're going to be leveling in half the time; it'll be much closer.

[Trench_Raider]

Ah, but the bonus does matter in the early days of character development when most players are going to be spending much of their time soloing. later on when almost all your play time is group oriented, you certainly do have a valid point.

TR

[Dantes]

First off, why do so many people rate character classes by their end-game viability? Let's be real here. Most players (especially the casaul players who make up the majority of any block of gamers) are never going to see the end-game. So while end game performance is part of the whole, it is but a minor consideration.

Ok, as to the original question here we go.
I hate monks. Period. So I urge you not to play a monk. The fewer of them out there, the better. I've always found the class to be rediculous. This has nothing to do with their in-game performance. I find the idea of anyone, no matter how skilled, going into an enviorment of metal armour and edged weapons unarmed and without armour absurd. Yes, yes. It's a fantasy game. I realise that. But I have a tough time doing the "suspension of disbelief" thing with monks. I'm sure my real world contempt for Asian style dojo martial arts (the most over-rated combat styles in the world and of limited utility in real world self defence situtations, especially against armed opponents) color my view.

So that leaves the rogue and the warrior.

The rogue is fun and has some pretty cool tricks. But as others have pointed out, you are very party dependant. At least with the warrior you can effectively solo. (yes, you have down time, but that's what minimizing the screen and reading blogs is for, right?) Like others have pointed out, the hobbit warrior is probably the best exp bonus going and (solo donwtime asie) will be the quickest to level. Another thing that others have not pointed out. As a small race, you actually are a more party friendly tank as it is easier to target around you, you don't block up corridors in dungeons as much, you are less likely to get stuck, etc. It's a small point (pun intended) but a valid one.

But then I play a Hobbit warrior as my main, so I am a bit biased here as well.

TR

This is Project1999. There's hardly any competition out there compared to how it was during live. The majority of the players here probably WILL see end-game content. They'll probably level faster, they'll probably be given more free gear, and they'll probably have a greater chance of raiding high end content because it's not as contested here. That is why people rate a class choice based on end-game viability.

That said, I'm a DE Warrior. Some folks just don't give a shit :)

[Tiggles]

This is Project1999. There's hardly any competition out there compared to how it was during live. The majority of the players here probably WILL see end-game content. They'll probably level faster, they'll probably be given more free gear, and they'll probably have a greater chance of raiding high end content because it's not as contested here. That is why people rate a class choice based on end-game viability.

That said, I'm a DE Warrior. Some folks just don't give a shit :)


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