Fairly new to EQ, few questions

[elwing]

Regarding 2) all class are viable, but some will be slower without gear, some class even might be hard to solo, but pick whatever you want to play, if you're interested in healers, druid will be the easiest to level solo and without gear but if you want to group cleric would do just as the shaman is... Play what you want, not what people will tell you is "better", that is your char and your playtime...