yeah well, that's a conflict :
'experience the game' and 'fastest to 60'. He needs to pick one.

Your two friends should roll two twinks and you guys trio your way to 50 around norrath. Way funner than swarming to 55 just so you can see the raid content

Monk is acceltable to level naked if you group and want to go with a melee. People always want you, and group always have dps ^^ Necro definitely quicker and better money though ^^

Play what you want. Have your friends make newb characters and level them up together. It'll be fun.

this is really the best suggestion.

everquest isn't like wow. you don't want to rush through 1-59. what's awaiting you at 60 isn't nearly as fun as the other levels.

I get you want to join your friends at 60, but maybe you should be asking them what they're doing with their level 60 characters before you rush it. sit in on a raid or two before you decide it's for you.

(that having been said if you are hell-bent on rushing it, "doing the bard thing" seems to be the consensus)

Bard to level really fast but then you wanna make sure you actually want to play a bard at high level with your friends. It is a peculiar class.

I recommend bards to anyone that wants to group. It's a very unique experience. Even non-swarm soloing is awesome.

Bard is absolutely the fastest leveling with swarming, UNLESS the recent nerf changed that. You don't need gear either, just find someone to give you MM drums, gypsy lute, and a horn for your dots. Literally hit 60 with no other gear.

Soloing at higher levels is terrible though because charm killing doesn't work as well due to the higher level spell requiring mana, resists, etc. And you can't even box blues to to toe like monks. Swarming is legit though. Was anyway.

He went with necro by the way. I saw him in WC.

Caster is definitely the way to go starting fresh.