More fun to start a new character naked/unfunded?
 

I've got 4.5k to my Rangers name right now, enough to buy the two weapons I want (Winter's Fury and Frostbringer), but I could also use it to cheaply fund a new Druid, which I've been wanting to raise for some time, mainly as a porter for some side money. At the very least I'd be pushing to Level 44 for all the Circle spells, playing further I guess depends on how much I enjoy sitting around rootrotting stuff, but 44 for sure.

So I can either spend a little plat to get some basic HP adders like Fire Wedding Rings and a decent weapon (thinking Skyfury Scimitar and Crystal Chitin Shield), or I can just invest in my Rangers weapons now and play the Druid naked, gearing up little by little along the way.

I'm leaning largely towards unfunded just because, having played this Ranger twinked since its creation (haste belt, lots of HP adders, Silver Chitin Wristbands, full Crystal Chitin armor, dual Lammies), I think playing a new toon butt naked and having to claw my way into relevancy would be a refreshing change-up, and kind of goes in the spirit of classic EQ anyway. Druids are less gear dependent than a lot of classes so I don't think it would be too hard to get some basic stuff after, say, level 19 or so (patiently wait my turn for Nybright sisters when open, start camping High Keep guards around 27-29 or so).

But I'm okay buying a few pieces of cheap gear as well just to keep things a little smoother. The only things I would really need are a half-decent Wis weapon and a couple of 65HP rings, and that's maybe 500-1kpp, tops. I can do fine on plain leather in every other slot. I just don't think I need to starting out because I can raise that money pretty quick doing the normal stuff, selling bone chips and crushbone belts, and I'd have what I need by the time I start camping sisters in lfay.

Obviously blue doesn't need another Druid, nor does Dial-a-port, but I feel like I want to anyway to have some variety from my Ranger/Paladin.

tldr, probably gonna do it, just curious if anyone is like me and prefers to start a brand new character with absolutely nothing even when you can afford to gear one up?

thats not a bad plan for a new druid alt

or you could try the "self found" path, where you don't equip or use anything that you didn't quest/loot yourself

but otherwise equipping a druid with starting gear won't cost you too much.

That stopped being fun for me in like 2000 after I got my first fungi. Personally I’d spend that money on gearing an enchanter so you can eventually farm mass pp and twink the piss outta something else but that’s just me. Entire guilds have formed based off your ideals so that’s the beauty of the game everyone can enjoy it in their own way.

Good luck!

Wait, twinking stopped being fun, or playing naked stopped being fun?

Also, was going to run Halfling Druid, but Halflings can't be Tunare, not sure I want to be shoehorned into Karana, or having butt merchant buy/sell prices cause of crap Charisma.

generally speaking, twinking a druid is akin to painting racing stripes on a geo metro.

Playing naked.

And halfling is cool for sneak, but since Druids can port for easy vendor access, I’d recommend human Tunare druid for rarity, robequest, and obviously the Tunare gloves. Also Druids mostly make their money off selling ports/PL//MQs so I wouldn’t worry about charisma at all, can always supplement it with +cha items when selling.

Wood Elf would be my first pick for a Druid, but I guess Human would be fine too. My Ranger is a Human. I don't see myself ever getting an Azure Sky robe though.

For reference, to gear up my Druid the way I want to would run me about 10kpp:

Skyfury Scimitar (2k)
Crystal Chitin Shield (800)
Withered Leather Set (13 pieces, 5k for full set?)
Golden Black Sapphire Earring x2 (400x2)
Velium Fire Wedding Ring x2 (400x2)
Frozen Orb (600)

And I can always just use plain Leather Armor for a while, until I'm ready to invest in Withered Leather.

They have the capacity to be stupidly strong though.

With SS BP and fungi tunic you have 30 regen which pairs really well with the damage shield druids get. Add in to that the mana-free drones of doom from SS bracer and you can really steamroll.

I was slaughtering the inside of castle of MM in my 30s.

And yes, you can click both of those SS items at low levels. I used both at level 14 just a few months ago. A lot of people said that you couldn't. I am glad I decided to test it out for myself.

There's also Drones of Doom from the Elder Spiritists Arms, and those are dirt cheap, like 500pp or so.

Bitches don't know 'bout my geo metro.