At this stage of the server's life, gearing up ANY class is pretty stupid easy due to low prices on 5th or 4th rate gear that people just unload to be rid of it. Melees needing good weapons can get absurdly good deals on 'old' weapons from classic and Kunark that would at one time be kept until the mid to late 40's of a leveling character.
My advice? Play exactly what you want to play. If you are a melee, sink your starting points into either Stamina or your Casting attribute (int, wis) and forget strength. Keep the magician. Level it to 8. Have it ground twink holding bags for the first stage of your melee character and aim for cheap strength items like a Hero Bracer, A direwolf fur cloak (free), sarnak hide mask, etc. You can get upwards of 25 to 30 strength just from items early on super cheap. Make a level 5 ogre shaman (takes a few hours) and use it as a mule to prompt the Forager Bag quest in Oggok for any character you want to use it for. 50% free weight reduction 10 slot bag is worth the time spent for a brand new player.
Go nuts, have fun, and don't buy into the "I need to level a cloth caster / druid to the 30's or 40's to gear out my main." - give that advice the bird and get to farming / leveling on your main that you have fun with. Bonus Credit Advice - leveling blacksmithing on your own to make banded armor takes about 150'ish plat if your casting attribute (int or wis) is around 120, roughly. You'll have your suit of armor done at the end of that cost of skilling up. You can get the plat from crushbone belts and then bronze / rawhide from bandits from various zones. Or you could simply just collect the molds, metal, and water for about 32 plat and walk into North Freeport at the bank and politely ask for someone to do your combines for a tip. Tons of higher level players have blacksmithing up to Banded armor level but can't be bothered to go into Freeport from EC to do combines. The ones already in North Freeport usually will.
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