How would you level/gear/quest a monk in the classic world?Follow

I didn't play a monk in EQ until the Mayong (51/50 headstart) server. Later I moved that character to Fironia Vie server where she was geared ridiculously beyond the content. I primarily grouped with a couple of real-life friends or moloed in hotzones and we used mercs a lot. My friends got bored and that monk has been retired at 65, really not having been played all that much. I also have a heroic monk that I have almost no time played on as I have had it sitting at a spawn point for ages trying to catch a mob up I have never seen. Short version: I don't know much about playing a monk.

On Lockjaw (progression) server the character that seems to be catching my interest is my agnostic human monk. Halfway through level 3 --which has taken a lot of kills in the Qeynos newbie yard. I'm wearing a couple of pieces of cloth armor and not equipping the splintering clubs that drop as my understanding is monk fists are much better than any weapon I will see for some time in this content.

I got bored and hitched a ride to Toxxulia, but got a quick gate back (death) when I got too close to a skeleton guard in Paineel newbie yard (I was giving a tour of EQ to a real-life person sitting in the room with me that hadn't seen it before). It was kind of funny actually --I wanted her to see the flavour text of the skeleton calling me names.

I know grouping up will speed up the xp on the progression server, but I am not really in any sort of rush to level. I do need to have some goals or things to adventure for though besides grinding kills. My goal is to play this character "good faction" (so no killing halflings in Nektulos...).

What would you all consider to be the "Should Do Monk Shopping List" for zones, gear, quests in the classic game? How about playstyle tactics that may not be obvious to someone that has primarily played casters in this game? I'm not just talking level 50 either. I know the Warrens had some monk stuff in it (but not sure if it is active on progression yet) for low levels.

In the old days my understanding is you want no weapons other than your hands. Before I was ran off by the boxers/botters on Ragefire I had a monk with some Wu's armor, the serpentine bracers, jagged bands. Forget exactly which earrings I had think it was JC str ones maybe?

Has taken me a significant effort to get the level 6. I've died in Paineel, Erud's Crossing, Qeynos Catacombs, Qeynos Hills, Blackburrow, Everfrost, West Karana. Peeked into Surefall Glade but wasn't much for me to do there. Was sad to see The Warrens is not live yet but I get that it's overgeared for the era (Lockjaw is still pre-Kunark). Anyone know when it will be live? It's one of my favourite zones of all time.

I made the run (no sow) to the base of high pass ramp in East Karana when a kind druid took pity on me and buffed me up. This was good as I got tangled up in the new (to me) version of high pass. Peeked in the Keep and then did the speed run through Kithicor to a kind soulbinder in Rivervale. I won't be doing that run again (had been like 10 years since I did that with no speed enhance or mount) as it ate nearly an hour of real life... being level 6 I had to avoid everything (bandit farmers got me once though).

Along the way I have vendor purchased a variety of upgrades with my tiny earnings. I also made myself A cape out of silly gnolls which was quite satisfying. I'm looking forward to good times in service of Rivervale (Qeynos newbie zones have never really entertained me).