Vanguard Monks

Im pretty new to the game (played EQ1 & EQ2), so I am trying to absorb as much info as i can about my class combo.  I have always been a monk in EQ, so that was a no brainer.  I picked Orc because I read on the forums that they have the best dps as a monk in dragon stance.  Right now my Orc monk is level 10.  I now have a few questions.

First, is being an Orc really going to be a pain in the neck faction wise later on?   I have friends who are playing Good Races and i would like to start hunting with them around 15-20.  How long is a faction grind and whats the most important places to up my faction with? 

Second, at level 10 I don't really feel like I can dominate mobs my level (which should be the case this early in the game "level 10").  Im thinking I might not be approaching combat correctly.  Can someone please tell me what attacks I should be using at level 10 and what combos I should be performing (basically talking me through an average fight). 

Third, where should I be hunting at level 10 and how long should I stay there.  It seems that I am running around too much trying to do sporactic quests.  I havnt found a place near the evil towns where i can get a good 10-15 quests that are close by and can be banged out quickly.  Seems like I am spending way too much time running around and not enough time fighting. 

Fourth, should I be constantly using food like in other games?  I havn't been since I find myself really poor.  I believe i have like 10silver at level 10 after buying my mount. 


Your Help would be greatly appreciated.

Boladornis Blazingfist
Lvl. 10 Orc Monk

I am a level 32 Orc Monk, and yes at times it is pretty annoying to be KOS to a lot of places.  I chose Orc for the STR bonus, and I'm pretty happy with my race's contributions to the class.  A lot of places that have some nice quests are KOS to me, so it can be rather annoying.  You'll have to grind some Khal faction in order to get in to the city (Khal is one of the big main cities in Qalia), but you can get yourself out of KOS status by like an hour or two of grinding the level 6-10 ratmen mobs just outside the city.  I'd wait til you're a bit higher level so you can kill them easily.

While yes, it is a headache to be KOS especially when there are a lot of good grouping opportunities in Thestra and a lot of places are KOS there, it's still manageable.  It might be a little extra travelling, but hey at least your character will have more STR and look cooler than everyone else =)

After doing the Khal grind, I recommend the following questhubs (sorry, dont remember their names):

LVL 10-12: southeast of Khal right at the river (Qualia River Banks). Lots of solo / small group quests and some group quests
LVL 12-15: southwest of Khal beacon of something. about 20 quests, most of them doable solo or in a small group
LVL 16-18: just head south to the next beacon. More group quests here, but still some solo quests.