What is the best way to gear up when leveling as a paladin (or any melee character for that matter)? I am only level 9 currently and unless im fighting yellow / blue / green mobs im just getting wrecked. I have found in a group setting the optimal mobs to grind on are orange red and purple but it seems im very taxing on the healers to keep me alive while the casters burn them down. I bought a set of studded leather armor from the merchant which was better than the tattered leather stuff i was wearing since level 2 but the damage was pretty much the same leaving me wondering why i bothered spending all my silver on it. Also the same could be said about the weapon i use. I upgraded from the one you get at level 5 picking the paladin class to a level 10 player crafted one i got for a little under a gold and im still seemingly hitting mobs for 12 - 14 damage a swing.

Is this just a case of "well thats just how it is for melee in DAoC in the early game"? As I level up will the game make it easier to stay current on gear levels or are melee in general just kinda screwed unless they have a higher level caster character who can farm cash for player made gear every few levels or so?

Sorry if this seems kinda whiny, but I just want to know what i can do to better myself for my groups as a whole.

It's a bit time-consuming and will cost you some cash, but you could try taking up Armor or Weaponcrafting yourself. You should be able to at least support yourself until you get into levels where you're not needing to replace armor so incredibly often (20 or so).

It's either that or you have to fork out the cash to a vendor for crappy quality armor (85% IIRC) or find another player who can craft you something. Drops aren't terribly reliable at this point in the game and people are probably using them for themselves for the most part. However, if you get a shiny item you no longer need, find someone younger of your class and pay items forward. Sets a good precedent.

The dungeons have loot drops, certain mobs drop plate (there are some undead things around cear witrin)

Im currently running into the issue that my gear is going green / blue the suggestion of ac is a good one but as a new player you need to group up and you need to be on the look out for plate / weapon drops.

Join a guild ask for hand me downs, my helmet went grey ive not been able to find a replacement but all my old armour i have been donating to lower level armsmen / paladins.

Keep everything pass it on to others.

The mobs in question near Caer Withrin are the Ghoul Knights and Ghoul Lords. I leveled my Cabalist there from 18-20 this morning and got something like 4 breast pieces, 2 legs, 1 gloves, and 1 legs all either blue or red con to me so it's decently doable. They are in the top NW corner of the Avalon Marsh map due north from Caer Withrin.

When I hit 35 and my Llyn Barfog stuff didn't do it anymore, I went to Stonehenge and bought some drops off the Necros farming there.