Journal of a Mostly Self-Found Soloer

[GuntherBovine]

I like to give advice to new players on how to make money (see my Make Money Fast thread). I will see in those threads veterans who say something like "It is totally possible to get to 20 with the gear out of the chests and still have fun and be effective." Is that true? Could I make it to level 20 with only gear out of chests? It would make the game much harder, but the finds more interesting. I thought I would give it a try.

So here are my ground rules for this character:
1. I can't buy anything from pawn vendors
2. I can buy anything for a shop with a fixed inventory
3. I can buy anything from a favor vendor
4. I can buy from the AH anything I can currently buy from #2 or #3 as well as tomes, portable holes, dragonshards and collectables (I have to have something to spend my money on)
5. I can only buy from the Trade Channel the items in #4
6. No restrictions on sells
7. Untwinked (i.e. nothing given to her by any of my other characters)
8. No festivals
9. Whenever my toon goes up a level, her priority is do all of the quests she has access to of her level on Normal. She can do other quests but not at a difficulty she has already done
9. Do all the optionals possible in a quest (unless several levels over the level of the quest)
10. Smash all the smashables possible in a quest (unless several levels over the level of the quest)
Unrelated to the above list, I am going to have her solo for as long as possible.

I am going to report every time I find something that I would equip.

The build I am playing is a 12 Monk/6 Ranger/2 Rogue.

Thoughts on playing this way
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6