Have played EQ2 for 3 years and NEVER had a good dungeon experience with EQ2.  Your EQ2 help is needed.  I can not ever go into an EQ2 dungeon again without remembering that on Saturday I left a mere short dungeon for the daily double with a 4.5 percent death penalty. 

My analysis of every EQ2 dungeon group I have played with  is that there needed to be way more healers, or the programmer who said it was for mid 80s players was mistaken and he/she meant mid 90s,  or a way to heal myself as a guardian,  or the programmer needed to be a little more player friendly and fun when making the mobs.  Heal potions are way too light,  the guardian can not heal until after the battle ends, and the healers are too weakened by the programmer is an idea I toss out to you.

Any ideas how I can learn to stay alive in EQ2 dungeons?  

Originally posted by Chantilly

My analysis of every EQ2 dungeon group I have played with  is that there needed to be way more healers...

Seems to me that you answered your own question.

Group with people you know and you all need to know your class especially in the higher level dungeons.....one mistake can wipe a group or raid.  Do your research too....EQ2Flames.com has some good reads about every class.  Theres not much you can do or guarantee especially with pick up groups....it's best to make some friends you play with regularly, know how they play, and progress to harder areas until you reach guild raids.....raids are even more dependant on people knowing what to do.  Soloing and grouping are two different beasts in the higher areas.  I dont think programmers are to blame....I've played with some great people, usually the same people every time we did shard runs or whatever....and usually never died unless someone slacked off.  Of course being well geared helps too....but skill and knowledge does play a part.

which dungeon?

in general, how to stay alive in EQ2 dungeons:

1.  go with a good group

if a good group is not available, look for:

2.  at least one person that knows the dungeon and what to do there

3.  good tank.  a good tank can make up for a bad healer or lack of dps, nothing can make up for a bad tank.  anyone tanking a zone should have at the very least legendary no more than 10 levels below the level of the mobs in the zone.  this is a very general rule.  legendary armor is ridiculously easy to get in EQ2 and if your tank doesn't have it, that means they haven't done any solo questing or haven't looked on the broker, which most likely means they are clueless about the game and will make you die over and over.  if you're grouping in mid-levels (i.e. 73-78, 83-88), then the current tier's mastercrafted might be ok, but really, if they can afford mastercrafted, they can afford legendary.  

Also, don't get me wrong - GEAR is not what tanks dungeons, a good player can tank any dungeon in treasured, the point is that a good player will have obtained better than treasured for themselves before volunteering to tank.

4.  healers - i've had very few group experiences that were bad due to bad healing.  i've had bad healers, but we generally made it through anyway.  if your healer isn't sure they can solo heal, get a 2nd healer. 

5.  support classes.  having a bard or chanter or both can do wonders for your group.  you CAN do anything and everything without them, but if you're looking to make things easier, get one.

6.  know when to go into what dungeon.  generally people will tell you if you're too low.  just because it CAN be done by lower level people, doesn't mean it can be done by YOU.  know your limitations.  Some dungeons are also harder than others.  Stick to easy ones while you learn and unless you have a good group.

7.  listen to advice.  if someone says "you suck", do say "you suck more" and rage quit.  figure out what you're doing wrong.  when you know enough about the game, you'll know exactly whether you suck or the other person sucks, at that point, feel free to tell them off, until that day, have some humility and assume that you're the problem.

Well one problem with EQ2 nowadays is that so many people solo their to the 70s and do not have the needed grouping, like positioning. avoiding aggro as a DPS class, debuffing, deaggro. Also if you tried the TSO daily double instances without a good strat and very good gear and skills you will fail, the TSO instances are HARD and some have complicated scripts. If you want to get some regular Dungeon skills go to Old Seb, Chardok or Karnors all are less tough than the TSO stuff but can be well worth doing.

But a solohealer in a TSO instance where several undergeared and underskilled DPS class draws aggro all the time has no chance to keep the group alive.

Two healers has been the answer for now.   Thanks for your ideas.   Have 2 healers leveling up fine as long as they group together and back each other up with the lead.   I chose an inquisitor and a templar and this duo is working.  Why can't the mages have wands to heal, also we need blessed blessings to heal as adornments or enhancements on all items, and the alchemists should make potions that really heal a decent amount instead of the little heal they have?  That way players could pay $16 a month per account for characters we enjoy playing. :)

@OP

Actually templar together with inquistor is a very bad group setup. They are both clerics and some of their spells don't stack.

You really played EQ2 for 3 years and didn't know that ? strange....

In general: Get a real (not botted) group for dungeons. Next to all instances (at least till lvl 80 when I let) could be done with one good healer. But two healers don't hurt.