Newbie Guide:
Your Apprentice's Staff is effective until Lv.5 or so. Try to save around 1,000 Adena by then, so you can purchase an Apprentice's Rod. You can make use of the armor you obtain from monsters, of couse, but this depends entirely on luck. If you reached Lv.5 and you do not yet have gloves, shoes or a helmet, you may wish to acquire the cheapest ones offered at the store.