I tried a melee creature for awhile with my ranger, but like you found that just cause problems with it attracting more opponents (and defeated the purpose of Ranger Stealth). I went back to a mage head.
You can be a pure warrior if you wish (I don't mind paladin type builds, so learned Healing in D2:ED with my warrior). The main problem is you boosted one expertise skill but switched weapons.
After the turorial you end up in Broken Valley; there are some changes there, though, after you take over the battle tower, and it essentially becomes a flying fortress (with a couple different headquarters). There are 2 more fortresses along the channel south of the harbour, one with a portal access across from the Red Hammer tribe area, and the other in Rivertown Gorge, which you fly to at the very end of that channel.
The traders in the bunker at the start of the fjords might have something.
There are a couple good traders in Aleroth. If you have not been there yet, find at least one of each of the 3 types of zeppelin parts (9 total), and talk to a couple NPCs on top of the harbour building. Here is a spoiler
map of the fjords, showing the rough locations for the 9 parts (marked with an
S ). Alternately, from the D2:ED
walkthrough (locations are the same in DKS),
-Crystal 1: on the tiny island just south of the entrance to the fjords; climb
up the ladder and retrieve it from on top of Yggdrasil
-Crystal 2: on a low cliff east of Camp Sentinel View, across the water from
Camp David
-Crystal 3: on a cliff in the middle of the bend just before the entrance to
Rivertown Gorge [EDIT on the same ledge as a boarded-up cave door]
-Rudder 1: a short ways east of the Camp Freedom teleporter
-Rudder 2: halfway between the Imps' Lair and Camp David
-Rudder 3: on a low southwest cliff near the exit to Rivertown Gorge
-Compass 1: on the cliff directly opposite Rudder 1
-Compass 2: high up above Moor's shack, just northeast of the entrance to
Keara's Flying Fortress
-Compass 3: on a cliff just before the bend on the way to Rivertown Gorge