as you gain rank, if you're wearing +hp or +mana gear, does it reduce the amount of hp or mana you gain?
hp/mana gain per level
Good question...do I have an answer, no...but I've wanted to know this for a while.
I don't know for sure. Much like the question "Does pumping trains into HP at lower ranks reduce the HP gain you get" though, I'd assume you would experiment yourself to find the answer.
Dey
Someone once told me that it was true. Was all about being ^7357=o531580 to the seventh power on con and said that blah blah blah, i never saw it being true though, but I also didn't look hard.
My understanding is that using trains for hp/mana at low level will decrease your hp/mana gain, but wearing +hp/mana eq will not.
I've heard the same as Pali, though my limited experimentations say untrue. But I will say this, everyones movement is supposed to bear ~400 at pinnacle. So training this before pin is sure to reduce move gain per level.
by experimenting, am i supposed to roll up two same race/class combos, one wearing bonus eq and one without?
that's probably the best way, though you have to remember luck does play a part. Another way is just use one guy and do 5+ levels with eq on and 5+ levels with it off.
What would have been easiest is to do it at madness time, but you'd have to wait a while for that.
after experimenting, i do believe wearing hp/mana eq lowers your gain per level. it's not a definite answer, but to those of you who were wondering...i ranked 3 levels with +gear on and 3 without.
Why take a chance? If there is supposed to be an avg hp/mana for any given race/class at pinn then try and level without +hp/mana gear, you might even go as far as to wear -hp/mana gear for levels. I always save my trains to pinn too.
I was of the understanding that the game tries to 'balance' you out so everyone has about the same (on thaqt race/class at lvl 50). So if you're above average you have a better chance of a small gain. If you're below, you get a higher chance of max gain.
L-A
so the best thing to do is on the last mob tnl, get nekkid right before you kill him?
precisely. wearing negative hp/mana eq might even help.
precisely. wearing negative hp/mana eq might even help.
Kind of like training that fg up from 1 prac in everything to get max hp - it can be done, but its just a whole lot of pain and frustration. 
L-A
I've yet to notice a difference for anything affecting hp gain except for con/race/class. I'll take an extra 100hp+ during ranking over a possibility of an 10hp gain in the final hp anyday. But thats just me, I'm the sort to put two practices into everything sort of person.