First off: welcome!
By 'otb' do you mean off the back? The usual nomenclature is HOB or hang on back.
You need, in general, 1lb of live rock per gallon of water.
We are blessed to have some really good shops here in town; RCA, Aquadome, Fish Gallery are all sponsors and are great shops. Aquatek and Fishy Business are 2 others which are good but not sponsors.
As far as free stuff, you should ask for things specifically; powerheads, corals, rock, fish, etc.
If you are new to SW, or fish keeping in general, check out the resources tab at the top of the home page. Lots of good info there.