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Raze_Larian: With your mage have you cleared the derelict tunnels? There is a hatch in each of the goblin areas near Lovis' tower, and another close to the tower, surrounded by skeletons.

It is possible to make it to the enchanter on level 8, but you'd have to make sure you didn't take on too many opponents at a time (and it would help if you already knew where he was from a previous playthrough; I think my first game I didn't get there until I was level 11 or 12). I don't think I had a lot of enchantment ingredients or formula when I got there on level 8, so couldn't really take advantage of his service (I had a couple pieces of equipment I was hanging on to in order to remove the enchantments, and thus get the formula, but I don't think I added any enchantments to my equipment for another couple levels).

I have not played a mage character, but your skills seem reasonable. Spells get a boost from the magic damage bonus on weapons, so you should equip two one handed weapons with magic damage bonuses / enchantments (the off-hand penalty is not applied for spell damage, so there is no need to invest in the duel wield skill). A bow is also a good backup weapon for a mage, to use when spells are recharging or mana refilling.

class question! (mage advice and links to related topics)

Stat Point Distribution: What's the best way? (for a mage)
Thank ya mate. And no, I didn't know about the tunnels. Honestly, I prefer doing main quests this is the first game I have to play side quests.
The main plot quests are the key points in the story; there is a lot of other information, experience, loot, etc to be found. While some of the non-essential quests and areas can certainly be skipped, the game can not really be balanced so that just doing the main plot is possible while also making sure that doing everything will not result the character becoming way over-powered (without doing something stupid like level scaling, etc).

I always try to do side quests first, then main plot quests. Historically, key plot points in RPGs can result in characters leaving a party (possibly taking some of your best equipment with them), areas of the world changing or becoming unavailable (along with quests, merchants and loot), difficult fights, etc.
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Raze_Larian: The main plot quests are the key points in the story; there is a lot of other information, experience, loot, etc to be found. While some of the non-essential quests and areas can certainly be skipped, the game can not really be balanced so that just doing the main plot is possible while also making sure that doing everything will not result the character becoming way over-powered (without doing something stupid like level scaling, etc).

I always try to do side quests first, then main plot quests. Historically, key plot points in RPGs can result in characters leaving a party (possibly taking some of your best equipment with them), areas of the world changing or becoming unavailable (along with quests, merchants and loot), difficult fights, etc.
I know a sequel is being worked on... maybe better HUD indicators about difficulty levels would help, if you still want to stick with the finite experience pool model.

I don't really know if it would be possible to making grinding possible but not over-good or super-mandatory; I know some games put diminishing returns and/or hard caps on exp gains based on level difference, for example. I personally would find it liberating to have the option for this game. Scouting around for the lowest-level enemy all the time is a bit of a chore, in my opinion.

It's only because there's so much going for this game otherwise that I expect to come back to it again. :)
Experience is dependent on the level difference of the characters; you can get up to 50% more experience if you are 3 or more levels below an opponent, compared to being at the same level, and the experience drops off if you are a higher level.

I never felt I had to scout around for the lowest level opponents, though of course ran into more difficult spots that required either a change of tactics or a change in direction. In any case, the section of the game just after getting access to the rest of Broken Valley has caused trouble for some people (though more so in the original release of D2:ED; quest experience was adjusted in DKS/D2:DC to make levelling easier at the start of the game). Once you get past that, though, any difficulty problems should be more about running into occasional trouble than only being able to handle certain opponents at any given time.
I'm feeling a bit under-powered as well. I just got out of playing a bit of Inquisitor (bought a bunch of RPGs for the Pick 5 promo) which I felt was incredibly difficult, and then I play Divinity 2, only to find that this game is difficult too. Now, I'm all for difficulty if it is well founded, but walking into the first quest, where you kill the ghost? There was at least a two or three level gap, there. I'm playing a warrior and I got the fireball spell, so I spammed that until he croaked. I'm busting someone out of a prison, at the moment. To get there, I have to walk through a goblin camp or two. This should be an easy clean up, but with all the magic being thrown around... This game looks good; I hope I can get into it. I've had a few technical problems, but I love a tasty European RPG. Hopefully, within the next hour or so of play, the difficulty will start to lower.
Killing the ghost was one of the first main plot quests, but it shouldn't be one of the first quests you do (at least not without combat and exploration to level). I know Rhode makes it seem like you should do that quest right away when you report back about the dragon sightings, but there is no problem delaying (or even just not reporting in until you've done a bunch of other stuff). That's where periodic saves come in handy.

Later in the game someone will request 'urgent' help, but there is no rush to meet him. You might want to visit the area as soon as you are able for the merchants there, but the actual quest will be more difficult than it needs to be if you skip over everything else to get there.

With my ranger on level 3 I had trouble in one spot going to break the prisoner out (with a couple level 5 skeleton mages), but learning Stun Arrows helped with that.
So far I've been finding the opposite; until level 7, most of the creatures were lower than me after doing various side quests that didn't involve combat.

Also, as a Ranger, in outdoor areas I can kite them around and avoid most of the damage. At level 7 I managed to kill three level 8 goblins and a level 11 ogre-like thing together with barely a scratch.
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movieman523: So far I've been finding the opposite; until level 7, most of the creatures were lower than me after doing various side quests that didn't involve combat.

Also, as a Ranger, in outdoor areas I can kite them around and avoid most of the damage. At level 7 I managed to kill three level 8 goblins and a level 11 ogre-like thing together with barely a scratch.
Even if you're not a Ranger you can still use a bow to soften them up, loosen defensive formations and such.
Can you hotkey a weapon swap? I sold my good bow because I needed money for better armor and I wanted to play melee anyway and didn't want to spread stats too thin... probably a bad call, considering how hard it is to peel enemies away in melee. You probably don't even need to spend any skill points to have it be useful at low levels anyway. X-P
F1-F3 switch between different weapon sets (there are 3 weapon slots shown in the inventory).

The first unique bow you can get is Ranger's Rest (level 10 req), purchased from the blacksmith in the Broken Valley village.

Even a crappy bow will allow you to draw opponents to you, rather than having to approach and deal with a group all at once (though of course higher damage would be better).

In the original release of D2:ED my warrior used a bow up until the mid game without investing in any ranger skills (after that I pretty much used a bow just for breaking crates, etc). Skills and stats were changed a bit in DKS/D2:DC and combat mechanics tweaked, etc, but that should still be the case. Actually, In D2:ED equipment had stat requirements, as well as level, which limited what bows I could use mid to late game, based on how much I was willing to put into dexterity rather than strength.
I recently started it, and I've found it a lot more manageable than DD, which probably had one of the worst/most painful opening sequences I've seen in an RPG.

Just doing the first few side quests around town was enough to get up to about level 5 or 6 which is enough to kill the ghost in the crypt.

The enemy placement seems a lot more manageable, and I feel a lot less reliant on chugging potions to survive encounters.
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mrcrispy83: I recently started it, and I've found it a lot more manageable than DD, which probably had one of the worst/most painful opening sequences I've seen in an RPG.

Just doing the first few side quests around town was enough to get up to about level 5 or 6 which is enough to kill the ghost in the crypt.

The enemy placement seems a lot more manageable, and I feel a lot less reliant on chugging potions to survive encounters.
I found that the DD catacomb is a lot easier to play through the 2nd or 3rd time around. Once you set up your recall station and stock up on rabbit meat and get some useful side quests done, it's alright. The optional side-bosses can be painful, but if you get a bow and kite hard even the spider is ok.

Once you get enough skill to make poison potions, you can cheese your way through mid-game with a bow.

D2 doesn't seem to have anything quite as cheesy or unbalanced.