Berzerk2k2: Use your gold to unlock more stuff on the skill tree and it will become much much easier. I recommend unlocking the skills that give you more gold first so you have a higher chance of unlocking multiple things at once after another run. Unlocking and using medallions from the merchant also help.

syscrusher: So with better items and medallions to control damage and improve healing, it means a pyramid can, and must, be completed with one life?

Berzerk2k2: Yes.

BigBadBorg: Like it was written above, get your Gold skills up. This should be the first. The Goddess Hathor should be your first priority with her extra skill, also increase the Gold pickup skill and the rewards for chests since you will find a lot of them. When you find an amulett that gives you better gold pickups, use that as well.

Also get your critical hit chance up after that, there are scrolls that give you extra gold for each critical hit.

Then you have the rest of your skill tree unlocked pretty fast, and the game will become much easier.