I play a priest and I am level 21. In the beginning I raise mostly intelligence and a little speed. The last levels, I began to raise strength and constiution because I need it to have more hitpoints and for the mastery of priest skills.
I began with the dog and the paladin. I switch the paladin who was a good tank for offguard (the ranger thief who was falsely accused) because the paladin is evil and I want a big party.
I do two boss fight with Julian and the girl who curse the executionner. With the girl my follower do all the job because I had lost most of my hitpoints.
To be stronger and richer, I kill orc at the orc camp for experiene and bounties. The money make possible pay the ranger 500 gold for 100 kills and to buy better equipement. I reach level 21 like fthis.
I want to recruit jacques and nicolas in act 2 and 3 and the curial invistigator.
My only fear is that they'll be of a muth lower level than me
I ask this question of people who do the act 2/act 3. Is the level of the follower ajust to yours ?

All I remember about my companions in Acts II and III is that I had to let them go because they started to be quite useless to me - too slow, too weak, too much of a liability...