I'm level 5 and just getting my ass handed to me. This is especially true when fighting ghost type enemies.
I'm not really sure how to best use my druid and wizard, especially. So many spells damage your party too that I tend not to use them.
If there are some good guides or tips for combat strategy anyone could point to I'd appreciate it.
Also, do you get better bonuses for stats over time? I have some +1 items, but I made my monk with kind of lowish might and would like to boost it via items. She is a tank for damage though.
Do you have a full party of 6? I am assuming so but if not hire an adventurer to fill in the holes in your squad.
Party Composition
For hard difficulty and above, a decently balanced party will look something like:
Frontline:
1. Pure tank - Fighter decked out with heavy armor and shield. Don't worry about speed or damage. Primary job is tie up enemies so your harder hitting party members can fire at will, so talents / equipment that pump up defense and increase the number of targets they can engage work best.
2. Off-tank - Chanter or Paladin, but chances are a barb or monk should work as well. Maybe not as defense focused as your primary tank but needs to be able to stand toe-to-toe with most enemies for a few rounds at least.
Mid Line
3. Priest - Armed with a ranged or reach weapon, main focus is buffing allies and keeping tanks alive.
4. Damage Dealer - Ranger or rouge works here for pure damage but chances are any class fits depending on your play style. Again armed with a ranged or reach weapon to stay out of harm's way. I went with ranger for single target dps and also a second off tank with their pet.
Back Line
5. 6. Squishy spell slingers - Wizard, cipher or druid. Basically dropping AOE debuffs and AOE damage as needed onto your enemies depending on what classes you prefer.
General Advice
Read spell descriptions, Foe - AOE only hits enemies, AOE can hit your party as well. Also note for AOE spells the red center area effects everyone, the yellow area only affects enemies
Approach a mob in stealth with your two tank characters up front. Have a character with a ranged weapon start off the encounter and then retreat back behind the front lines. Enemies will be pulled to your party. Have your tank meet the squad of enemies to tie up as many as he can, with your off tank a step or two behind to tie up anyone else.
Once the frontline is engaged, take a look at the enemy composition. If it is a trash melee mob everyone can do their roles without too much stress. Tanks tie up enemies, priest buffs, spell slingers drop AOE debuffs and damage.
If the enemy has backline archers and/or mages, chances are you are going to want to focus fire on them first because they can burn down your squishier characters pretty easily and make the whole thing fall apart.
If the enemy has shadows or other enemies that can teleport, be prepared to pause and do everything you can to break engagement if they get in front of one of your squishier party members. In that event, fire off anything that can stun, knockback, make prone, etc so the character can escape to somewhere safer. Obviously just killing the enemy outright works too.
Debuffs are really good in this game and you often fight mobs with a lot of enemies, so use your abilities liberally (especially the per encounter ones). Fighters can knock down enemies, wizards can blind / paralyze / freeze them, ciphers can confuse them, etc.
Buffs are good too so make sure your chanters, paladins and priests are using abilities that work with your squad. Spells / abilities that increase might, accuracy, and crit chance are useful for pretty much everybody.
I'm no expert min-maxer or anything but I'm 30 hrs in on hard, and a well-rounded party with simple and smart battle tactics should get you through the game without too much difficulty.
Also, especially in Act 2, if you are in an area with super tough enemies, just leave and come back when you gain a few levels and have some better gear. Enemies don't scale so it's possible you should be somewhere else.
My two cents.
.. Oh well I have the playthrough videos to watch.
