[Gadgeteer Tom]

Oooh, what a great collection of questions...and the composition of parties makes a big difference in strategy, so post Race, Gender, Occupation for your Party, also perhaps formation. (Did you realize that you can change formation by clicking

Now to your major causes of death:

1) The Battering Hogar in the Northern Wilderness. Maybe someone can tell me if all the goodies he's guarding are actually worth it? Still haven't beaten him yet.

Battering Hogars have lots of HP, but are generally lower level, try putting him to sleep, paralyze, nauseate, etc. Once he's out, it's not hard to just beat him to death. Perhaps keep backing up ? The XP are usually worth it, and goodies can be sold, gold is good.

2) The Oak Saplings off of the anti-magic area in Trynton. I've figured out how to beat back the toxic clouds, but they always seem to take out my spell casters with Crush spells before I can do anything to them. Even with a Faerie mage.

Have you tried sneaking up to the corner (where they can't see your party yet, starting combat and selecting RUN, pop around the corner and 'buff up' (Haste, Element Shield, Magic shield, Soul Shield, Enchant Blade, Missile Shield, Armorplate, Superman potions, Eye for an Eye, whatever). Next round RUN OUT TO THE NO-Magic area, I like the 'healing pond' myself. when they come to you, beat on them - they can't use magic there either...but the pond seems to keep many in my party from dying.

3) Any encounters with Leaf Sprites in Trynton. Doesn't even matter if I try to run.

Run to them, they have few HP and LOTS of magic - they won't last long in a slugfest (and may drop some cool stuff too). Use Tincture of Shadows or Chamelon spells to get close enough to run to them in one turn.

4) Cultists/ Highwaymen on the Arnika Road. I even got them once just after completing the Monastery -- my guys couldn't have been that tough.

Cultists have few HP, and are chickens (they stay way back, just within spell range and just outside of ranged weapon range). Again, if you can get close - they'll fold fast to weapons, yet resist magic. Silence is a very handy spell for them also. Rouges and highwaymen can be impaired with magic rather easily (Blind, Fear, Sleep, etc.)

5) The Rattkin. Not the breeders -- those are beatable. But I always seem to run into Rattkin Goons and others right after clearing the Rattkin Breeder room.

Buff, impair, and chase. use Shadows or Chamelon to get close - xray can help you to initiate combat or aviod as needed.

6) Moraxes in the Cemetary Dungeon. Only beat the three of them once, and then because two of them had spells fizzle on them in the same first round.

'Magic' Buffs help, Magic Shield, Element Shield, Soul Shield - then again, get close and hack 'em.

Bonus: one chest has wrecked my party so many times it's not even funny. How high a Locks/Traps should you have before trying the chest with Don Barlone?

I make my Gadgeteer do all traps and locks - some items can help, like Thiefs Buckler, by increasing trap/lock skill, knock picks can help with locks also - and sometimes it's just easier to heal the damage to get the stuff.

"Universal" combat tip, anytime attacked by more than two or three, get by a wall or cliff/hill to prevent them from getting all around you, there are bonus damage points for hitting from behind - don't let them get those when hitting YOU !

Also, you COULD set your difficulty level to minimum...it can be changed back.

Also, if I'm dying, although I may try to run - I may also let everyone die...the game tracks more than just player experience...sometimes it then generates fewer opponents, or sends them as seperate battles, which makes it a bit easier.