Breaking the level 10 barrier

Still having trouble defeating the constant stream of enemies that stand between you and any attempt you might make to leave town? In addition to the general strategies that I've already provided (saving often, running from battles you can't win, and making sure not to skimp on the latest spells and equipment) there is one more thing you can do to improve your survivability.

Get to level 10.

Why level 10? Simple. Once you hit level 10 your warriors will suddenly stop missing their targets as often as they had been, and will begin hitting twice per swing instead of just once. (In the case of the monk you'll actually begin to see 3 or 4 hits per attack.) You'll also find that your mages have finally accrued enough spell uses that you're no longer terrified of wasting a spell. The difference in damage here is tough to imagine, and you have my word that post level 10 you'll suddenly find yourself feeling simply annoyed by monsters that used to inspire terror.

If you haven't hit level 10 yet and can't seem to progress I suggest you go kill ogres in the forest near Elfheim until that magic double-digit level rolls around and then see how you fare.