This sound about right for difficulty? *minor spoilers*

[Delicieuxz]

I'm playing on Hard difficulty, as a Cipher, and have had an elf wizard with me. I've just made it beyond the first town, and now gained a priest into my party - but haven't yet had any combat encounters since the priest joined me.

 

With just my Cipher and Wizard, who are at level 3, it is very difficult for me to defeat two Wolves - but if I can pull off Charm on one before they start attacking me, I can possibly manage it.

 

I wasn't able to defeat the rat king, or whatever he's called, in the temple ruins in the first town with just these two, and to defeat the rat humanoids other than the king, I had to lure them out, max 2 at a time.

 

I couldn't defeat the Bear and Young Bear in the cave before the first town with just by Cipher, or the few Young Wolves that were in the small ruins in the wilderness before the first town, the same wilderness where the bear cave is.

[Voss]

Yep. Squishies go down easily without a tank in the way. Proud can hire a custom adventurer (or two)'at the black dog, though

[uniquefrequency]

Combat in this game is really hard, and I'm playing on normal! 

[oldgreg]

I'm playing on the hardest setting with ironman turned on, boy did I facepalm when I entered the bear cave and thought my barbarian could take it...

 

You definitely need a tank or two at the hardest levels, I've learned to be VERY cautious when playing on the hardest setting.

 

That said, I've thus far only have had to restart 3 times (was so arrogant thinking I could do it with my main being a barbarian or wizard...) and I've got a strat down where I run from any large groups and try to pull only one or two at a time if I see a pack of anything.

 

Wouldn't have it any other way, easy mode is for whimps :-p

[Tigranes]

You didn't pick up the fighter in the Gilded Vale, which will make things harder than expected. 

 

I'm on Hard and still in the Temple and it seems reasonable so far, that is to say, a fair few deaths helping me learn what works and what doesn't. 

[revial]

I'm only level 6, but imo, casters are infinitely more difficult than fighters. I've lost track of the # of times everyone will die but my two fighters, who then slowly end up saving the day as they sloooowly hack hack evade absorb ohhh regenerate endurance hack hack everything dead. :D

 

And, with friendly fire, unreliable nature of spells, the very few number of times you can cast before you need to rest, etc, I've been asking myself why in the world I continue to keep classes like Wizards in my party. I mean, I presume it's like previous IE type games, and they'll be super powerful at higher levels, but gawd if they weren't painful at the lower ones (I much prefer the casters like chanters who can at least offer magical benefits that you can always rely on). 

 

So, I'd say...yes, what you're experiencing is normal. :/