3 short tips for starters

[Grenor]

1.

For the first tip 1 point in mechanics is recommend:

-When you start the game explore the complete map and loot everything. Pay special attention(sneak&search modus, needs 1 in mechanic) to the camp in the south west. Don't click on the berries for the quest yet. Now sell everything you got at Heodan. He buys items for a much higher price than any trader thereafter. Depending on the difficulty you chose even sell your own armor(you get a new one from the attackers shortly after you clicked the berries). The potions sell for a good amount too. If you follow this tip you start with 1.5k copper. Meaning you could buy a nice item or hire a complete party.

2.

If you like to play with the standard companions and not hirelings it's recommend to hire them at the lowest level you can get them, because the talents/speels they choose are almost all terrible. You can get a party of 5 (including your main char) on Lev 2. For this you must avoid some bonus exp and then go straightforward to the npcs:

-In the cave you ran at the beginning --> Don't disarm the traps. Everything else is no problem.

-From the first map stealth south to the Gilded Vail map.

-You can hire hire Aloth straight away, but depending on difficulty and on your starting char, the Guys surrounding him might prove a challenge. It's easier to first hire Eder.

-Enter the tavern from the upper door and sleep there.

-After the cutscene walk to the tree in the middle of the Vale and speak to Corana.

-Hire Eder who is standing nearby (Now you can hire Aloth with some support).

-Leave the vale in the south.

-On this map follow the road to a statue where Durance is waiting. Hire him.

-Leave the map to the east.

-Stealth through the next map and leave it again to the east.

-You arrived at the stronghold. Kana is waiting outside the walls. Hire him.

As far as i know it's not possible to get more companions at this point, because they are gated behind some quests. But so you start with 4 companions on lev 2 which leaves many customisation options up to you.

3.

Aloth first spells are chosen very poor. you can learn spells from other spellbooks. The problem is that almost all wizards in PoE have bad choices for the first 2 levels. So I recommend that you hire a lev 1/2 Wizard and chose better spells. Then exchange the spellbooks or just learn ("at least "slicken") from the spellbook. After that you can dismiss the new wizard.