I've played up until getting Eder. To my disappointment, he had also decided to take "Ruffian Proficiency", just like I had decided to do. I'm wondering now if I can restart, choose to refrain from leveling up, so that I can recruit the first few companions at level 1 as well. Any thoughts on this?

After the tutorial you will be at level 2. Theres no avoiding that. If you skip killing stuff and push through the main quest you can get:

 

Aloth, Eder, Durance, Kana Rua at level 2. 

 

Get the stronghold -> Level 3

 

Get Sagani, Hiravias and Grieving Mother at level 3

 

Squeak in Pallegini at level 4.

So the game doesn't care if you haven't put your level up points in, it still regards you as level 2, 3, etc.? That's a shame.

Well I tried getting to Kana inside of level 2, but I don't think it's actually possible. Which is a shame, because I really dislike the chants they choose for him. I really wish they would give you the option for a one-time respec of companions. Sigh.

Well I tried getting to Kana inside of level 2, but I don't think it's actually possible. Which is a shame, because I really dislike the chants they choose for him. I really wish they would give you the option for a one-time respec of companions. Sigh.

 

I grabbed Kana at lvl 2 on my very first playthrough - it's possible. Just carefully beeline stealth your way there. 

If you get Edér at level 2 and level him up you don't actually get to pick talent. That Ruffian talent is total bonus you would not get otherwise.

 

Also if you like leveling your companion by yourself, you can use IE mod and ChangeClass command to level them up by yourself. When you do, you just do all 3 levels at once if companion was level 3. No need to rush getting companions to maximize their talent potential.

Edited April 8, 201510 yr by Shinae

So my method is:

 

First area - Do pretty much all of it because I don't think you can really skip any battles

 

Caves - I'm guessing ignore everything and head straight up the middle (using the torch to clear the traps)? Gotta kill some spiders but that's about it.

 

Valewood - Sneak through the whole thing

 

Gilded Vale - Get through intro speeches, get Aloth (I'd like to not skip the fight, if possible), go inside inn, sleep, come back out, talk to dead Dwarf woman, grab Eder

 

Magran's Fork - Sneak through, grabbing Durance

Black Meadow - Sneak through

Caed Nua - Grab Kana

The problem I seem to run into is that by Black Meadown, I'm like 50 xp from level 3. When I hit Caed Nua, I get like 450 xp for continuing the main quest. Is it possible to go to Caed Nua before talking to the dead Dwarf woman? When I arrive at Caed Nua, I'm 98 xp over the mark.

Also, if I skip everything in the first cave, will it all be there when I come back? (including monsters like the little spear dude?)

Edited April 8, 201510 yr by bmardiney

If you get Edér at level 2 and level him up you don't actually get to pick talent. That Ruffian talent is total bonus you would not get otherwise.

 

Also if you like leveling your companion by yourself, you can use IE mod and ChangeClass command to level them up by yourself. When you do, you just do all 3 levels at once if companion was level 3. No need to rush getting companions to maximize their talent potential.

Hmm...I might just do this. Though honestly, I was planning on giving my rogue the ruffian talent, and really, Eder should probably be more of a soldier or peasant than a ruffian. But yeah, minor nitpicks there.

Edited April 8, 201510 yr by bmardiney

So my method is:

 

First area - Do pretty much all of it because I don't think you can really skip any battles

 

Caves - I'm guessing ignore everything and head straight up the middle (using the torch to clear the traps)? Gotta kill some spiders but that's about it.

 

Valewood - Sneak through the whole thing

 

Gilded Vale - Get through intro speeches, get Aloth (I'd like to not skip the fight, if possible), go inside inn, sleep, come back out, talk to dead Dwarf woman, grab Eder

 

Magran's Fork - Sneak through, grabbing Durance

 

Black Meadow - Sneak through

 

Caed Nua - Grab Kana

 

The problem I seem to run into is that by Black Meadown, I'm like 50 xp from level 3. When I hit Caed Nua, I get like 450 xp for continuing the main quest. Is it possible to go to Caed Nua before talking to the dead Dwarf woman? When I arrive at Caed Nua, I'm 98 xp over the mark.

 

Also, if I skip everything in the first cave, will it all be there when I come back? (including monsters like the little spear dude?)

 

In my Hard/POTD games I did everything in the first dungeon except disarm the traps and was able to recruit Kana at lvl 2. So I have no idea what's putting you over unless it's the lock/trap xp. 

Very strange indeed.

You get less XP if you have more than 1 party member, maybe you should hire 5 adventurers from the Inn to slow down your XP gain?

You get less XP if you have more than 1 party member, maybe you should hire 5 adventurers from the Inn to slow down your XP gain?

Hah, at a certain point, I should probably just use the mod. Or, you know, I should just get over my anal-ness and just deal with inefficient character builds But thanks for the idea.

IE mod. Nuff said.

It's probably the bonus experience you get from a non-full party. The bonus was upped in the patch from 5% per free slot to 10%, I believe? Would explain the difference.

I tried to recruit Pallegina when I was level 3, and she ended up being level 4. I think level 4 is her minimum (without a mod etc.)

Okay, yeah, I guess I'll just wait for the most recent/compatible version of the IE mod to release. Thanks for the input everyone!