Blind potd playthrough: help with xp and stronghold

[ciphrus]

Hello all.  I'm playing a blind playthrough of potd with myself as a cipher along with companion npcs.  I use the Ie mod to make xp requiring 25% more.  Since this is my first playthrough, I'm wondering if this is the appropriate increment.   I like the game to be challenging, so I would rather be slightly under leveled as opposed to over.  I've completed the temple and stronghold area so far and just picked up the ranger/druid/cipher companion.

 

Concerning the stronghold, this is one aspect of the game that don't particularly care for.  I can either ignore it, or use id mod cheat to complete all the buildings since I don't use it anyay.  My question is the bounty quests.  I need some copper to upgrade armor, weapons, etc..., but I don't want to do the quests if it's going to bump me up a level as I understand they give huge xp rewards.  Should I ignore them?  Does enabling the buildings through cheat change the rest of the game in anyway?

 

Also, I would like to do all the npc questlines.  How does that factor in interms of their xp?  Do companions automatically level w/o your input if left alone in the stronghold?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Silent Winter]

Not sure about the xp-gain.  What's 'appropriate' may vary from person to person.

As for the Stronghold buildings:

One of them is needed to access bounties, as you said - bounties give a lot of xp - maybe leave them until Act 3 if you don't want to level too much earlier, or just leave them altogether.

Restoring the dungeon gives the option to take prisoners (but only rarely) rather than fight to the death.

If you're not interested in the stronghold - just leave it (restoring the above 2 areas may need you to restore another 2 areas first - it's listed in the stronghold UI.

 

Oh, and npcs left in the stronghold - they don't level automatically, but can be sent on quests through the stronghold menu (you get a notification when one is available) - xp-gain isn't as much as going adventuring with you though (AFAIK)

Edited April 30, 2015 by Silent Winter