If you throw a lot of mass insta-whack spells, like Quicksand and Death Wish, your casters' kill totals will increase. Wait til you can cast Death Cloud at PL7 before you switch your Alchemist...

Still in the lower monastery with the following...

Human Lord
Human Samurai
Mook Ranger
Hobbit Bard
Knome Alchemist
Elf Psionic

I'm liking their progress so far, the alchemist-psionic dynamic so early in the game is very handy. (Party buys potions, alchemist merges potions, psionic identifies new potion, party sell new potion.) Good for money (better stuff), alchemy skill and psionic/mental skill. I dislike excessive training, but I'm all for making money, so I don't mind hangin' round the first NPC for a while.

P.S. This is my first post, I've played the game through before, I'm trying not to spoil anyone, but I'll just say that there are many other good reasons I chose this specific party make-up.