The party has finished the Wandering Village prior to taking out the dark treants, and has returned to take out the last 5 ranks of Battle Squares (normal game, will go to HoF). Composition is as follows ('+' denotes may level up):
Deep Gnome Monk[9] (+1)
Shield Dwarf Fighter[1]/Battleguard of Tempus[11]
Drow Rogue[2]/Ranger[1]/Paladin[2]/Wizard[5] (+1)
Drow Dreadmaster of Bane[10]
Aasimar Sorceror[11]
Drow Druid[7] (+1)
The drow druid was added at the Crash Site before the Ice Temple, and squatted until I wanted more contributions. The party dominates, btw.
My goals are as follows:
1) Average party level preferably lvl 16 or better by the last level of the Severed Hand (I'd say higher, but I have a lot of ECL penalties to overcome)
2) Druid up as high as she can go by Guardian fight
3) Monk to hit lvl 20 ASAP for HoF
4) Preferably hit lvl 30 by the end of HoF
What suggestions do you have for optimal level-squatting to achieve the above goals? I am considering squatting the druid until the Guardian fight and squatting the monk once it hits lvl 13. I'd prefer to keep the Battleguard and the sorceror levelling up as I go along.
For further reference, what have been your best strategies for achieving goals 1 & 4 (from the beginning of a normal game)?