[Gimli]

May have something to do with your party's formation and/or if you're getting surrounded in combat. Try to keep the Priest in the rear rank, and have buffer characters in both flank spots and in the middle and/or front as well.

Also use the terrain to your advantage, try to get something like a wall/mountainside etc at the backs of your rear rank guys when you fight, especially against large groups of mosters, to keep them from surrounding your group. If you right click on the automap, it will show your chars imposed on it in their formation and where the monsters are relative to them, always try to keep them away from your casters with a combo of formation and positioning.

Also if you don't already have it, get the Missle Shield spell, will save you from alot of ranged weapon attacks that the enemies can target against any of your chars (early on this really turns the tide vs the Higardi bandit types who throw knives/stilettos etc).