[DraconFighter]

Yes, as the old joke goes, "sometimes the bull wins."

I'm fooling around (i.e. not intending to finish) with a party of four (Lord-Bard-Ranger-Mage) and we had a difficult time of it on the Arnika Rd (both times, from and back to the Monastery). In Arnkia we can kill anything that moves.

One thing that may help is to save (not quick save, but save entire games with different names). If you get stuck somewhere, go back to your save and start again. Maybe the monster spawn will be better for you. For example, I always save just before leaving the Monastery (before you click on the check mark to leave).

No doubt the combat will be difficult at times, but I predict that eventually both you and your party will be better at this and will find some areas so unchallenging that you kick it up a notch from novice to normal. If I can do it, anybody can do it (expert scares me - I don't go there).