You do level up faster, and more importantly, your skill points increase faster because you use them more having only four people to kill monsters than 6. I found having a bard extremely useful, especially early on. If you have a spellcaster they are quite weak and useless early, and your fighter types can sometimes get overwhelmed. There are good instruments early that really save you. I also have a gadgeteer, but she's only really become useful for her gadgets lately (NegatAir! Woohoo!
). My group of fighter, bishop, bard and gadgeteer are really spanking now [img]smile.gif[/img] . Good luck!