> > > > My second party is now all level 14, except for Phaser, my Wizard, who is still level 13.
> > > >
> > > > Level 8 is way too difficult for them. I just went there four times and each time my entire party got killed on their first fight.
> > > >
> > > > Level 5 is way too easy for them. I just made a pool run to the 3 pools in the corner and I got less than 10000 experience per character. At this rate I will have to make 200-300 pool runs to advance the characters to a sufficient level to face level 8, let alone level 9.
> > > >
> > > > So what should I do? There's always levels 6 and 7 between levels 5 and 8, but what is there to do in them? Can you suggest some route on level 6 or level 7 that would result in much experience?
> > >
> > > If you find level 5 easy, 6+7 should be a breeze. There aren't many pools on 6 but level 7 has more monsters. What about going through level 5 and keep battling the boss monster -- There are heaps of monsters between him and the stairs..... and the boss gives you loads more experience then the pools do. (As long as they aren't paralysed or worse dead....)
> >
> > There's a boss monster on level 5? Is it near the stairs to level 6?
> >
> No, I mean the boss on level 4 who holds the item you need to get through level 6 and 7.

The Gatekeeper? My current party could beat him in their sleep. Killing him once doesn't give nearly enough experience to make my party ready for level 8. Are you suggesting I keep killing the Gatekeeper over and over again?

> > > What type of characters do you have? Have you thought about retraining a couple of them? What kind of spells do your spellcasters have? Try going for agility rather than strength -- and lighter armour to give your fighters the chance to attack first on level 8.
> >
> > Well, 2 of the characters currently have Light Armour. Of the others, the two Knights have Knight's Suits and the two remaining have Anti-Heat Leather. My Wizard knows most spells up to CONTAGION, and my two Sorcerors both know most spells up to SEIZURES. But the SEIZURES spell is next to useless on level 8. If I'm lucky it might end up seizing one monster in the entire 6 monster groups.
> >
> Light armor is a very weak type of armor. Try using magic armor like Chain Mail +2, or Plate Mail +1, gives almost as good protection as higher levels of armor, but reasonably good movement and speed.

But only Knights and Assassins can use Chain Mail or Plate Mail. My two Knights already have Knight's suits and I don't have any Assassins.

> > > Or you could try just raiding on level 8 -- fighting a couple of groups of monsters and then heading back to recuperate.
> >
> > That would be suicidal. As I explained before going to level 8 usually kills my entire party in the first fight they get into.
>
> A tip -- Seizures is only good if you've got a high level spellcaster, esp with high wisdom/intelligence. And on humanoid monsters (like say rogues, theives, warriors etc). Try metamorph on a group that's too powerful (like dragons).

OK, I'll wait until my two Sorcerors level up a bit before using SEIZURES.