So Dungeon Master, if I understand you right, the game become harder if you progress ?
If so, great news because it is so much more a thrilling adventure when that adventure is growing to become harder at the end and NOT vice versa (it's frustrating and boring the beginning is too hard, but all the rest become too easy)

IF I play hard(core), I definitely do NOT cheat with the XP debt by Mindreading! If I Mindread, my hero must TAKE the XP debt and DON'T reload after any Mindreading !
I love this Mindreading skill and definitely wish to Mindread all I can

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I play on Xbox.
Question about "casual" difficulty :
I read on another forum if you play on "casual", every level-up you can spend 3 skillpoints and 12 statpoints!! Is that really true?