After mindreading almost everyone in the village (I skipped the bandit prisoner, since I did that in D2:ED and it effects something later in that quest, so I wanted to try it the other way), I got a bracelet with a +3 melee bonus (from the beholder on the north side of the river), and +2 to Mindread. The melee bonus made a noticeable difference in unarmed combat on level 2.
I had almost all the opponents in the starting section of Broken Valley cleared before I paid off my mindreading debt and got close to leveling. In the secret tunnel under the burnt chapel, I was level 2 fighting level 4 skeletons; no sooner did I get to level 3 than I started running into level 5 opponents. I cleared all of the tunnel that you can do before the escape, except a certain room with a chest.
between the two level 5 mages appearing after you open the trapped chest and crap on the floor interfering with moving and jumping, I could not defeat them at level 3.
I wasn't sure if that would be available later, so went back to the village to do a quest to level (that and Stun Arrows on a newly purchased piece of jewelry allowed me to finish off that room).
In the secret tunnel,
I thought there was suppose to be a cave-in after you got the prisoner out? I didn't head back towards the chapel entrance, though, so maybe I'll try that sometime.
In D2:ED on normal difficulty (warrior), I got access to the full Broken Valley on level 6 (after doing everything I could), and a couple of the opponents in the dragon sequence brought me up to level 7. After taking out the skeletons at Lovis' tower main gate and clearing the goblins around their two derelict tunnel entrances, I headed to the tunnels since the rest of the skeletons and bandits were a little tough in groups.
In DKS on nightmare (ranger), I also left the starting section of Broken Valley on level 6, but leaving lots of quests unfinished. The first few goblins and skeletons after that brought me up to level 7. After clearing out the goblins, and the skeletons around Lovis' tower, I cleared over to the enchanter, and took out three level 12 Black Ring members to the south (on level 8), one at a time (and getting quite low on hit points each time). Then I cleared the goblins around Bellegar's shrine (close to Lovis' tower), reaching level 9. I killed both chickens there (IIRC there were about a dozen in D2:ED), and assume another will show up after I talk to Casper.
At that point I decided to head to the derelict tunnels, or I wouldn't be getting much experience there leaving it too long. Also, I don't have a necklace yet. I don't care about the skill bonus on the unique necklace you can get in the tunnels, though, assuming it remains similar to how it was in D2:ED (there I used it for quite awhile, though probably would have replaced it sooner if I had not added a level 10 healing aura enchantment to it on level 12 or 13).
I wasn't really planning on getting Stun Arrows, but bought some earrings with that skill bonus, and have found it comes in quite handy, particularly when fighting multiple mages. From the description I figured it would just save a bit of running around, but actually, less running around is nice, and it can significantly help with larger groups or small groups of rangers/mages in confined quarters.
In another topic I said I thought Rush Attack would be mostly useless for a ranger, but now I'm starting to think it might be easier to take out lone mages with melee attacks, rather than trade ranged attacks while moving every shot or two. I think when I have the skill points to spare I may invest in it (I've seen it on jewelry once or twice, but not with other stats worth replacing what I have).
