WRT the magic talents: the Aerotheurge 5 talent that renders the character immune to stun is the strongest option (especially since you can take advantage of it to safely stand in water and benefit from Elemental Affinity), and the Weatherproof talent from Geomancy 5 is very helpful in certain locations. The other two are less so, partly because they come with negatives and partly because you may not WANT to be dealing that type of damage to something that hits you!
