I saw someone on the forum mention that the weighted dice are on by default in patch 8. I haven't checked in the settings yet, but it might contribute to that feeling of ease. Also, I noticed xp goes up way faster than before. I used to have to clear the ruins, the grove and most or all of the goblin camp to get to level 4. This time I got there before meeting Minthara.
That said, some of my experience may be coming down to my character.
Larian dev 1 : Let's have the sorcerer deal up to 18d6 damage in a single turn.
Larian dev 2 : For balance, let's make sure Bardic Inspiration is almost always wasted
Larian dev 1 : Huzzah!
