instead of adding HP or enemy numbers, it would be more interesting to reduce numbers of long rest / time you can do (maybe by limiting food), prohibiting respecs, and limiting save-reloads.
Agreed!!!
Combat is not super easy, but getting ready to it IS.
An additional "Hardcore" or "Seasoned Tactician" mode with increased difficulty would be super cool.
Some suggestions, which I believe should be simple to implement (well, maybe not SIMPLE simple, but doable)
Make pickpocketing harder and with harsher consequences
Using stolen itens in front of original vendor should have some consequence
Increase cost of scrolls, maybe make them harder to find too
Limit resting to safe areas
Limit saving the game to long rests, no quicksaves allowed
Make supplies harder to find, make them rot, or simply Increase the number of required food to rest
Split required resting supplies between edibles and liquids
Using Teleportation circles requires you to be standing next to one
Using Teleportation circles without resting causes psychic damage
Increase the cost of ressurection and respec tenfold (Withers)
Add material component cost to to revivify spell (500 GP?)
Dead characters could miss the XP earned from enemies killed while they were dead
Critical failures (and misses) should have more consequences (maybe add a 5% chance of breaking the weapon and requiring having it repaired)
We should be unable to tune the difficulty down in this hardcore mode
Naturally, with pain comes gain! So, it would be nice to see some hall of fame for people who beat the game in this mode. Or maybe exclusive content of some kind.
P.S. I simply LOVE the game and I find it very pleasing to play already! Looking forward to play it all over again in a harder mode!
Excellent suggestions, these would be well suited for an 'ironman' style mode, separate from the difficulty setting itself. I still think actual encounter difficulty increases are needed though, but between this and some thoughtful tweaks to player or encounter strength I think you could make a really great game mode.