Damn it, practically wasted a day on this :P (only practically wasted as it was fun).
Hard mode is really unforgiving if you allow no reloading. Ranged combat is mandatory in the early levels as melee will only get you killed. I had really good results with a mage using Element magic and Matter magic and finishing off hurt enemies with a mace + shield. She died at level 15 after taking two hits from an elite Orc. And that's pretty good already, a lot of enemies will kill you in one shot if you just happen to not run away quickly enough.
Right now I'm running a female Barbarian warrior, trying to use Hellfire Spikes + crossbow to take out enemies from afar.
Hi,
I now running a female survivor, but my second one on hardcore
... because .....
Overview:
Name hero : Sueliana.
Level : L 7
Game Over : 1 (at L 7) by an Heavy Orc !
TOTAL Game Over : because a second time at L 7 !
Reason : ...
First Game Over AND now total Game Over !! ....
... talking to some skeletons with my sword is fun, but in my total concentration of the melee with those skeletons I wasn't keeping attention to other things ... and so happens:
a BIG shadow came over me ... a big Axe slashed me with fast speed and before I can do a step backwards, the smash of the Axe hit me flat on the ground ... I just can reach an unknown Axe, but this one I can't even lift ... my strength flowing fast away after a second meeting of the Axe with my body ...
... And I was warned already to take more time, have more patient and care with some stronger Orcs, but all help of a healing potion was toooo late !! Die at level 7 ! O no, this can be true ! 
And so it goes ... Sueliana's Body and Soul dissolve into nothingness and then resurrect again in a new adventure : "Sueliana's second coming"
From a book of the "Rivellon Historian".
