Talk:A Troublesome Tome/@comment-151.151.16.18-20131214024206/@comment-172.15.5.59-20131216015413

When Maxilmilian is giving you quests, there are four options. After doing two, a new option will appear to speak with the duke. Don't take this option until you've done all the other optional quests and you can get more levels.

Having said that, the bandits you are most likely having trouble with are the tanky-shield bandits, they can one-shot a lower level Arisen and they are hard to kill. Find a Strider with Ensnare or Implicate, or switch to Strider long enough to get it yourself. You can pull those bandits off their feet over and over while your pawns deal damage. They give a lot of experience.

Having pawns with Challenger inclination is also good, as they will take out the archer bandits that fire the knockdown arrows.