So my question is, how are improving non-combat skills detrimental to your character? Enemies don't scale to your character level do they? Because I am one-shotting bandits and skeletons that previously took a few hacks to kill. I just don't see how it could matter how you gain your levels, as long as you aren't stupid and try to rush to harder parts of the game when your combat skills are low. As long as you are fighting enemies appropriate to how strong your combat skills are it shouldn't matter should it?
