Best level before 2nd party member

[J0sh]

This is my second play through the game and I am level 26 right now before getting penelo I have the kotetsu and the Gladius and I have all the hit point up licenses plus a lot of others. I think I will get to level 30 and then continue on with the game.

Also I skipped a lot of those steps and instead of early leveling I just got a quickening really fast and then went to the werewolves and used the quickening on them because I was so low level it didn't kill them so I just ran out back to the save point refreshed my MP and then went back and did it again until there dead and then after a couple of levels it gets easy and of course easier and easier. Once you get the gladius from chaining wolfs in westersand it's even easier because if they don't die from the quickening you can likely take them out with regular attacks because the gladius has wind effect and they are weak against wind. It also helps if you have a couple battle lore augments.

I really wish I could kill them without using the quickenings (because they take long to perform) but they use an attack when they are close to death sometimes that takes away 600-800 damage I forget what it's called though because I haven't played in a couple days but it sort of makes it impossible to do without better armor which is not available at this point other then I think the winged helm.