Thanks for giving Ruphand a look!
Hmm, adding more point to fighting enemies would be a good idea. There's already a benefit to battling enemies you haven't fought before, but I might look at improving the drops you get from enemies or factoring recent battles into the Sample rework I've been thinking about, and I could also add some kind of bonus to the "Spot Mix" idea that's been rattling around in my head (which would let you make a potion on the spot mid-battle, at the cost of leaving you open to attack).
The early game can be pretty unforgiving, now I think about it. (Basically every arachnid in the first dungeon comes to mind!) I'll give the early balance another look to be a bit less brutal. Is there any other enemy type that's giving you trouble?