So I've been playing for a bit, and I can make basically 0 progress. 

Out of the sewers, literally any activity I put my mind to has ended up in one-sided defeat (outside of the caravan sneak section)

Every combat encounter I enter usually ends with me going down in 2-4 hits even at max stamina while I continue to do only 1 damage (even on sneak attacks somehow) with all my hits.

The only quest I can manage to do is the herbs and that is barely even enough to continue to feed my bottomless stomach as I walk between quest locations - I literally cannot save enough stamina to go exploring around the map.
So am I just missing some esoteric metaknowledge on some amazing piece of gear? Am I just supposed to keep farming herb quests to gain xp? Am I not supposed to even spec into scouting? 

What am I doing wrong?

staying well fed like in real life helps also blue potions are very strong when it comes to restoring your stamina

as far as doing one damage is concerned you need to invest in combat or wis or whatever stat you are built for in nymphos case its constitution since if you don't overcome enemy armour you do one damage but i have a suggestion as far as like doing damage is concerned in the event you went the tough route, buy a saber it ignores armour and will be a good bedfellow for you till you reach about 30+ combat also losing stamina too rapidly is a sign you are fighting either unarmored or injured do not keep injuries around heal those with a red potion

I also can suggest to change keyboard shortcuts. I personally use WASD for moving, 1-8 and side mouse buttons for skills, found it pretty convenient.

a bit Late whit any Tips but Here Goes:

1: i would suggest to invest into the "Survival" Skill to increase the amount spawn of food in wilderness arias, and Wisdom fore an increase of Herbs fond as well, but you can cheat it a bit by investing in a Pair of Glasses in the Marked by the Mage Vendor, to increase your Wis stat by 5 extra.
(i have personally 15 in the "Survival" skill and get plenty of food from the wilderness, but i think i will eventually bump it up to 20 so i won't have any problems whit food when exploring less hospital arias then the Plains and Rain Forest in the future.)

1b: buying Tool's will Reduce how much Stamina you use to gadder Resources, to go to the marked and buy a Sickle fore Plant Based Harvesting and a pickaxe fore Rock's and Crystals. (sadly don't know any Tool's fore Wooden log's as of yet)

2: i would also suggest starting out securing some food by exploring ether the Coast (Beach Tiles) down south of the East Gate of the starting Town, there is Lots of Fish and Crabs you can get there to fill your belly, or better yet Cook in the Dark Cauldron to make it into Meat Stew fore 2 Meet ingredients or Good Soup if you combine 1 Meet and 1 Greenery type ingredient together.

2b: another good please to find Lots of free Food would be the Plain's Tiles (flat land whit next to none stuff on it on the map.)
one there is some easily accessible by the East Gate and over the bridge, and then down to the South near the (Rain) Forest
there you will be able to find Bunnies that will drop 2 to 6 Meet on kill, and they are quiet easy to hunt as well, just set them on Fire wit your Lantern and they will die easily enof.
and there will also be some vegetables there as well, usually, and some Bugs you can catch as well, that you can make some descent food of.
but no herbs can be fond there.

3: the Rain Forest is probably one of the Best if not The Best place to farm fore Food Early Game whit an abundance whit Food, including Banana Trees that will give you 3 Fruits fore the price of 1 Food Slot on the map, there is also Dangerous Wild Boars there so you might be better off Sneaking and just take the Vegetables/berries early one and Meed from the Plains Bunnies, but the Boars do drop A LOT of Meet (like 12-16) so if you can kill them then you will get an good yield, i usually find it best to set them on Fire, and try to have an Wall behind me and preferable also trap the boar in a place they can only attack from one Direction, that will make it easier to set it on Fire multiple Times, and yes the Fire Status Effect do Stack whit itself, but you will most likely gain some injuries from said Boar hunting, but etch injury will Heal itself etch Half Day that passes.
the one rain forest is Located by the East Gate over the Bridge and down South into the Forest by the Sea.

4: now that you have gaddered some food, be sure to interact whit an Dark Cauldron like the Cooking Pot behind the counter in the Burning Keg Inn bubbling on the Stow, or use a Log from your inventory to make your own, and use it to Place 2 Meat in it to make "Meat Stew" fore the Adventurer whit the Whip and Hat, he will be Quiet helpful fore you early game whit many of the early quests or just in the wilds.

4b: the Whip Adventurer is an Excellent Companion fore quests like the Rising Skeletons in the Graveyard (more safe if you go there in Daytime when the undead is asleep), as well as being an Big help during the Crystal Mine quest, and you can even kind of Double Dip, the crystal Mine quest by instantly Re-Entering the mine after doing the quest and look fore Crystals (they only spawn outside of the quest) to mine whit your Pickaxe that you can then use as trade items or store in the Bank or trade them in fore money, you should ONLY trade items fore money at the Bank if Possible since they have the most Fair Rate fore Coins.

4c: you can use your cauldron to cook multiple Recipe's and in Batch as long as you meet the Requirement fore the recipe, but be careful to not cock to much at once or it can knock you out by exhausting your stamina...
also some recipe's overlap somewhat so some might not be the best to blend together like if you want Good Soup, but add a log fore a Frag Barrel, then it will result in dyed Meat and Dry Meal instead of the Good Soup, through Dry Meal and Dried Meat is more valuable to sell then Good Soup, but yield less Food and Mood then what the Good Soup would have given you.
i usually try to leave the city whit at list 15 Good Soup and 1-2 Log's in the inventory fore Coking on the Road whit ingredients i find in the wilderness.

5: Lona is not a Strong Mythical Hero, but a vulnerable civilian that do her best to survive in a CRUEL world, so Strait up Fighting is usually not the Best answer early on, so instead of Strait up Fighting you should try and be Smarter sneak around Place Trap's and lure enemies away into your Ambush, Place out Explosives to Trigger whit your Rock Throw Skill at opportune times, hire Companions to help you defeat your enemies, and don't be afraid to Flee to Fight Another Day.

5b: through eventually you might become strong enof to take on the world, but that's fore lather right now at the start you will probably be better off being a bit slow and patient and Tactical instead.




sorry fore my ranting but this is some of the stuff that helped me early on to survive, and you did ask if there ware any survival tricks you ware missing so hope they are of any help.
and don't be afraid to experiment whit stuff ether.

whit Regard DreamyMilk.