Seems like you're having a hard time with the game. I also got my ass kicked a lot when I started it, so here's some shit I wish I knew:

1. Shadow step (shadow walk?), the one that makes you invisible, allows you to steal anything that isn't nailed down so go steal some paintings.
2. You can use the Pyramids in combat.
3. Stealth is useless in the EE, don't bother with it.
4. Bombs are OP, use them.
5. Poison is flammable
6. Skills are your main weapon. I don't know if this needs to be said at all but I spent half of my first playthrough trying to do damage with just melee and that will get you nowhere.
7. On the point of skills, the touch-skills are also OP. They only take 1 AP and provide massive crowd control.

It's a cool game, took me a long time to get into the groove with it, and I have to say most of the time the humour really landed flat with me and broke the immersion and enjoyment of the game.

If you're finding yourself dying a lot, be aware that this game more than most has a very specific levelling path to follow.

By that I mean you will struggle to kill anything over 2 levels from you until you are in the later game, and I think it's impossible to over level.

If you find one fight too hard circle back and try another path, the combat may be more your level

I still distinctly remember the first time I used a bedroll in Divinity: Original Sin 2 and knew immediately it'd be impossible for me to ever go back to the first one.

I enjoyed the original D:OS a lot more later once I had more chances for XP. Both D:OS games are brutal about punishing you for trying encounters while underleveled, to the point where I didn't feel like I had much flexibility. That's tough when freedom to roam and not worry about skipping things--or saving them for replays--is one of the things I most like about Western RPGs. I wasn't a fan of spending a ton of time in town early on, too, for that reason. Was itching to get to the combat again and I just kept getting stomped. So yeah, okay, I'll go chat everyone up for every last bit of experience.

It is also really fun in coop. The way your two main characters interact makes it perfect for playing it with somebody else.

And of course all the different fuckups if your fire ball destroys the oil barrels you didn't see before...

Larian is the gamer's best friend. Free patches that are sometimes big as DLC and free upgrades to Enhanced Editions... It's really how a triple A game developer should act and the money they make just in game sales shows it. They know they make good games.

Even the hype for BG3 wasn't superficial with just trailers. They let you play the actual first part of the game and took feedback. That's real hype.

It is a goofy game but that is what gives it its charm.

Environmental interaction( especially with spells) is great

Tip with the rogue, stealth will be very useful at one point

20 hours in and I just learned the basics of the backstab mechanic! I've been playing my rogue like a fighter!