My entire party was killed in the early game crypt, but I can't find a way to revive them as they are fallen within a necrotic fluid pool. I have waited, rested, even gone to camp but the fluid never goes, so I can't revive them. I must be doing something wrong. I also found this first crypt fight very hard. Although they were the same level as me, I was outnumbered 2 to 1 and some of them could do a ranged attack and also a melee attack. I was slaughtered many times. I am using balanced difficulty.

Are you trying to revivify your characters in the exact same position they fell? When you use the revivify scroll, you can place them on a nearby, non-hazardous location.

If it's the crypt I think, I had a different experience for a couple of reasons: by the time I tackled it, I was 1 or 2 levels above the enemies and I managed to use the Intimidate skill to get rid of a bunch of them from the start. So tip 1, don't be afraid to leave and come back later. You might find other enemies easier, if only because you have a particular party composition. Tip 2, if you have a party character with Charisma based skills like Deception, Intimidation, Persuasion, you can sometimes talk yourself out of fights. In my case, that's my PC.

In general, Larian games are a bit unusual vs other RPGs. Their encounters can be more like puzzles, trying to figure out how to combine all the tools you have available and there are a lot of tools in BG3 to get to grips with, such as the various ways spells, items and class features can be used advantageously. Also in BG3, you have the ability to stealth ambush the enemy, which wasn't an option in DOS1 and 2. If you do this, you can sometimes get a free round as the enemy are Surprised and cannot take actions.

Another thing Larian likes is environment effects. With this crypt, there's a couple of ways of entering. One way allows for a situation of using the environment to easily kill a bunch of the enemy. Actually I'm not sure if you mean the ruins in general or the crypt within it. I've been talking more about the ruins in general.

If you're new to DnD and/or Larian style games, you might also consider the Explorer difficulty setting until you're more familiar with the game and rules. With such a huge game, you'll still have plenty of game left to play at the Balanced setting.

Don't be afraid to use scrolls and potions to get ready for a tough fight. Hoarding can kill you.

Thanks for the tips. I used persuasion to send the ones away at the top, but met a strong party of 6 versus 3 in the crypt below, which decimated my party despite some great luck with attacks. Two fallen party members have died in a pool of necrotic fluid. I can't revive them because the fluid never goes away and they revive on the spot and either I die or we both die. I have to use a special scroll item for Gale, and not the already equipped revivify scroll. I think I will use a Trainer to get past this point, as in "roleplaying reality" the GM would allow me some means to drag a body away from the fluid, or the fluid would eventually disperse.

if only there was a way to like blow them all up?

or freeze them?

I'm not sure what necrotic fluid is but you can destroy surfaces. eg. the poisonous green ones can be destroyed by throwing a water bottle on them. This is one feature Larian took from the DOS games. I think in those, it was explained in the tips during loading screens but I don't think BG3 explains it.

Is THAT what the bottles of water are for? Heh, I kept them thinking that I'd need to drink them as part of the camp supplies.

Yeah, it's not well explained :) Given this is a Larian game, I think you can probably also throw them at enemies to make them wet and freeze them using a spell such as Ray of frost. Or electrocute enemies standing in the same pool of water using an electricity based spell. I keep forgetting to try these things because I never really adapted to this aspect of Larian's previous games. Not at all necessary to do in BG3, either, unlike DOS. BG3 gives you many, many other tools.

Thanks for this tip! I will try it out :)

Are you sure the necrotic area isn't emanating from Gale? That's the problem I had once, using the Revivify scroll solved the problem - don't even try getting near him to get the pouch unless you have a lot of HP to spare, I think this part is just a bad joke. Each companion gets a revivify scroll so you should have at least one.

Spreading water won't solve the problem.

It will if your spellcaster freezes it.

I read the flavour text and assumed it was for alchemy. None of pots used water for some reason.

Thanks for the tip