I'm currently in Bayjin Shallows on my way to the Sea Caves later on in the game. Is it normal for my melee fighters to miss at the absurd rate they seem to miss at? I know ranged combat is recommended more for later in the game, but unfortunately I did not build my party that way and did not know that melee was tougher later on.

I just feel the amount of times I miss is absurd. The Rynjin have been a pain thus far and if I face more than a couple at a time I get my butt kicked usually. It's just sheer luck I've made it this far into the areas with them. My ranger usually instant kills a few of them which has helped a great deal. I'm just tired of seeing my front two guys miss miss miss. Anything I can do without cheating to improve this?

The short answer is yes;

The problem is most of those fish are Monks with very high melee defences so you need an edge against them… like a hard hitting Pandemonium from your Bard or Psionic, have the Gadgeteer buff your fighters with her Invigorator Belt (Superman) then drop a hypnotic lure with her Lava Lamp don’t forget to put up a bless and a Haste because every little bit adds up but you can skip the Armormelt for these guys.

They will most likely resist Silence, Slow and all but the most powerful Insanity so don’t waste time… of course you should always have the long term buffs of Magic Screen, Armorplate and X-Ray.

Generically speaking | All melee groups will really struggle in this game… seriously it just keeps getting worse as the game goes on.

p.s. They also do lots of mind magic so putting up a Soul Shield gets a special priority.

Is the build of your party just fighters, or do you have other classes in the mix that could be trained in some of the spell classes?

If you've got some characters who could develop spells, I'd suggest leaving the Bayjin Shallows, exploring elsewhere and developing a range of spells that can be used against the Rynjin.

You can also choose to multi-class one or two of your fighters. Switching one to become a Bishop or Bard etc., for a period should prove useful. There is a Bard who could join your party, but I've a feeling he won't travel to Bayjin - many potential party members won't.

In addition, you can equip your fighters - using the secondary weapon slot - with bows, crossbows, slings or darts. Unless they have a cursed weapon, which limits what they use, your fighters will automatically switch between long and close range weapons. Their skills will increase as they use the secondary weapon, plus the scope of the game is such you will be able to afford putting points into the skills needed for your fighters to become good with which ever secondary weapon you choose for them.

As for how often your fighters miss hitting something, it takes quite some time to develop characters that are proficient at anything. In addition, it is possible you've arrived in Bayjin at a lower level than is needed to complete the area successfully. It is a tough area.

So, for now, I'd suggest you leave Bayjin, consider a strategy that will work with the party you have, raise skill levels in the areas that will assist, then return to fight from a more powerful position.

What level is your party, and are there any other areas that you haven't visited yet?

To help deal with the rynjin's high evasion, look for weapons and buffs that provide bonuses "To Hit", and swap out anything that normally imposes a penalty. Debuffs that they won't easily resist (they have high Water and Mental defenses, so look for other things) can also help a great deal, although if your party lacks casters then you might need to spend some time stocking up at the various vendors.