Guild Wars.

[Swiss Mercenary]

Maybe I'm referring to the wrong quest? Or maybe that one doesn't give skills. I don't recall anymore, but I THOUGHT I was still focusing only on the ones that give skills. Maybe I exhausted them already...
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Althea's Ashes does NOT give skills, and it is very much intended to be quite a difficult quest for level 10 characters. (Equivalent to trying to beat Leoric when you first get to DL 3, as a single-player warrior with an axe). It does give 2000 experience. Don't feel bad about skipping it - you can always come back in a few levels.

As a R/E, the skill-giving quests in the area around Ascalon include two quests from Ranger Nente (Which you have probably done), a quest to ambush the charr supply lines in Piken Square (Which you must have done), a quest from Elementalist Asure + another quest from a hermit, and two more quests in Serenity Temple (The place where you should deliver the Eldritch Sextant to in "A troublesome Artifact."

I was really under the impression that you were much further in the game, but this cleared it up for me.

I haven't played with low level henchmen much, due to their insignificant contributions to the battle, but what you have described matches up most of my observations with them. I suppose due to the lack of spells that they can cast, they don't cast them nearly as often.

All the way from mid-game to early-late game, Alesia actually becomes sufficient for the party's primary healer.

Incidently, I've got a R/N in the same level range as you do. I'd be happy to help out with whatever - if you can get me when I'm on. In-game name: "Aye Farm Faction"

As much as I disbelieve it, the entire game has been balance-tested to be doable with just henchmen...

Ah, one more thing: Which missions have you done? "The Great Northern Wall"? "Fort Ranik"? "Ruins of Surmia"? "Nolani Academy"?