I was just thinking about getting some basic spells like fireball, ice bolt, and heal for example just for some ranged attacks. Maybe a decent AOE spell for crowd control etcc..
These spells will be mildly useful and bring some variety to the mix but don't expect them to really make a difference to a (basically) warrior build (i.e. if you don't heavily invest in Mana and ancient knowledge, so as to really make more than a dent to any serious opponent, but then you are multiclassing)
Maybe a decent AOE spell for crowd control etcc..
Which is were I am going with this: lets say Flamewave costs 7 Lp (+5 fireball) needs
120 AK and 90 mana, casting it with these minimum requirements in a room full of skeletons i.e. just mildly irritates them at best. So you see you really need to invest in the mage path for these spells to be actually effective. If you don't want to do that you are better off with a couple of scrolls for those special occasions (i.e I use summon lightning scrolls to off those troublesome shamans in Nordmar before they burn me to a cinder)
If I just go straight to the desert, get dual wield then come back and do all the quests in Montara, Silden etc… Or will that area (the desert) be to tough if I dont level up properly first?
Really depends on several variables (CP game Settings, Character build and level and
also player skill that factors quite heavily in gothic games). But this is a gothic game
meaning that you can sneak/run away/lure something to someone stronger to get by
the tough parts if necessary (I did part of varant quite early in my first couple of playthroughs when I was basically zipping back and forth between all 3 territories trying stuff out). I just do not remember what the conditions are for you to learn dual wielding
(might be one or several tough quests). For me though a great part of the fun with these games is exploring and trying to figure these things out (and finding creative ways to do stuff that would normally be too tough for your current level is one my favorites also)…