If your characters can't somehow get through this, then yes -- you're screwed.

the leveling and the balance of this game is a bit bad.

If you ever reach this point again and don't want to use said 2 characters. Look into crafting image training aspects. This will give characters wearing it exp and tuning even outside of battle and can appear as early as chapter 4 as a recipe. Then when it comes to that point again, they'll be leveled enough to do it without you ever having to ever be forced to use them prior.

All you need is three or five depending on which version you are playing, and then there you have it. The entire party within the same level range without you having to switch in and out and simply play who you wish.

Enemy levels are set within a range depending on chapter. Meaning you can level beyond them. Grimore actually can get you beyond the cap of enemies easily if you do it right, so don't neglect that if you need to level. It also tends to match your party average level or highest level, so the enemies there won't over level you unless you make it as such. They can be under leveled if for example you are lv50 on chapter 3, which by then the max won't pass lv30 until next chapter.

There if you got the sigils, you can somewhat create spawns as to your liking. So if you behind on exp, egg hunt sigil and stealing them from eggs will see you come across eggs often, a lot more than what you would find on field. And if you don't like Rinna, you can learn to craft an steal attack aspect that allows you to steal things at a chance by simply whacking enemies.

I literally just picked this game up yesterday.
What two characters in question, and roughly what level would you recommend them to be? I want to avoid any softlocks.

Originally posted by Zero:

I literally just picked this game up yesterday.
What two characters in question, and roughly what level would you recommend them to be? I want to avoid any softlocks.

A character you meet in a forest early on that fills the fourth canon slot of your party. I say canon because if you do refrain mode, you'd have two extras. And then the last one to join.

When you are heading to a fort in a desert to confront someone, lv55 - 65 is where you want them. (Mob lowest that I seen there and boss level respectively.) But it's doable at half that if you play decently enough and use proper tactics (lv30). Granted there is a video of someone doing it at lv8/30. (character levels respectively.)

Just aim to be close to the level of the large monsters in the area. At least close enough that you get the normal encounter sign, and not the angry emote when they see you. (Not the ones guarding entrances as they are purposefully super high level to block you from going to certain areas too soon.) Do that and overall you should be fine. The game certainly has their op attacks from mobs and bosses here and there, but nothing to really softlock you.

Massively appreciate it.
I'll keep an eye out and get those levels up.

This is truly unfortunate. That poor decision to force the player to fight with only 2 of the lest important and likeable characters, midway through Opus 7/8 is to infuriating and is totally ruining my experience of the game atm. Like why the hell do I have to grind, and when I say grind I mean my characters are like 15 level under everyone else. I've been trying to level up for the past 2 days in vain, its just frustrating and unpleasant. WHY WHY WHY?!?!?! This is so lame, I'm sure they're ruining a lot of people's experience by not fixing this...