Red_Avatar, I can tell you that you can combine everything in this game and it can work if you use it in the right way. I mean, my caracter is a Bandit that is master in firearms and also is good in some magic like Black Magic and Nature, he can repair everything and is also good at pickpocket. My only companion is Virgil and no one can do shit to me(if someone does there is always "load game"
). If you have several companions equip them real good and it will pay off.
One important tip, if you find one huge undead guy in one huge castle and you actually manage to kill him and he leave magical helmet as loot, DONT PUT IT ON YOU HEAD!!! It almost ruined my game, because my caracter become maximum evil and maximum magical and I couldn't buy at firearms shops and my shooting became awful. I noticed this after I saved the game and there was no turning back, I managed to fix this a little bit so I can play normaly but I forgot how. SO, DONT PUT THE FUCKING HELMET ON!!!