GhopTheConqueror
make your own characters but be sure to rob-and-murder the original characters that ship with the game because they're carrying armors/whips/etc that will help you out in the 1st and 2nd dungeons and...well, you get 'em free immediatley just for murdering 'em
i recommend you think first about the race as age is a huge deal in this game.
honestly i recommend that for a beginner party you pick the races that have +100 life spans like elves, dwarves, and i don't remember who else. it may sound super power-gamey but a group of 4 dwarves (your martial units, basically) and 2 elves (caster-types initially) is basically the "safest" beginner selection of races.
Both races feature +100 year life-spans which means you will NEVER... and i mean NEVER, EVER run into the problems that old age brings (lowered stats, etc); plus both races are very good stat-wise.
I would recommend for you:
1x dwarf samurai: (keep rolling; trust me unlike lord/valkyrie/ninja getting a samurai right off the bat will only take 15 mins or less of rolling-- no problem with keeping this guy "innocent" the entire game. this guy is gonna be your quarterback basically for the first half of the game).
(Samurais have access to Wizard spells...)
2x dwarf priests: (the plan is to then change 1 of them into a samurai, and the other one into an alchemist-- when the 1st dwarf priest reaches level 14 and learns 7th spell-level Priest spells change him into the samurai so you have a second samurai but this one will have access to Priest spells on top of the new Wizard spells he will start learning when you change him to Sammy).
(When the 2nd dwarf priest also reaches level 14 i would suggest changing him to a Lord or a Valkyrie... now, even though the 2nd dwarf priest will not gain a new spell school as both Lord/Valk use Priest spells the character itself will be infinitely better as there is literally _no reason_ to keep a "pure priest" around as both the L/V will also have access to 7th magic-level Priest spells AND also have access to awesome martial weaponry and awesome martial prowess).
(Keep in mind the Lord requires a GOOD-alignment MALE dwarf, and the valkyrie requires a NEUTRAL-alignment FEMALE dwarf, so plan accordingly!).
1x thief elf: (mid-way through the game grind some mobs inside Royal Tomb for the hermit's knife which changes him into a ninja; and or do it naturally whichever comes first. only reason to go elf instead of dwarf is for the higher luck)
1x elf alchemist: (after level 14, i.e. he learned 7th magic-level alchemy spells, change him to a bishop for end-game caster unit with 3 schools)
1x elf wizard: (after level 14, i.e. he learned "DIOMANTE" the teleport spell, change him to an alchemist for an end-game Alchemist with access to damage/debuff Wizard spells)
END RESULT:
Front-Row:
Pure Samurai dwarf dual-wielding katanas
priest-then-samurai dwarf dual-wielding katanas
elf thief-then-ninja... while a Thief I recommend using a shield and melee-weapon, or glass-cannon dual-wielding build; when changed to Ninja go crazy ninjas are OP, but regardless of front or back row I would recommend having your Ninja be using Behead-enchanted Shuriken-type weapons so he can decimate the enemy back rows.
Back-Row:
dwarf first-priest-now-a-Samurai using a Bow or a "Kunai"-type weapon (you get SICK bows later)
elf alchemist-then-Bishop... both alchies and bishies have terrible, terrible gear choices... this guy is there for casting shit. and identification ofc.
dwarf priest, neutral-femal OR good-male... first-priest-then-Lord/Valk using either Lord weapons (they get so many... don't worry he'll have good shit either dual-wielding, 2-handing or sword-and-boarding) and if you go Valk then obviously spears. Spears are the most represented weapon throughout the entire game, and valks's Class Mastery skill will allow them to motherfucking dual-wield Spears if you score 1-handed "sub-weapon" type spears much later on in the game.
If you've been reading carefully you will notice this party has 1 samura who has wizard casting, 1 samurai who has wizard/priest casting, 1 ninja who is there to behead motherfuckers, 1 lord/valkyrie with Priest casting, 1 bishop who also has alchemy casting and 1 alchemist who has Wizard casting.
This is the key to not having trouble later on: being able to have as many spell options as possible available to you RIGHT FROM THE VERY 1st TURN.
With this party you can you cast 2 Wizard enemy DEBUFFS + 2 Alchemist party BUFFS + 2 characters to spare with options RIGHT IN THE VERY 1st ROUND.