You can afford 1-2 when you start Ch1 if you play without any shenanigans (4500g), then price would outpace your finance probably, until it becomes less of an issue at the beginning of Ch2 and non-issue in Ch3. It was never changed.Aren't mercs too expensive once you are above lvl 1? I remember this being the case at release, but I haven't checked if they've changed the price scaling.
Mind it, Nature Oracle is a wonderful character, if you have someone else doing party's healing for him until he hits Heal/Mass Heal. I am not a big fan of the Channel in general, since it becomes obsolete in the second half of the campaign with all feats and mythic feats wasted on it, but it is still a wonderful instrument to keep party topped and to minimize rest spam at the lower levels. Especially in the ch1 where you are punished for resting with early tavern defense, and even more so in its last dungeon.
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