Thanks for the reply. I have been using friend OP pawns and they keep telling me they know stuff but I can't get anything out of them lol.
I will sub them out anyway. Should I be sticking to the pawns I choose or just sub them out once they are under levelled?
Feel free to sub pawns out as you feel like it, since hired pawns don't level, even friend's pawns. The only pawn that levels is your own when they're with you.
If your pawn is complaining about being battle, check their inclinations. Google inclinations too see what each one does, generally Nexus and Guardian are not good for pawns. Inclinations are important to look at when hiring new pawns, you don't want a healer who's not healing or buffing and is busy just fighting, for example.
You can also change your pawns inclinations by buying elixers from the NPC that's standing by the Rift Stone in the Encampment with Rift Crystals.
The game shows you two inclinations for your pawn: Primary and Secondary, but there's also a hidden tertiary Inclination that trades position with the secondary based on your actions.
Once you have a good idea of what you want your three Inclinations to be, by two elixers for each, so that you can push those inclinations down.
This is how it works: rather than setting the Primary first and then working down, you set the tertiary by drinking the elixers for it, then the secondary, and finally the Primary ( 3>2>1).
The knowledge chair at the Inn sets your Secondary and tertiary Inclinations by reinforcing them, use it regularly to keep the inclinations in place since they are fluid and dependant on your actions.
Don't use the D-pad commands as they can mess with your Inclinations. Picking up loot or stuff will change the Inclination for example.
Stores inventory update on story progression, there's a quest later for idols to give to one of the store keepers to increase their inventory.