First time in the swamp, don't rush in like a fool. Don't go in at night. Sneak and speed is your friend, so I like full troll armor set playing solo. It's harder in MP, because the party draws more aggro and there's always that one impatient guy that thinks he's invincible.

And always, always, always, keep up the rested bonus. Have health and stamina pots for emergencies.

It feels like poison was nerfed since I played 8 months ago. It's pretty easy to survive in the daytime. I went into the swamp with my cute blues, my carrot soup, deer stew and boar meat and one hit from a blob only took 1/4 of my health bar. No big deal. I can parry a 2-star draugr with my level 3 bronze buckler no problem, and take it out in 2-3 hits with the level 3 bronze mace.

I go in VERY CAREFULLY and find some turnip seeds, wait some days until I can get turnips to upgrade the cauldron. In the meantime, I snipe some draugrs, leeches and blobs from the edge of the swamp for ingredients. I have a portal nearby in the forest so I can quickly beat feet if it gets spicy. Use the hoe to make a safe path to crypts and place torches on it so I don't get lost in a big swamp.

AFTER I have some turnips, then I go kill the Elder and start working on crypts. Portal on top of crypt, fire inside the doorway for resting. The hardest part is carrying the iron back to the boat.

Night time? Just chill out in the crypt by your fire and go get a snack, drink or ciggy or whatever.