Right now I've maxed my strength and toughness to 14 and 17 respectively (willpower and dexterity are also at the potential, at 22 and 14), thanks to herbs/training/carrying around stuff.
I already got the scrolls from the mystic, so no Rolf's Companion. I found a lawful altar in a cavernous level in a random dungeon, so I think that the next step will be crowning, after converting myself or the altar, and then I will go on with the dwarf quests. I tend to carry along a lot of stuff, so right now the girdle is more or less mandatory, especially with my low strength, but I agree that I should try to change it in the future.
Gate closed with all classes but Chaos Knight! (Still no Ultra/OCG)