BOates The amulets I am referring to are the things which say "protects against many status effects." Fighting Mestan and Lilith you want everone carrying one. These include the Givni pin, the Crusader pin, the Heritage pin, the Succubus and Sexual pin, the Mother's Pin. There's a few others. Everyone should be wearing one. please note that there's a difference between "resistance" and "protection". You want everone protected from a host of magical effects such as stunning, silencing, blinding. These protection items are some of the most important items in the game.
As to saves, that's never a problem for me. I start a new runthrough every time Sierra Lee releases a new update. I follow rigorously Thosha's walkthrough, and he's been right on the mark all the way thus far, which is remarkable for a game as complex as this one.
Hope this helps.