Start with the Hard-Working Lad perk for better carrying capacity and Featherweight to reduce fall damage, you'll need both for early exploration. Thick-Blooded is essential, as it helps manage bleeding during tough fights, while Silver Tongue lets you get better prices when trading. The most crucial ability to grab first is Master Strike, train with Master Tomcat at the Nomad's Camp to unlock it early.

For combat focus on Opening Strike in the Swords tree and Against All Odds under Warfare, they'll give you solid advantages in fights especially when outnumbered. Put some points into Speech and Charisma, since talking your way through situations can save you from difficult battles early on. Strength and Agility perks like Train Hard Fight Easy are worth grabbing too, they'll let you use better weapons before you're technically strong enough.

Remember that looting everything after the prologue is worth it and maybe grab Opportunist if you're worried about reputation hits from failed actions. Heracles is interesting too, letting your Strength boost Charisma which helps with both combat and social situations. Starting with a combat-focused build makes the early game much more manageable, then you can branch out based on how you want to play.