to avoid the miss-fest you could simply allow leveling past 10 for the sole purpose of determining 1/2 level to hit / dmg / defense / initiative etc. No feats / powers / class abilities from the paragon or epic tier of course. HP / Surges might be something one could increase as well without...
"eighty of ‘em at this point, give or take" - unless PHB n>1 classes get less, this tells us a bit about what to expect from the PHB I power selection as well :D
"damage aura" effects that deal damage to an area each round seem to be more common as well. Together with regular fireballs it seems quite likely that your unconcious pal might get blasted further into negatives while you wait
I pre-ordered the gift set online as well, but I am not dependant on my gaming group's decision about 4E. And I got them cheap. 19.95€ per book is a great price compared to what they usually cost in a shop over here.