My party:
Argos - halfling bard dawnflower dervish (currently level 4)
Barbel - half elf ranger with longbow (currently level 3)
Gimmistramo - gnome pyromaniac sorcerer (currently level 4)
Roff - dwarf crusader cleric (currently level 4)
A little briefing on how the run on Thistletop went so far:
The next session started with only two players, Argos and Gimmistramo, with Shalelu, and Roff starting a bit later. They killed the commandos and the dogs from outside the fort, and cleaned it, except from the throne room.
The following session the entire party + Shalelu defeated Ripnugget and the rest, and decided to bring the chief alive to Sandpoint to interrogate him. They rested in town.
Yet another session: they returned to Thistletop (without Shalelu), defeated the two ghouls that turned up as random encounter, and went to the island. I locked the outer door, added commandos to the towers, and got Bruthazmus shooting arrows from the tower to the half elf, and then to go inside to warn Lyrie and Tsuto (who is still alive). They killed the goblins, got inside, killed Lyrie rather quickly (in part because I forgot to use mirror image *facepalm*) and defeated Tsuto and tied him. Lyrie still managed to complicate their lives a bit: the cleric got -4 to her STR and a sundered hammer, heh.
The ranger missed (again) the following session: the rest defeated the tentamort, 2 yeth hounds, the four wives and allied with Orik. They called the guards (they told the Sheriff to send three of his men after them after a while) to babysit them while they sleep (yes, INSIDE Thistletop) and locked themselves inside the prison.
So, right now I have three, possibly four players, with a cleric that basically can't do any damage, but totally rested. They won't bring Orik nor the guards with them (and I won't allow it). On the other corner I have Nualia, Bruthazmus and a yeth hound.
I want the fight to be tough, but I do not want to TPK them. I was thinking to maximize everyone's HP, maybe adding another yeth hound. Maybe Nualia will be expecting them in the deck, with Bruthazmus coming a few rounds later on a surprise attack from the back.
What do you think, guys? Any suggestion, thought, advice is welcomed.
Thank you very much!!!
Cheers,
Nyn