I just played this scenario and it kinda sucks.
The opponents are completely overpowered for characters on that level.
And we are a group had an idea who was responsible pretty early on, but the scenario neither gave you the option to act on it, nor some kind of advantage later on.
That's the first scenario I ever felt I really did not like.** spoiler omitted **
I'm running this next week. I took a look at the monster you're describing. Yeah, that AC is tough, but also note that it's the high tier, meant for level 5-6. You being level 4 doesn't have anything to do with it. It's probably more reasonable in the proper tier (though still nasty, IMHO).
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To be fair, by the time you graduate to higher-level (not 1-4) scenarios you need to be able to deal with darkness, invisibility, flying, and damage resistance. That Atk/AC combo is on the high side, but its also designed for level 5-6 PCs, so playing a low-tier PC in a high-tier game, you are not going to be as effective. That's why we have the level adjustments for the lowest-level characters.
If you limit them to at best one attack per round, at tier 5-6, you should have ways to mitigate 13 points of damage per round on average either though things like champion's reaction or healing (spells, battle medicine, potions, etc.)
I've run this a number of times for both sub-tiers and none of the groups had a particularly hard time with it. Its pretty clear by the text why figuring out the culprit early on doesn't really do a whole lot. You need actual evidence of which you have none. Every table I've had pretty much figured it out too, but its the word of a group of outsiders just arrived in town an hour ago that look suspiciously like another group in town that is already suspicious vs a home-grown boy who has "made good" by going to university. Of course, no one is going to believe you if you accuse him.
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Yeah the concentrate trait balances it out pretty nicely.The Concentrate trait does basically nothing. It does not provoke unless you have a much higher level fighter feat.
Playing so many different version of the game makes me really confuse the details together x'D I think I made this mistake because sustain spell has concentrate action and I remembered reading concentrate trait working similarly, but I probably just mixed them up in my head or remembered something from different edition.
Also kinda makes me think creature should be errata'd that it would work like that because uh... Now on rereading that ability, if intent is indeed "the ability just turns itself on or off", then the creature is basically impossible to beat with tactics you described(and it would have zero reason to reveal itself until feeding). So either you always have to softball this monster or they should errata it because on closer read, this is even harder than 1e version which was already really hard monster to encounter.
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The group contained five level 5 characters and a level 4
Some will say its a bit harsh, but if you are level 5 and don't have a way to deal with darkness, invisibility, flying, and resistances, you kinda get what's comin' to you. I consider that part of the tactics a professional adventuring party, especially one where most of the participants went to school for three years to learn how to do it right, would be discussing at the outset. Not having the "perfect" tool for every situation is one thing, but ignoring the most fundamental monster tactics and acting like the only plan you need is "Leeroy Jeekins!" is troublesome. It might work at low level, but level five is not low level, and many would say even a four should be more pragmatic.
It is a difficult encounter to be sure, but honestly nothing a well-prepared adventuring party shouldn't be able to deal with. knowing where they are is really all you should need initially to drop a glitterdust or faerie fire. An adventurer's pack contains 10 sticks of chalk. Only the most rigidly uncompromising GM would deny you crushing that up and using it as an AoE to reduce/counter, even temporarily, the effects of the invisibility as an "out of the box" solution. See invisibility is only a level 2 spell and its available to three of the four traditions. If you want a cheap "break in case of emergency" solution, grab a hunter's bane talisman for 6gp. IMO, it should be very high on every martial's must-have list at low level.