Island Caves = TPK?

[Cohlrox]

so, I havent run "Children of the Void" yet

but after reading over the Caves section does anyone else get the feeling that a TPK is highly probable here?

Spoiler:

the initial encounter is through the secret door with two drow guards with the shadow demon literally next door, I am sure the demon wouldn't sit on his laurels watching the drow guards through the passage dukeing it out with the PCs

this essentially makes area G3 and G6 a single encounter with an EL of approx 8-9

Xakihn with a +12 spot and listen in G7 also has a very good chance of spotting the PCs tooling around outside with the secret door or interacting with Clegg Zincher. If he goes off to area G9 wouldn't he alert the rest of the complex to the PCs and in a few rounds pretty much bring all the Drow down on the poor PC's probably still battling the demon and drow in the entryway?

I dunno I smell a nasty TPK here, anyone else? thoughts?

[Dennis da Ogre]

Spoiler:

I think it's reasonable to assume that Xakihn and Shindiira would wait in the main cave. Not that that really makes much difference though considering there is a good chance the shadow demon will escape before it gets killed and unless the party hustles will get some healing from Shindiira before they appear.

If the PCs take too long getting in then it might be reasonable to assume Shindiira and Xakihn come around behind then and ambush them at the cave entrance.

[Jodah]

Spoiler:

1. The shadow demon is a bastard who would enjoy sitting back and letting the drow guards be slaughtered. It would also give him a chance to see PC tactics.

2. Shindira orders the druid to take a foreward position and slow down the party a bit before retreating to the main cave. given the ranged ability of the drow guards, the sea cave is a pretty effective meatgrinder location for the drow, so there's no reason to ambush from the back way (crowded, narrow tunnels lessen the impact of numbers, resulting in a conga line of death.)

[Dennis da Ogre]

Spoiler:

Plus if they attack the party outside of the main cave they can't get reinforced by shamoo.

[James Jacobs]

Well...

Spoiler:

...it's certainly easy enough to throw the entire cave of drow and demons at the PCs at once, but that's not fair. That WOULD run a good chance at a TPK. Personally, I'd only do this if the PCs themselves were the ones to spread the fight by running pell-mell through the caves and riling up all the encounters at once.

It's worth remembering that drow are chaotic evil. That doesn't mean they're disorganized, but it does mean that there's a pretty strong element of "every drow for him/herself." More to the point, drow superiors punish failure by torture, death, or worse. And to many drow superiors, failure to contain a threat is bad news. Therefore, drow mooks are generally not that keen to fall back and/or call for help, and drow commanders are usually too proud and heartless to come to the aid of their minions.

In any event, keep in mind too that the PCs don't HAVE to defeat the drow on one run. Assuming they launch their assault during the day, they'll never be TOO far from the sun; the drow won't pursue them into the daylight, and even night is a bit too weird for them to want to do so.

And also, by the time the PCs reach those caves, they should have leveled up once or twice; the caves themselves were designed with a party of 6th or 7th level characters in mind. If the PCs are still 4th or 5th level when they reach the caves, you should go easy on them. Either remove some of the drow, take out the shadow demon, or don't bother to have the drow chase them if they flee.