This week our party defeated nice Itombu... Definitely that verged on a TPK! I wonder how other parties went around that encounter, well, those not having a Paladin.
Definitely a tough encounter for 5th level PCs, especially with the dearth of magical and special gear in the campaign. We just got lucky and managed to hold it at melee while wizard used a Wand of Magic Missile and the Summoner invoked a series of Lantern Archons... it was pretty unelegant, but finally brought the demon down!!!
Any other parties had difficulties there?
My party should have been a TPK as well because they forgot they had the Zenj Spirit Fetish.
I held back a bit (more than I should have probably) giving them more chances to remember they had it. It felt wrong to kill them all since we only play every other Saturday and while the party had received it only "a few days ago" my players received it a month before this play session.
my Rogue was stuck in deeper darkness and entangle (cast by the druid)
my Halfling Druid when he could hit was hardly bypassing DR
my very fast cleric/fighter was running away out of fear and was 1400' from the battle by the time she snapped out of it
and my wizard only had spells it was immune to.....
this fight was brutal
It ended with them remembering the fetish that was now on the body of the possessed druid and my rogue got to use his combat swipe ability.... It was quite entertaining but they really should all be dead.
It's my first time as a GM for an AP though so this is a game thats more for me to learn how to be a better GM and work up my confidence in running higher lvls. That made it a little to difficult for my first kill to be a TPK when it's all my close buddies playing to help me learn.