Zuvembie + animate dead + summoned wolves, real CR?

[cmastah]

Hi, my players are about to walk into a boss fight against a zuvembie, players' states and classes (all level 2):

1 druid, used up a casting of shillelagh
1 wizard (16 int, no idea how many total spells per day), used up color spray (level 1 spell slot)
1 cleric, not sure, but I think he used up 1-3 castings of channel energy (positive)
1 fighter, 1 ranger and 1 cavalier (who can't use his challenge ability as the order requires him to be mounted)

There's going to be a Zuvembie in the building, the problem is that she can cast animate dead and can summon wolves. The fact that she can cast darkness at will (is it an SLA or SU for her? As in, does it provoke an AoO?) when there's only one person who has dark vision doesn't help.

I was thinking for the undead, that she'd summon four lesser shadows (from the tome of horrors, in darkness (which will be case in this area) they have concealment) which would she let free to rampage while keeping one hoar spirit (also from the ToH) under her control. The problem is she can also summon 1d4 wolves, how do I keep the party from getting slaughtered against these odds? The lesser shadows have 6hp so they're not a BIG concern, especially since they only sap 1 strength per hit.

There's also going to be a fight against a shadow mastiff, but that'll end early (due to a mothman's meddling), so I'm not too concerned in that regard.

The place will be in dim light, so there'll be a 20% miss chance for everyone except the cleric (aasimar). I'm guessing low light vision doesn't help against miss chance in dim light.

[Michael Sayre]

The Zuvembie's spell-like abilities are already counted into its CR.

That being said, it sounds like a potentially difficult fight for a party of level 2 characters. Animate Dead normally only allows them to summon skeletons or zombies, using it to bring in incorporeal undead with concealment from a 3rd party book just isn't something the zuvembie's CR would have taken into account. You may be pushing this encounter just outside of your party's capabilities. That being said, normally a party of 6 2nd level characters could be expected to handle this encounter pretty simply, but I'd say this is closer to a CR 5 encounter given the addition of incorporeal undead and the fact that the party is going to have burned resources on at least 3 prior encounters.

[cmastah]

That is actually a good point, I'd originally intended the fight with the shadows to occur (and end) prior to their fight with the hoar spirit and the zuvembie (and her wolves), but they'll probably require every last remaining resource they have left (including their stats).

Going over the animate dead spell, I just noticed that it does actually say skeletons and zombies at the end of the entry. The truth is I wanted to show them something other than the average skeletons and zombies they'd been fighting for a while, but with their resources stretched/depleted in this manner, it may be best to be a bit more forgiving.

I love the tome of horrors because it has enemies that forces you to think in new ways, but at a time like this, it may be best to adapt to the party (who are NOT taking advantage of the system like they ought to (for instance rarely flanking, never tripping or disarming and such, aiming instead for pure DPR)).

I think I may play it that the zuvembie hangs back while the players fight off her minions first (possibly 2 skeletal champions + 2 more HD of weakling undead fodder), joining in once combat with the summoned dead is nearing its end by summoning her wolves.

[cmastah]

I was wondering, would a juju zombie fall under the intent of animate dead? What about skeletal champions?

If I use juju zombies though, I'll certainly be booting the shadow mastiff fight out the window.