Ideas to challenge higher level party (RoTR spoilers!)

[Malag]

As the topic says, I am searching for ideas to challenge higher level party (around level 10) but in specific circumstances as mentioned further-

Party is currently going slowly toward Jorgenfist and before they reach it I plan to have all giants on the alert in general and familiar with some of the PC tactics and what threat they impose. They will also know who to target (at least smarter giants) in combat. The main BBEG also knows about the PCs coming or at least might suspect it if any of the giant scouting parties manage to warn him.

Question 1: Besides fortifying himself and setting traps and ambushes, what might be some of the more offensive yet subtle tactics which highly intelligent stone giant boss might use against PC's to put them on defensive?

Question 2: I am trying to find among other things possible allies/mercenaries that stone giant might use against PC's when the time comes. It seems transparent and inefficient to send a group of giants to do such a job. One of the ideas include charmed Hellknight squad of 2-3 elite Hellknights who might actively track and find PC's.

The ideas don't necessarily include combat ideas. I am actually more interested in ideas that hamper the party in some way however I am open to all ideas.

Thanks everyone for answers

[Vincent Takeda]

Interestingly our party used 'create treasure map' from the body of the dragon. Instead of marching up jorgenfist the way that was scripted, our party happened to buy a folding boat, teleported to skulls crossing and rowed around the north bend and took jorgenfist the back way, planning to beat the raiding party home and bypassing what I'm told is a whole chapter and leaving us slightly behind the xp/level curve which has made the game more challenging ever since... Without much effort on the gms part at all.

Food for thought.

[Malag]

I figured my players might try something same, but half of players went on vacation now, so two last sessions they were exploring and moving towards Jorgenfist slowly. They do have Teleport, but they never witnessed the place itself.

They are already slightly behind on XP. They level up when I tell them to.

[Bobo Rolliolis]

Guards posted on the Storval steps to prevent an easy climb towards Jorgenfist. Maybe the giants had enough time to sabotage the steps so that there's missing stairs requiring some crafty thinking to cross.

You could have scouts lying in wait and as the party passes by, they get ambushed with nets and boulders, maybe one of the PCs get's carried off and now the party has to decide if they follow the kidnappers, or continue towards the fortress.

If the giants made off with any captives from the raid on Sandpoint, there could be slavers working with them, so just run throught he NPC codex and find some people to make up your slaver company. When in doubt, hobgoblins could be a good option since they're sneaky, militant, and a bit more subtle than a stone giant :)

[Kayerloth]

Sabotage is a good indirect tactic if slowing the party is advantageous (to allow time to gather more allies, allow raiders to return, cast or prepare more spell defenses etc.). Run off or steal their horses (or other transport), food and equipment. Can the giants put pressure (assuming they haven't already) on the locals between them and the party? Perhaps the locals jack up the costs on everything or just don't allow the party to rest/enter into any settlements or homes fearing reprisals by the giants (i.e. make the party use social skills to get what normally would be automatically done).

[Malag]

@Robo and Kayerloth

I love those ideas and will definitely use some of that material. Thanks!

Keep them coming :)

[Malag]

Bump for more responses. Links are welcome also to former or similar topics.