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The characters are using wind walk and life bubble to travel through the Kodar Mountains. They already completed the cabin encounters and traveling to the Fen. Is there anything I can do make this more of a challenge? It seems that these 2 spells are making entire 3rd of the book trivial. I'm afraid what will happen when they make it into Xin-Shalast. "What an awesome looking city from the air."
Further more, they can just bypass all of that and head straight to the Pinnacle (assuming they get pass the Occluding Field).
Any advice? Should I let the party run rampant because of these spells?
Creative Director
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My advice: let the players run rampant. There's plenty in that adventure that's really tough anyway, and if the high-level PCs use some of their resources to offset the tough environmental elements in the region, that's fine.
If they go straight to the Pinnacle, that's also fine, but doing so without the additional experience or information gained from exploring the city may come back to bite them!
Can't hurt to agree with Mr. Jacobs...
Let them cruise around all they want. A couple notes: several creatures in Xin Shalast can fly. The Kuchrima guards at Krak Naratha, Gamigan - the Ice Devil and Ghlorofaex the blue dragon. The Leng Spiders have access to Air Walk. See no reason why you couldn't add more flying creatures to the wandering monster table - cloud giants on rocs, etc.
Also being in gaseous form gives you some defensive protections but not much at this level and it leaves you utterly useless offensively. One encounter where they are desperately trying to change back to solid form (takes 5 rounds) while getting ravaged each round might turn them off that tactic in short order. Wind Walk is a nice travel spell, not so good for scouting in hostile territory. At least not when there high CR flying creatures, many with powerful magic, in the area. Note: there is no protection for a dispelled Wind Walk spell as there is with fly. Hope you can fly on your own when you're suddenly in solid form with no magical fly speed. Maybe if you flap your arms really fast...
That spell combination will do nothing to help them with the Occluding Field. So if they don't have Sihedron rings or medallions, they aren't going very far.
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For me I tried my best to turn the keep on the edge of the valley (the name of which escapes me) into a type of Tian Xia influenced academy of Fire Giant trainee officers (who had levels in samurai and monk).
The fire giants all had the smoke producing thrown stones from Monster Codex so being spotted by them was like flying through flak.
In addition I added a patrolling fire giant inquisitor with the animal domain who patrolled the valley with a group of advanced Kuchrima elite guards and a Roc mount.
Additional ideas if you are looking for them.
My players entered The City on phantom steeds. First encounter with flying lamias and all those wasted actions/failed ride checkc etc made them to rethink that tactics ;)