DMAcademy

Update at bottom

Take a look at this screenshot. In the center, a sorcerer on top of a raised dais, surrounded by a force field and two Nothic-like creatures. Below that dais, the rest of the party -- a ranger, his drake, and a paladin.

Last session, the players came across what they thought was the big bad -- a Rakshasa -- meditating at a shrine at the end of a long cathedral hall, his back turned to them.

They decided to have the Sorcerer in the party cast Fly on himself, drink a (homebrew) Potion of Invisibility, and sneak up behind the Rakshasa. The plan was then to attach a magical broach they'd received that would inhibit the Rakshasa's powers and allow them to kill it. They are, after all, only level 6, so a McGuffin like this was necessary to even the playing field.

Welp... Surprise, it was a trap! Just like allll the other traps and illusions this Rakshasa had been using against them for the better part of a year. As soon as he touched the Rakshasa, it was revealed as an illusion. It faded, a 30ft magical barrier appeared around the raised dais, and two suped-up Nothics (CR3-4ish each, actually this encounter I posted yesterday) dropped from the ceiling, Surprising the Sorcerer. On top of being Surprised, he rolled dead last in the Initiative Order. :( Now he is separated from his party and very very likely to die before they can reach him.

This wall was originally conceived to be impenetrable, but do I change that now that things are looking so grim? Do I let them try to climb the wall, even though it's made of energy? Do I tell them they see crystals in the corners that are powering it? Do I let them attack the wall and destroy it? Or do I go with my original plan -- that it's a nearly impenetrable force field meant to prevent escape?

I am just sad that this might mean a character death, or even worse, a TPK.. But man they should have known better than to send their squishiest member alone, without doing any sort of recon first, against a Rakshasa that has been screwing with them like this for ages..

EDIT: Wow this blew up. We actually just finished the session!

It was really exciting! I rolled all my dice in the open for a change, and I've never seen the players so creative and invested. They really, really did their best. Here's how the combat went: