Venerable Guardian Naga vs. APL 6.8 group?

[Jon_Dahl]

I'm trying to write an adventure in a slight hurry, so I'm kindly asking for a help.
I'm considering putting a venerable Guardian Naga against the PCs. Fighting is not mandatory, but likely. As you know, venerable age penalizes all physical attributes by 6 points, and adds 3 points to all mental attributes.
The levels of the PCs: 9, 7 and 6.

[Jon_Dahl]

The question is too hard/too vague/poorly phrased/irrelevant?

[Urpriest]

In general, a 9th level caster is a bit powerful for your group to face, whether or not its physical offense is particularly meaningful. (And it still does have Divine Power in case it really wants to melee). That said, it's going to be kind of squishy, and if you use the default spell list from the MM it doesn't have anything that would screw the party over too badly. I don't think you'll cause a TPK, but it's hard to say given how little information you've given us. (For example, given the range of levels, I'm guessing some members of this group tend to die a lot?)

[Jon_Dahl]

In general, a 9th level caster is a bit powerful for your group to face, whether or not its physical offense is particularly meaningful. (And it still does have Divine Power in case it really wants to melee). That said, it's going to be kind of squishy, and if you use the default spell list from the MM it doesn't have anything that would screw the party over too badly. I don't think you'll cause a TPK, but it's hard to say given how little information you've given us. (For example, given the range of levels, I'm guessing some members of this group tend to die a lot?)

Actually, I'm going to make the spell list even worse! I'm going to exchange lightning bolt to create food & water, and greater invisibility to dimensional door, and the area doesn't give possibility to effectively use dimensional door. That should significantly reduce the difficulty, right? I could make the spell list suck even more. What do you think would be fair? I'm open to suggestions. What about cure serious wounds => clairvoyance/clairaudience?

Some of them do die a lot, but one of them almost never dies.

[Urpriest]

Actually, I'm going to make the spell list even worse! I'm going to exchange lightning bolt to create food & water, and greater invisibility to dimensional door, and the area doesn't give possibility to effectively use dimensional door. That should significantly reduce the difficulty, right? I could make the spell list suck even more. What do you think would be fair? I'm open to suggestions. What about cure serious wounds => clairvoyance/clairaudience?

Some of them do die a lot, but one of them almost never dies.

Another question, is this one encounter out of a typical four-encounter day, or are they unlikely to be fighting anything else that day?

[Jon_Dahl]

Another question, is this one encounter out of a typical four-encounter day, or are they unlikely to be fighting anything else that day?

There will be a CR7 and a CR4/CR5 (depends on how you see it) encounters before the naga. So it the naga will be a part of atypical three-encounter day.

You have good questions, Urpriest. Thank you for your help.

[Urpriest]

There will be a CR7 and a CR4/CR5 (depends on how you see it) encounters before the naga. So it the naga will be a part of atypical three-encounter day.

You have good questions, Urpriest. Thank you for your help.

If you get rid of Greater Invisibility and its only source of area damage (Lightning Bolt), and it's Venerable (so melee combat is much more limited)...yeah, it sounds like the party could probably take it. The one thing I'd be worried about is if someone has Con under 10, which would make the poison more dangerous (sure it's only a DC 16 for a Venerable Naga, but someone with Con that low probably doesn't have a good Fort save).

[Jon_Dahl]

If you get rid of Greater Invisibility and its only source of area damage (Lightning Bolt), and it's Venerable (so melee combat is much more limited)...yeah, it sounds like the party could probably take it. The one thing I'd be worried about is if someone has Con under 10, which would make the poison more dangerous (sure it's only a DC 16 for a Venerable Naga, but someone with Con that low probably doesn't have a good Fort save).

I'm fine with this :) I just want to avoid a TPK and give them a tough fight. Fighting isn't even necessary.
I guess I could go with a venerable, crappy-spell guardian naga.