Encounter Building: Pixie Army

[Necrosnoop110]

D&D 5e, 5 PCs all at 5th level. (Paladin, Druid, Fighter/Rogue, Barbarian, Fighter)

The PCs are walking through a forested area and I want an appropriate 5th level encounter with a difficulty level equvalent to "deadly encounter" but I want the pixies to go all non-leathal. The "Pixie Army's" objective is to stall the PCs, not kill them. Obviously they can use their Superior Invisibility and the forest for cover to hide, in order to launch their stalling-attacks. Any suggestions for something fun and interesting here?

Thanks,
Necro

[Dualswinger]

Have them all polymorph into spiders and web them to avernus and back.

[Sigreid]

Sprite allies with their sleep arrows.

[SociopathFriend]

Well let's see what spells Pixies can use:

Confusion, dancing lights, detect evil and good, detect thoughts, dispel magic, entangle, fly, polymorph, sleep

I will say how bookbound you are definitely plays a role here. Because if you step away from RAW you can basically reinvent the Murkwood troubles from Lord of the Rings.

Entangle would allow any forest path to be overgrown- difficult to pass by.

Dancing Lights could show the adventurers a safe passage through- bypassing the difficult terrain. Each time drawing them farther and farther from their destination.

Eventually it culminates in a casting of Confusion (or perhaps many) which then can use either the normal Confusion effects or something more interesting like hearing the voices of their allies in the distance or perhaps even being unable to see said ally even up close. If-needed you can always up the 'chance' die of Confusion and make these rarer than the traditional effects.


I second the use of Sprite allies IF you want them shot at with arrows. Otherwise Pixies have Sleep already.