Hello, sorry if this has been asked, I looked around a bit and couldn't get an answer. I have a party of 4th level players who will be traveling to the Sunblight fortress this weekend, but I've noticed a bit of an issue with the setup of the Destruction's Light chapter- although the fortress is recommended for 4th-5th level players, DL is recommended for 5th- to 6th-level. It seems like the chances are high that players will want to stop the dragon first, so the party I play with will be running into a chapter considered too high level for them.

Has anyone played that chapter with 4th-level characters without a TPK? 5th level comes with a lot of important features, like extra attack for many classes, so I do feel like this could make a big difference.

I am not sure how exactly to remedy this. One idea is allowing them to spend a bit of time in the fortress before the dragon exits, which would let them level up through one of the recommended milestones- how I communicate that a dragon has just been let out to attack ten towns will depend on their location. I am not crazy about this idea since it feels a bit hand-hold-y but if its required to balance the game a bit I'll do it. I considered even setting a timer IRL for an hour or so, which would give them the chance to complete a milestone, but doesn't guarantee it.

Edit: I am also considering allowing the players to level up after 1 or 2 interactions with the dragon (I'm using a version of the rules that juuuust allows the players to meet the dragon in Easthaven if they rush, so they may meet up with it in a couple of towns). This way they only have to survive one or two encounters at 4th level before gaining new abilities.

Thanks for any help