Enemy Mages

[Noldor Elf]

How do you run enemy spellcasters so that encounter doesn't end with many PC deaths or even TPK?

Our group (where that has been problematic) includes:
Elf Druid 8/Ranger 1
Elf Ranger 8/Rogue 1
Dwarf Fighter 9
Human Cleric 4/Wizard 4
Gnome Illusionist 5/Rogue 3 (doesn't come to games quite often)

Only magical weapons and one +1 to all saves item (the dwarf has it).

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Only magical weapons and one +1 to all saves item (the dwarf has it).

You mean all the magic items they have are some weapons and a +1 to all saves item at those levels? Well then, for a start, I let them have the amount of treasure they ought to. Let there be wands, staffs and rods. Let there be potions. Let there be a chance of the PC surviving!

Failing that, I hope you've got reasonably intelligent players that are determined to be tactical and take out spellcasters as quickly as possible.

 

[Airwolf]

I had the same problem. My group would just run into combat and get tied up with the melee people and get slammed by the mage in the back.

It didn't take them long to realize they needed someone to stay back and pepper the mage with arrows.

We also have a monk now who will run through the room at amazing speed to handle things at the rear of the encouter.

Let them get a bloody nose a time or two, if they don't figure out a stratagy then its their fault and unload on them.

 

[CTD]

Go for spells that annoy, delay, and harass, but don't damage. Avoid any spell that says "save or die".

Attack the PC spellcasters indirectly. Use counterspells and dispel magic. Stunt their abilities instead of their life force.

Bring back Maximillian's Earthen Grasp and use it to grapple the fighters and mobility squad and prevent them from closing to melee. THen the bad guy has time to do whatever nefarious evil actions he is after and get away before the PC's can cross the greased road, wade through grass that is trying to entangle them (every NPC party should have an arcanist and divine caster should it not?), and then climb over a Wall of Stone that was put in their face to keep them away.

This stuff works great if you want to delay the party and let the bad guy get away, complete a task, or something else that sets everyone involved up for a rematch. It's also good if you want the bad guy to get caught/surrender after he's out of delay tactics.

It's bad if you want a stand up fight with lots of BOOM, but maybe not. It allows that enemy spellcaster to be a serious pain in the rump without blowing your PC's to bits, that annoyance makes driving a blade into him all the better for the pc's.

 

[Noldor Elf]

For the magic items: the party has some scrolls but since the player of the Gnome is most of times away, one can't create encounter based on the need of arcane caster.

I don't like the idea of the whole combat being solved when the main fighter (the dwarf) throws his will save to resist domination.

Those annoying and delaying tactics sound great.

 

[Fenes 2]

If your mages kill of PCs too often just lower their levels. Apparently your game - like mine - is not as magic-saturated as the norm, so you may need to use less deadlier spells and items, just like you would not use monsters with damage resistance 50/3 when all your PCs have but +1 weapon.

Simple, and logical, and much easier than to beef the whole party.

 

[S'mon]

I had the same problem. My group would just run into combat and get tied up with the melee people and get slammed by the mage in the back.

It didn't take them long to realize they needed someone to stay back and pepper the mage with arrows.

We also have a monk now who will run through the room at amazing speed to handle things at the rear of the encouter.

Let them get a bloody nose a time or two, if they don't figure out a stratagy then its their fault and unload on them.

Good advice - BTW Airwolf your signature chicks always brighten up my day!
The best way not to kill the PCs without playing the spellcasters one-hand-tied is to follow the DMG EL guidelines - keep the EL equal to avg party level or less, ie one 8th level spellcaster _on his own_ is a reasonable challenge for an 8th level group, or a 4th level caster plus a bunch of mooks. As for low magic - if the PCs don't have much, presumably the NPCs don't have much either.
Other things - don't always have the NPCs ambushing the PCs. Spellcasters are much weaker if they don't have time to precast. Let the two sides stumble into each other. If the PCs are smart, let them ambush the NPCs. That works especially well for the climactic encounter with the BBEG and his guards; a force that could slaughter the PCS if they had the element of surprise could well be beatable if the tables are turned.