PCs fighting a level 20 wizard

[Rhunder]

Hey Playground, this is my first post but I really have been coming here for a long time.

Anyways, I am DMing my first campaign and one of my PCs managed to "kill" a level 20 wizard. Of course he had a clone in reserve, but the PCs haven't learned this yet. They are now level 12 and in the thick of a war. In the events about to unfold on my PCs, they will now also have a powerful spellcaster coming after them. None of them are true mages, there is a bard, an ogre primeval, raptoran dragonfire adept, and a human swordsage. How can I make this new threat dangerous while not overpowering?

Any advice will be truly helpful. Thanks in advance.

[Eldan]

Have the wizard otherwise occupied, so he can't send his whole resources at them. Otherwise, they are pretty much dead, facing an enemy that is much more powerful, tactically versatile, prepared and with the initiative. It opens up the possibility that they ally with the wizard's enemy, too.

So, going by the idea that the wizard will need his spell slots for a different affair, he can still do a lot of other things. He has first hand experience with the group's fighting style and abilities, as well as high knowledge. Instead of having him attack the party, have him send out messages to other enemies of the group, telling them what to expect.

Ramp it up slowly. A few more enemies that are suspiciously well prepared, with perhaps energy resistance against the dragonfire adept, silence against the bard, unfavourable terrain against the fighters. Have someone go against their families and allies.

Then, slowly, let the group find out what is behind all this. Let them find a magically encrypted letter that only one person can read. Then more. Then give them a way to decrypt them. Then finally reveal that this one wizard is behind everything and has made their live a pain for the last two or three adventures, and that he has been doing this without needing a single spell.

[HammeredWharf]

The wizard could send his apprentice after the party. The apprentice is significantly weaker than the wizard himself, but still poses a credible threat. Alternatively, the apprentice could quite overpowering, but the wizard could give this mission to him as a test and handicap him in a way, like "kill them using only divination spells and minions".

[Droningbass]

To build a little bit on the "enemy wizard is preoccupied with another project" idea mentioned by Eldan, you could consider having the wizard use "Geas/Quest" and "Planar Binding" spells to send some baddies after the party.

Perhaps the wizard would send a new NPC (or group of NPCs) on a "Geas" to befriend the party and act as spies, or to try to implicate the party of misdeeds, or simply ambush them?

Don't forget that this wizard probably has the means to bind a Pit Fiend to chase the party down... but that might be a little overpowered.

In either case, these are two options that the wizard could implement to harry the party without confronting them personally. But I imagine that this wizard will be super prepared for the next time he faces them... especially if he's waiting a while to go after the party.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

He sends some Simulacrums (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/simulacrum.htm) after them, possibly two or three of them at a time, preferably with additional minions (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=8tc7oevt0eck3i4n6k1lup7q35&topic=5573.0) via Lesser Planar Binding (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/planarBindingLesser.htm).

[XmonkTad]

One of the PCs has stacked so much charisma (probably the bard) that the wizard has fallen in love with them and intentionally pulls his punches as to prevent hurting his love.

He gives the party items by planting them on monsters he knows they're going to fight (and then cursing the ones the bard doesn't use). His spellbooks have pages in them that aren't actualls spells, just the bard's name and hearts.

If the genders aren't working out, the wizard just uses a cursed item to fix that. I mean, they're facing a level 20 Wizard, they're screwed anyway.

[gooddragon1]

If the genders aren't working out, the wizard just uses a cursed item to fix that. I mean, they're facing a level 20 Wizard, they're screwed anyway.

http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15358569/2499461-1394410947285.jpg

I personally like the have him prepare for something else idea and send an apprentice.

[Vogonjeltz]

Hey Playground, this is my first post but I really have been coming here for a long time.

Anyways, I am DMing my first campaign and one of my PCs managed to "kill" a level 20 wizard. Of course he had a clone in reserve, but the PCs haven't learned this yet. They are now level 12 and in the thick of a war. In the events about to unfold on my PCs, they will now also have a powerful spellcaster coming after them. None of them are true mages, there is a bard, an ogre primeval, raptoran dragonfire adept, and a human swordsage. How can I make this new threat dangerous while not overpowering?

Any advice will be truly helpful. Thanks in advance.

How did they manage to kill him? Even if he had the clone, they have his gear, and probably his best equipment. Also, his spell book. A wizard without any spells isn't going to be much of a threat, level 20 or not.

You could have him going on quests to rebuild his spell book, which is why he'd be a reduced threat next time they meet.