Can I get some help on an encounter I'm planning?

[No brains]

I have an idea for a spellcaster encounter for a first level party and I'd like some input to see if it is too difficult and if there are ways I can change it to make it less deadly. Or the reverse if necessary.

I'd like to minimize the chances anyone can see this encounter before it's ready, so if you reply with permission to PM you on the subject, that would make me happiest. Thank you very much.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

I will need some more details, what level spellcaster, how many party members and all.

In general I'll say gove the spellcaster some minions the party can kill. Have the big bad use True Polymorph on a beloved NPC and let him leave before he kills the party. It gives youa plot hook and a recurring bad guy.

[DMThac0]

The spell caster fight I tossed at my lvl 2 group was very effective, and rides along the lines that MarkVIIIMarc was saying:

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The party came down out of a mountain pass, as they did they heard howls of wolves, figuring since it was getting close to nightfall they found a nearby cave to rest in. They chose to post watch since they were burning a fire, and figured it would be safer than hoping that fire and the cave would be enough. During one of the watches the person who was away watched as the bushes and shrubs at the mouth of the cave grew at an extremely rapid pace making a wall of dense branches and foliage in moments. They woke the rest of the party and started to hack away at the barrier.

Once the barrier had a hole wide enough the druid shapeshifted and the rogue snuck out. The rest of the group couldn't fit yet so they worked on tearing down the wall a bit more. As the druid and rogue scouted about the were set upon by 4 dire wolves, the rogue hid and snuck around to climb a tree and get a height advantage on the creatures. The rest of the group started to make their way as they saw the druid and rogue fighting frantically. Combat ensued and all of a sudden it got weird.

A Faerie Fire fell across the field, and the rogue started to glow in her hiding place, one of the wolves started to claw at the tree and try to climb to the rogue's perch. A short time later, as the group started to get the upper hand on the fight, a gust of wind blew across the battlefield, knocking many of the party and a couple wolves prone scattering them about. It didn't take long after that for the group to see a Black Dragonborn Druid standing in the shadows. They dispatched of the wolves while trying not to get caught up in the tricks of the Druid. However, one of the party simply charged at him and attempted to subdue the Druid.

As the combat with the wolves wrapped up the party watched as the Druid, barely using more than simple cantrips, bested the Monk in short order. As the Monk fell to a knee, he taunted them and warned them to cease what they were doing, and their goal. After the threat he turned into an owl and flew away, however the Barbarian would have none of it and threw his javelin knocking the owl from the sky. The Dragonborn Druid, now understanding that these "children" were not going to simply back down, smiled and taunted them one last time as he walked into a tree and vanished from the area.

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The Dragonborn was vastly more powerful than the party but rather than using spells and abilities that would outright kill the party I used spells that made a regular fight for their level that much more difficult.

If we're to help you flesh this out more, we'll need a bit more information, but I hope that little story gave you something to consider as well.