Adjcsting CR for magic items

[BiggusGeekus]

You have an orc (CR 1/2)

How would you adjust the encounter for superior equipment (e.g. a potion of invisibility) or poor equipment (e.g. no weapons or armor)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[KarinsDad]

Best case, I would up it to CR 1, or drop it to CR 1/4.

But, I tend to not up CRs that often, even with slightly superior equipment since I expect each encounter to be different and the CRs to be an overall average.

Having no equipment as opposed to just inferior equipment, though, probably should lower the CR.

And, one area in which I raise or lower CR is that of ambush. If the PCs ambush their opponents, I lower the CR. If the opponents ambush the PCs, I raise the CR.

And, by ambush I mean that they prepared ahead of time with things like spells and/or traps, not just that they happened to get to go on a surprise round.

Surprise rounds tend to average out over time anyway, just like slightly superior or inferior equipment will.

But, if either side prepares significantly, that is a major combat advantage. IMO.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Ambushes are tricky. After all, the beasties are prepared, have cast their buffs, and basically get a free attack.

But the thing is I want to do something a little wacky and give the critter a buff or bonus that it normally wouldn't have when the CR was originally figured. What I'd really like is a mechanic to figure out the CR of a magic item so I could combine it with the CR of an orc to determine a good EL.