Kdtyjb

I'm running a campaign for a group of 6 level 8 characters. Last session, they went shopping, and I let them buy about 2 magic items each. On top of this, I let them each start with an extra feat and a free magic item when the campaign started (at level 8).

(Selling magic items to my players was a lot of fun for all of us! My question is not about whether that was a good idea - I believe it was the right call.)

Given how many nice things my players have, I'm thinking about balancing my encounters as though they were for a party of level 9 characters instead of level 8. Is this a reasonable approach for me to take?

In part it depends on the magic items. Did you give them magic items that were useful in combat? Like, have they mostly got +3 plate armor or have they mostly got sovereign glue?

Broadly, the answer to your question is yes: it's probably appropriate to give them more difficult encounters because they have nice stuff. But, especially at higher levels, the encounter tables are a very loose guideline anyway. You'll have to get a feel for what your group can handle.

Here is what I do when I'm uncertain: I start with an encounter that I'm expecting to be fairly easy, and then if the players seem to be winning too hard, I tell them reinforcements are showing up and I add more monsters of the same type.

The good news is that most players don't really want or need you to give them a super-difficult-but-still-survivable battle. If you give them a battle where everyone gets attacked once, and everyone gets to show off their cool abilities or items at least once, generally they'll be happy.

(source: I run a lot of games and this is what I do)

I think I have to answer this question with a question:

Are your current encounters challenging the players appropriately?

If yes, then there's no need to increase the difficulty. If they're already getting close to dying in every fight they get in, or if they're blowing all their abilities just to stay alive, then there's no need to make things harder on them.

If no, then you should definitely think about making your encounters harder. I'm in a similar situation with my players. I have been particularly generous with magic items, possibly a little too much. Each player has more items than they can attune to, and our paladin had an AC of 23 at one point. As a result, when they were level 10, they were blowing through CR 11 encounters without breaking a sweat. I had to start using action economy more to my advantage, giving boss monsters additional abilities and Legendary Resistances, and coming up with better tactics for monsters.

Remember, 5e is balanced around the players having no magic items at all and still being able to take on threats at their CR. Players having more magic items than usual is a good a reason as any to make encounters more difficult. Depending on how good these magic items are, you might need to treat them as if they were level 10 or higher - although I'd work up to that, and not just drop a Beholder in their lap with no warning.

Don't increase the difficulity. Let the players do this.

The players have some new item. Thus they grow in power. 5e assumes no (to few) magic itemsAs better answerd here. Eventually, more magic items in a grow means to power of a group grows.

However, keep in mind the players just bought new items. They want to use them. They want to feel powerful. They want to have an encounter and notice how they don't just survive, but how they survive more easily, and can obliterate a group they struggled with previously.

You want them to grow more confident. You want them to feel that their magic items help. The reward they got for struggling and adventuring is a true reward. They can now tackle problems they couldn't before. It will bolster their confidence, and now you know you can give them harder enemies.

My key point is: If you always perfectly compensate for the increased power the players have, they will never move forward. You end putting the players kind in a Red Queen's Race.

If I buy a Shortsword +1, and after buying every enemy gets buffed by +1 AC, just because I bought the new sword, my purchase doesn't matter. I end up at the same spot, where the effects are canceled out.