SharranAes, items modified at a forge from this point forward can only be used by the PC who does the modification.
Miscreant, PC merchants can still sell any and all standard treasure gear - even providing higher-level gear to lower-level PCs that might not normally encounter them. The difference here is enchantment forges provide some benefits (like bonus feats and higher DR levels) that can't be found in treasure drops - especially at high-notoriety levels. But just as importantly, those benefits are meant to become available after a PC, and not the PC's level 20 friend, attains the required notoriety to enchant [whatever it is].
Everyone, to further explain; ILR is not foolproof to limit what we have determined as "powerful" items in Thay from being used by "non-powerful" PCs. For example, standard NWN Damage Resistance costs are ridiculously underpriced since a level 3 PC can easily equip up to 20/- DR items. Which, at that level, negates most damage a level 3 PC would likely receive for that particular damage type. Long-term NWN players probably know this and common sense should tell you that is why even 10/- DR items are rare in Thay - because if a low level PC gets items with a higher DR on them, it is unbalancing.
Ideally, I could/should make 2da edits to certain item properties to increase the cost, and ILR, of those properties that are considered powerful for the Thay PW. But making a 2da edit to increase the price of an item property like Damage Resistance effects items that everyone already has and may have equipped. We'd end up with an epidemic of PCs unable to login because of ILR restrictions on items that were previous just low-enough cost enough for them to equip, but couldn't any longer. Plus players would likely be upset that their level 5 DR gear might not be useable until level 10 (or whatever). I changed the price of the the Mounted Combat and Mounted Archery feat item properties last year, without thinking of this problem, and it took several weeks to straighten it out for the handful of PCs affected. Should Thay ever make it to a 4th edition reboot (ha), the big task of revising the item property costs to better determine ILR limits is top of my priority list.
I guess all I have left to add is that I am as disappointed, as people are probably upset, this effort was needed. Unpopular changes like this sometimes happen when long-term players decide that because they can do something, they will, without consideration for if they *should*. In this case, as a result, changes had to be made to ensure no one has to bother using common sense with future forge-modified items.
Miscreant, PC merchants can still sell any and all standard treasure gear - even providing higher-level gear to lower-level PCs that might not normally encounter them. The difference here is enchantment forges provide some benefits (like bonus feats and higher DR levels) that can't be found in treasure drops - especially at high-notoriety levels. But just as importantly, those benefits are meant to become available after a PC, and not the PC's level 20 friend, attains the required notoriety to enchant [whatever it is].
Everyone, to further explain; ILR is not foolproof to limit what we have determined as "powerful" items in Thay from being used by "non-powerful" PCs. For example, standard NWN Damage Resistance costs are ridiculously underpriced since a level 3 PC can easily equip up to 20/- DR items. Which, at that level, negates most damage a level 3 PC would likely receive for that particular damage type. Long-term NWN players probably know this and common sense should tell you that is why even 10/- DR items are rare in Thay - because if a low level PC gets items with a higher DR on them, it is unbalancing.
Ideally, I could/should make 2da edits to certain item properties to increase the cost, and ILR, of those properties that are considered powerful for the Thay PW. But making a 2da edit to increase the price of an item property like Damage Resistance effects items that everyone already has and may have equipped. We'd end up with an epidemic of PCs unable to login because of ILR restrictions on items that were previous just low-enough cost enough for them to equip, but couldn't any longer. Plus players would likely be upset that their level 5 DR gear might not be useable until level 10 (or whatever). I changed the price of the the Mounted Combat and Mounted Archery feat item properties last year, without thinking of this problem, and it took several weeks to straighten it out for the handful of PCs affected. Should Thay ever make it to a 4th edition reboot (ha), the big task of revising the item property costs to better determine ILR limits is top of my priority list.
I guess all I have left to add is that I am as disappointed, as people are probably upset, this effort was needed. Unpopular changes like this sometimes happen when long-term players decide that because they can do something, they will, without consideration for if they *should*. In this case, as a result, changes had to be made to ensure no one has to bother using common sense with future forge-modified items.