Here's a fun item idea.
Counterfeit Mahogany Bow
ingredients:
one hickory bow
one bottle walnut oil
The item produced shows the item description of a mahogany bow but has the actual stats of a hickory bow.
Crafting the item automatically lowers the crafters alignment one point towards chaotic.
It should be craftable in the basic crafting hall, in order to be tempting to unscrupulous and desperate crafters...
Identify (spell, scroll or sufficient lore skill) will indicate that it is a counterfeit. The difficulty for the identify should be that of the mahogany bow - if you know a real one, you can detect that this is not one - or perhaps slightly above - if you really know your bows you will be able to see the fake even though it is a good one.
Counterfeiting goods is a criminal offense. The player who is sold a counterfeit and detects it has the option to contact the authorities to bring the counterfeiter to justice. The player who sells a counterfeit he did not craft, if pursued in justice, will nonetheless need to produce proof or persuasion to show his innocence or may suffer a penalty. The crafter, if caught and if pursued in justice, will likely pay some penalty.
Character development potential for starving crafters who need to buy medicine for their ailing children. Role play potential for bilked players and all hands...
