The charging specific items for specific zones sounds like a good idea... it proposes a trade off:
Use scale to get to uber zone (to get more scales) or, trade/smith scale for cash/exp and face walking?
Use stones for experience/cash, or prevent walking to yolanda?
You could probably have a specific item for each place, each being taken from each zone's most rare item list entry.
This would enabe and enforce some kind of economic system with a basis for using specific items for things other than killing, defending, and running.
I would reccomend that if this were to happen, non-Nmagic class characters would not have any ncasting ability, with no increase on remort either. This would be best.
Of course...then you'd need to balance that by making the specific magical classes only be able to use specific weapon/armor types...
cool ideas.