I'm working through the thief guild right now and am level 15 or so. I know that the nightingale armor is leveled and doesn't top out until level 35 or so....and I also read somewhere that if you lose the armor you can do something and get a new set. If you "lose" your level 20 armor and get a new set at level 40 is it a newly leveled set of armor? 40 instead of 20?

It might be instanced, meaning when you get your armor, it sets the new set at the same level as well. Can't say.

This is why I dislike leveled gear as well as achievements - we become more concerned about getting the best and completing quests certain ways to get little badges - which may or may not be how we would play the game if we did not have this out of character information.

WHere did you hear something about losing it and getting another set?

Curious

Last Nightingale armor is level 32.
Got mine at 15 and from what UESP says it is weak compared to the 32 one.
Tried the trash it then use the stone to get a new one method at 40+ but beside the clicky noise i got nothing.

Some people have said if you retouch the stones you will get the armor again or an upgraded one if you are higher level, has not been confirmed that I know of

I guess S'Rau has confirmed it....no luck.

I tried without armor in inventory ... didn't think the stone could "upgrade" it (self /facepalm of shame).
Will test when back home and post result.

Isn't it terrible? There's completely optional content in a single player game that's all about freedom of choice. It's totally forcing me to play the game a certain way, we should get rid of it, amirite?

I don't know that the problem is leveled gear...I think the problem is spoiler boards and the beloved UESP. If I didn't know better then I wouldn't know better and would just play straight through and not worry about things like leveled armor.

I can't help myself though.

If you're on pc and don't mind bending the rules a bit you could console port yourself to the testing chamber where they keep all varieties of weapons and armor, there you can take your pick of nightingale versions.

Linky: http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1299932-relz-scale-quest-rewards/

Allows you to "level up" quest rewards with a configurable keypress.

if you can run that mod you could alternatively simply add the item through the console