confusion about UMD and equipping items

[Wizard1406]

so I heard two arguments about UMD

one person says you can wear an item until you logout if you use temporary buffs or gear swaps to be able to equip an item

another person says the item will get unequipped as soon as those buffs fall off / gear is switched

what is right?

[Mockduck]

You can equip an item for as long as your UMD remains at or above the necessary UMD number. So, if a buff wears off and puts you under the UMD needed, it's unequipped. Used to not be that way, that might be part of the source of confusion.

[maha0201]

first one when you log on again and youre umd skil isnt high enough to bypass requirement
then that item isnt equiped on you, but when item is equiped if youre UMD drops down youll still be able to ware that item, eaven though your UMD isnt high enough now ;-)

[Wizard1406]

uhm.. again 2 different responses ;-)
waiting on someone who knows for sure?

[Kevlar]

My understanding of how this is currently implemented is that if you take off the umd boost item that lets you use a restricted item, then you will still be wearing the restricted item but it will not be effective, similar to as if it is broken.

[7-day_Trial_Monkey]

I have a 4th answer, but lucky for you it's the correct one.

Old rule, as described above as the old rule.

Current rule, if a buff wears off or you remove an item that buffed your UMD, the item will not immediately fall off. However, as soon as you change any other piece of equipment (swap weapon for example) your UMD is rechecked on all equipped items and that's when it will be removed.

I think. :)

[melkor1702]

uhm.. again 2 different responses ;-)
waiting on someone who knows for sure?

You could always test this yourself

In my experience you can equip an item if you umd is high enough including buffs, once the buffs wear off then the item stays equiped until you remove it, then you need to do a umd check again.

I'm not sure what happens on logging in and out as generally I haven't still got that item equiped when I log off

[MrCow]

uhm.. again 2 different responses ;-)
waiting on someone who knows for sure?

You may get various responses on Use Magic Device when it comes to bypassing racial/alignment/class restrictions for a good reason. Turbine has been trying to make it so that if your current Use Magic Device skill drops below the required amount to equip the item it will come off. However, they seem to have had issues implementing it in that way (as the more times they make you perform a Use Magic Device check on all equipment pieces, the more likely it will impact performance to both the user's client and server) and so some updates we have slight variation in how strictly it is enforced.

The current rules are as such:

A Use Magic Device Check is done when you log on. If you don't meet the requirement to equip the item then it is unequipped automatically.
A Use Magic Device Check is done before you swap any equipment, when you try to equip something with a Use Magic Device check. If your Use Magic Device skill is high enough to equip the item with your current equipment, buffs, skill, and other effects before anything is swapped then you will be allowed to equip and use the item, even if afterwards your Use Magic Device skill is too low after the items are swapped.
A Use Magic Device Check is done to display (or hide) the red border on items in the User Interface to denote you can (or can't) wear it everytime your Use Magic Device skill total changes.