Well met, fellow travellers in the lands of Cerilia...

With the Birthright campaign setting came a number of
new armours. For my character (She's a Rjuven ranger)
the improved mail is the most interesting. Being a
heavy, double-thick suit of chain mail, the improved mail
is the heaviest armour usually worn by the Rjurik.
Cost, weight and armour class (AC4) were all given in
the boxed set, but not these questions: Can improved
mail be worn by a bard character (Bards are limited to
armour up to chain mail), and what are the modifiers
to thieving skills? Not only is this interesting for
bards, as some DMs allow rogues and rangers to wear
'illegal' armour (table 38 in the complete thieves'
handbook, table 12 in the complete bards' handbook,
table 13 in the complete ranger's handbook).
So, here's what I think:

1 No; bards should normally not be allowed to wear
improved mail. Specific kits might change this;
the Skald, as described in CBH, should be able
to wear it, for instance.

2 Improved mail should be more restraining then
normal chain, but not a lot; after all, the
Khinasi favor it because of its flexibility.
It should be better than plate mail. I suggest
the same modifiers as for splint mail, though
a less kind DM migh make it as for banded mail.
Making it like splint would give the following
modifiers:

PP OL F/Rt MS HS DN CW
Improved Chain -40% -15% -25% -40% -30% -25% -50%

What do you all think of this? And what about the
other BR armours, such as half plate? Ideas? I'd
like to talk about them myself, but I don't have
the BR se yet - and the damn thing is sold out
everywhere! I hope tsr will be up and running again
soon.

thanx for listening
Martijn Buijs - martijn7@pi.net

PS sorry for any stray 't's... keyboard malfunction :(