The type of armour you wear determines how well you are protected and how
well you will succeed at various skills and spell casting. Cloth armour, for
instance, will not inhibit you in any way; however platemail armour will. The
extent to which your armour interferes with your efforts to do other things
increases with the amount and weight of the armour you wear, your lack of
proficiency with the armour you are using, and with the heaviness of its type.
The armour types at the top of this list are the least restrictive and those
at the bottom are the most restrictive.
Light:
Padded Armour
Leather Armour
Studded Leather Armour
Light Mail Armour
Medium:
Hide Armour
Scalemail Armour
Ringmail Armour
Heavy Mail Armour
Brigandine Armour
Heavy:
Splint mail Armour
Banded mail Armour
Half Plate Armour
Full Plate Armour
* Ring mail is a less expensive and less protective version of heavy mail.
(Heavy mail is generally referred to as simply "chainmail.")
* Light mail is a lighter but less protective version of heavy mail; it
allows greater flexibility and inhibits actions less. Elven versions thereof
allow one to take still greater advantage of one's dexterity.