[Game help] armor-associated penalties
 
Imagine a mage, whose power comes from the mind, not the body; a scout, trying
to slip through the woods; or a rogue, sneaking up behind someone.  Imagine
these people trying to do what they are best at while wearing full plate mail
or loaded down with stone armor....
 
There are penalties to the use of some skills and spells when certain classes
wear certain types of armor.  Some classes in the game are trained to use
heavy armor, while others are trained to use light armor or clothing.
  * Heavy Armor --  Mercenaries, Paladins, Hellions, Barbarians
  * Light Armor --  Swashbucklers, Scouts, Bards, Shamans, Warlocks, Rogues
  * Clothing --  Sorcerors, Necromancers
 
Priests are a special case, with their training depending on the amount of
martial discipline in the priesthood.
  * Heavy Armor --  Algorab, Alshain, Dulrik, Sargas
  * Light Armor --  Achernar, Ain, Yed, Nashira, Sadr, Thuban, Zavijah
  * Clothing --  Aludra, Meissa, Mira, Sadal, Marfik, Dabi
 
What defines the type of armor?  What differentiates heavy from light?  This
is dependent on the type of material from which the item is composed.
  * Heavy Armor --  adamantite, diamond, gemstone, iron, obsidian, platinum,
     steel, stone, tanso steel, cold iron, jade
  * Light Armor --  amber, brass, bronze, china, clay, copper, crystal,
     flesh, food, glass, gold, ice, ivory, leather, meat, mithril, pearl,
     plant, scale, silver, supernatural, wood, dragonscale
  * Clothing --  cloth, energy, feather, flame, fur, ink, paper, parchment,
     rubber, silk, suede, vellum, water

Looking at an item displays both its size and material.  If the material that
an item is made from does not make sense, please log the item name using the
TYPO command and it will be looked at. Keep in mind that items worn on
fingers, neck, wrists, about the body, and hooves, and those in the symbol
slot, do not count as armor when counting penalties.
 
These are not absolute restrictions. A sorceror can still wear full plate if
she so chooses.  The consequence of this will be penalties to spells and to
those skills that are affected by ease of movement.  The more pieces of armor
worn, the larger the penalty.  And a character that cannot wear any armor
will be penalized more for heavy armor than one that can wear light armor.