[larsdangly]

That's an interesting suggestion, and one that I could see as a really solid house rule. But note that any rule that changes the trade off of protection vs. DX and MA penalty will radically change the way people design fighters. Note that the penalties to DX and MA for wearing plate armor just based on weight alone (ITL 65) are pretty negligible, and the protective value is enormous. So, armored fighters will basically always defeat unarmored opponents (probably even at a 2:1 or even 3:1 match up).

If you are interested in realism this might be a change for the better: The reality is that armor is very effective against pre gunpowder weapons, people experienced in using it can't really run long distances, swim, etc., but they can fight well. Historically, people generally chose to wear it if they could (and environmental factors didn't prevent it). But if you are interested in play balance and the competitive gladiatorial side of TFT, it will 'invalidate' a lot of character design concepts. Basically, unarmored combatants will not belong on the same field as armored ones.