Armor specialist base class (need help)

[the Jester]

Do you really need a new class to be an armor specialist? I'm in the 'make feats and make it a fighter path' crowd on this- I hate redundant base classes, and that's what I smell here.

 

[Cheiromancer]

I'd love to see a feat chain that encourages people to use some of the less popular kinds of armor- banded mail, splint mail and so on.

From how adventurers equip themselves, you'd think the only kinds of armor are chain shirts, breastplates and full plate. And there is no such thing as steel; only mithral and adamantine.