A bit off-topic, but I was looking at the rules for orichalcum items again recently, and realized that they had the potential for those scenes in various media (typically anime) where a character jettisons their ultra-heavy armor and becomes more powerful without it holding them back.
Specifically, I'd recommend adjusting the rules around orichalcum armor so that, if a character didn't meet the minimum strength score required for a given percentage, they could still use it, but with a set of penalties (which would escalate if their Strength was insufficient by several listings). The major question, at that point, would be what level of penalties to apply.
My initial thinking is that, if wearing orichalcum armor with a necessary Strength higher than what they have, they'd be treated as if non-proficient with it (regardless of normal proficiency), increasing the armor check penalties (which apply to all attack rolls, as well as Strength- and Dex-based skills) by the listed multiplier under the "Damage modifier" column on Table G-5 in the Epic Bestiary. Speed should be cut in half (if their Strength is insufficient by one rank on the table), cut down to two-thirds (if their Strength is insufficient by two ranks), or three-fourths (if their Strength is insufficient by three ranks), with anything higher than that rendering them unable to move.
If that sounds a bit hard to follow, here's an example:
Surtur's avatar possesses a Strength score of 90, allowing him to wear armor that's up to 1.5% orichalcum without penalty. Should he don full plate that's made out of 12.5% orichalcum, however (which requires a minimum Strength of 100), his movement rate will be cut in half (down to 180 ft. instead of 360 ft.), and he'll take a -48 penalty to all attack rolls and Strength- and Dexterity-based skills (since full plate has a -6 armor check penalty normally, multiplied by the x8 modifier granted by 12.5% orichalcum).
If he were to try and don full plate that was 100% orichalcum (minimum Strength 115), these penalties would become even worse. His movement would fall to 120 ft., and he'd take a -72 penalty to attack rolls and Str- and Dex-based skills.
So naturally, when a group of lower-tier immortals are fighting Surtur and find that, despite his impressive defense, his attacks aren't as bad as they'd anticipated, they start to gradually wear him down. At least until Surtur decides that the best defense is a good offense, and throws off his too-heavy armor, getting rid of those pesky penalties...
Thoughts on this?
