Oblivion:Light Armor

Light Armor
The Light Armor skill determines how much protection is provided by lightweight armor, and how much damage light armor takes each time it is hit.  The other armor option is Heavy Armor.

In-game Description: Make more effective use of Fur, Leather, Chainmail, Mithril, Elven, and Glass armors.

Mastery
Mastery Perks
For a Novice, light armor degrades rapidly with use (150% of normal rate)
An '''Apprentice's light armor degrades at a normal rate 
A Journeyman's light armor degrades at 50% slower rate
An Expert's equipped light armor does not encumber them at all
When a Master wears only light armor, they gain a bonus of 50% to the armor rating of that armor

Skill Benefits
As your light armor skill increases, the protection provided by light armor increases, according to the following equation:
 ArmorRating = ( 0.35 + 0.0065 * Skill ) * BaseArmorRating

Skill Increases
You gain 1.5 experience points for every hit taken (assuming that the hit falls on a part of the body covered in light armor).

General tips for increasing combat skills are provided at General Combat Strategies.

A good way to increase your skill in light armor is to equip a full set of light armor (shield included) with the shield enchantment, then have as many NPCs as you can find attack you at once. Guard barracks are an ideal location for this.

See also:
Increasing Skills: General tips on how to improve your skills semi-naturally.
Trainers: Pay for light armor lessons.
 
Skill Books: Books that provide lessons in light armor.
Increasing Attributes: Tips on training skills to improve the Speed attribute.
Free Skill Boosts: Only one free light armor skill boost (for 10 pts) is available, from the Oghma Infinium.
Magic Items: There are multiple generic items with the fortify light armor enchantment.
Unique Items: A list of unique light armor. These do not include Leveled Items such as those received from quests, or Artifacts.
:*There are no Unique Items that fortify light armor.

Dialogue
When your skill reaches 70 or higher, NPCs will start saying: "I heard you know how to move in light armor."

Character Creation
The following races provide initial skill bonuses in light armor:
+5 bonus: Bosmer, Dunmer, Khajiit, Redguard

The following standard classes include light armor as a major skill:
Archer, Assassin, Barbarian, Bard, Nightblade, Pilgrim, Rogue, Scout, Thief

Messages
The following table provides the messages that are displayed when your Light Armor skill levels up.



Notes

Develop the Armorer skill at least to Apprentice Level (25), before switching armor type because repair will be needed after every fight.  Light Armor bonuses will tend to accrue very rapidly (may not need to wear it an entire level to achieve +10 skill bonuses to Speed.).  Combination Speed/Endurance bonus attributes are easily accomplished this way due to the high skill level increases of Light Armor / Armorer repair.

If you visit the Lord birthsign doomstone you can receive the greater power Ysmir's Scales.  One of several benefits of this power is that it fortifies your light armor skill 10 pts once a day for 120 seconds.

Once your combined Fame and Infamy reaches 60, you can visit the Shezarr heaven doomstone to receive the greater power Shield of Shezarr''.  One of several benefits of this power is that it fortifies your light armor skill 20 pts once a day for 120 seconds.

When a Master in both Light Armor and Heavy Armor, both provide the same defense at the same quality (Glass-Daedric, for example). The only difference is that Heavy armor has more health.

You do not need a shield to benefit from the master perk.