Both Mithral and Darkleaf cloth have similar language and both materials are from the Ultimate Equipment.
Should armor made from Darkleaf Cloth be considered one category lighter for the purposes of movement? (using the same description as Mithral)
I get the impression that it is meant to be the "Mithral" of the cloth and hide world.
DESCRIPTION
- Mithral is a rare, silvery metal that is lighter than steel but just as hard. When worked like steel, it can be used to create amazing armor, and is occasionally used for other items as well.
- Darkleaf cloth is a special form of flexible material made by weaving together leaves and thin strips of bark from darkwood trees, then treating the resulting fabric with special alchemical processes. The resulting material is tough as cured hide but much lighter, making it an excellent material from which to create armor.
MASTERWORK
- Weapons and armors fashioned from mithral are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices...
- Armors fashioned from darkleaf cloth are always masterwork items; the masterwork cost is included in the listed prices.
STAT CHANGES
- Spell failure chances for armors and shields made from mithral are decreased by 10%, maximum Dexterity bonuses are increased by 2, and armor check penalties are decreased by 3 (to a minimum of 0).
- Spell failure chances for armors made from darkleaf cloth decrease by 10% (to a minimum of 5%), maximum Dexterity bonuses increase by 2, and armor check penalties decrease by 3 (to a minimum of 0).
The only difference is that dark leaf cloth can't lower the arcane spell failure rate below 5%
WEIGHT
- An item made from mithral weighs half as much as the same item made from other metals. In the case of weapons, this lighter weight does not change a weapon’s size category or the ease with which it can be wielded (whether it is light, one-handed, or two-handed). Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of mithral.
- An item made from darkleaf cloth weighs half as much as the same item made from leather, furs, or hides. Items not primarily constructed of leather, fur, or hide are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of darkleaf cloth.
CATEGORY
- Most mithral armors are one category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations. Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light. This decrease does not apply to proficiency in wearing the armor. A character wearing mithral full plate must be proficient in wearing heavy armor to avoid adding the armor’s check penalty on all his attack rolls and skill checks that involve moving.
- ??? (nothing mentioned)