Can a Synthesist's Eidolon wear armor?

[Yaramos]

I've read the FAQs, and while I know the armor a Sythesist wears is rendered "inert" while fused it doesn't say anything about putting armor on the Eidolon. I only bring this question up because a normal Eidolon can't wear armor because it interferes with the connection to the summoner. However, with a synthesist being inside the eidolon I don't see how it can interfere.

Now, I'm not trying to super-power this class. However, when I look at what you give up with a synthesist I don't feel like you get enough back.

What you give up:

• The eidolon's skills. The eidolon in this instance can be used to fill missing party roles.
  
• The eidolon's feats. If you want your eidolon to be able to pwer attack, it's YOUR feat you're using. Same with weapon use.
  
• The ability for anyone but you to heal your eidolon. While any sort of healer can heal a normal summoner's eidolon, only the summoner-specific spells can heal a synthesist's. (A separate eidolon could even use a standard cure potion if they had arms.)
  
• The extra actions provided by the eidolon.
  
• The ability to use the Eidolon as a distance buffer between you and your target. As a synthesist, once your Eidolon is out of HP you immediately start taking damage.
  

What you get:

• Extra hit points.
  
• Increased physical attributes.
  
• Possibly increased armor. (At higher levels, you'd probably take an armor decrease while fused since your armor doesn't work)
  
• The ability to not be targetted separately from your eidolon.
  

Maybe I'm missing some major bonus of the class that balances it all out. If so, please let me know what it is.

Otherwise, I feel that a synthesist's eidolon should be able to use armor, but with all the normal penalties. (Hit penalty for non-profiency, arcane spell failure, etc.)

As a side thought, since a synthesist's armor goes inert while fused, does he still take the penalties to climb, swim, etc? What about arcane spell failure?

Also, can a systhesist give his eidolon the Simple and Martial weapon use evolutions and use those weapons without penalty when fused?

Just my thoughts, and I'm looking forward to replies.

Thanks.

[Seraphimpunk]

i'm of the camp that you should be able to don armor appropriate to your body type once you're in eidolon form. After all, how does the metal shell thats outside your eidolon suit, interfere with the connection between you and your eidolon when you're inside your eidolon, any more than the metal armor that a person standing five feet away from you does?

but i've also seen that eidolons get phenomenal natural armor bonuses that just kind of run amok, and stacking armor bonuses onto that without having to even go the druid tax ( wild armor ) way, would just get craaazy.

Synthesists already get to completely dunk their physical ability scores.

The healing stuff i'm starting to see as a problem, having seen one in play now, and disagree with on certain levels.

[Yaramos]

OK, I apparently got the Str/Dex bonus and Natural Armor columns confused, so I now see why they can't. So that's settled.

I have some other questions, but I'll post them in the Synthesist thread.

Thanks again for the input.