Armor Ointment and Negative Armor Check Penalty

[Gallant Armor]

I was looking into ways to reduce Armor Check Penalties for another thread and I came across Armor Ointment:

Armor Ointment wrote:

This thick lubricant makes the joints of armor move more freely. Applying the ointment takes 1 minute and reduces your armor’s armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of –1) for 8 hours.

1. Does that mean you would get a +1 to STR and DEX based skills?

2. If you weren't proficient with the armor would you get +1 to attack rolls?

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

That has got to be a typo. I'm going to FAQ it in hopes it gets errata.

[Gallant Armor]

That was pretty much my reaction as well, it seemed really odd. I've never encountered a situation where non-proficiency could be beneficial over proficiency.

[QuidEst]

It reduces the penalty (increasing the value) to a minimum penalty of -1 to the checks. No problem; intent is obvious; no need to FAQ.

[Gallant Armor]

So if you aren't proficient with armor and have a -1 ACP you get a +1 to attack and to STR and DEX skills but if you are proficient you only get the skill bonus?

[Gallant Armor]

A friend just explained it to me (I feel dumb now). The intent is that it can reduce an ACP of -2 or greater by 1. It will have no effect on ACPs of -1 or 0.

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

Oh, that makes sense.