Can anybody tell a newbie ninja why he'd want to give up his nice and protective leather armor for the flimsy, although stylish, ninja armor available in the Bushi Dojo?

- UberMike

Because styles the thing???

I too never saw any reason to give up better armor for the nifty ninja alternatives.

Wyv

Ninjas with less armor parry blows much more often, elimating the need for a high AC (in theory).

This reminds me of my terrible dilemma: my pixie warlock trying to decide between doublet+pants (cute and lightweight) or leather bra+pants (more AC, but utterly stupid-looking). Eventually decided on the bra (sigh). Then she put on a wizard's hat ..... sheesh...

The basic ninjawear isn't all that great, but you get some NICE stuff off characters and in chests later on. I got an Assassin Shitagi +3 in Shurugeon, and you get nice ninjawear off enemies and in chests on the islands in the Brimloch scene. PLus, they weigh less, and are good for a pixie.
Its also nice to be able to buy a cowl for a ninja/samurai/assassin. Chain Coifs are rare, and can only be found in chests. Some people may have played the entire game and never seen one.

I got several chain coifs +2 from Centaurs, I believe. Centaurs are excellent loot droppers. I always rejoice when they spawn!