Melee has the thanes, why have unarmed and marksman been so woefully neglected?
I propose two new bits of equipment, the bracer and the cestus, to fill in this gap. They wouldnt even need to give stat bonuses, just skill bonuses, and it would go a long way towards closing the divide. And anyway, a wristband that improves your eyesight would be odd. Although maybe not more odd than a finger band that improves your strength.