Progressing Abilities from Focuses

TLDR; Improve progression relationship between focuses and ability using the table below. Add up all the focus bonuses within an ability. An ability score bonus is derived from that total and that is added on top of your starting ability scores.

Right now in AGE, progression in ability scores and focuses are independent. It seems that you might have some relationship between the two. A high specific skill would likely lead to a decent general skill, but not the other way around. What simple rule could describe such a relationship? I have in the past experimented with an ability first approach that acts as a constraint to the number of focuses but what if we derive an ability score from focuses? A good formula is the sum of integers which is a quadratic formula. We will use the total of all focuses in the ability as the total and then solve for what integer would give that total sum. Here is a table of the number of total focus bonus for a derived ability score.

 

This looks like a great relationship. With one focus you get one general ability score improvement. You need a total of three focus improvements (either all in one focus or split among three) to have an ability score of 2. An ability score of 12 as that is the AGE written limit of ability score. It is shown to illustrate the kind of absurd level of focus that would require under this system. Given that over twenty levels you would get twenty advancements you could get +4 in two abilities, +6 in one, or +3 in six.

Now that may seem at odds with starting ability scores and I do like those. We can classify this as the scheme which ability score improvements are obtained which can add on top of starting ability scores. This will kind of remove the need to put ability score improvements inside of backgrounds or ancestries or any other advancement.

This focus on focuses will encourage better character background and avoid issues with blandness. If you have a high ability score you will also have a good deal of specific skills about it that can tell a story. When leveling a character you would just remove all ability score advancements awarded per level and instead do a quick check when choosing a focus if that also increases your ability score.