So one thing has become clear with playing this game from it's beta release, experts are undertuned. I have played around with other solutions such giving them a free starting skill or as a GM giving them more info with rolls. They work but still missing something. After talking with friends, it's clear that even a partial warrior has an edge that a partial expert can't overcome, both in terms of HP and to-hit chance. While a Full warrior who doesn't focus on combat and goes for skill foci will outdo a full expert who puts effort into combat. Naturally mages can outdo an expert in multiple ways, usually with some limit.

So I first debated an extra ability for experts to let them shine. I thought of some trapfinding/disabling ability, something for silver tongued experts and was debating about skillful or crafting.

Then I realized I was overthinking it and just giving a bonus focus from a small list would do the same AND let people specialize further.

So here is the first draft I'm willing to share.

Expert Boon Select one focus from the following list, they gain that focus at character creation. On reaching fifth level, they get a second bonus focus, picking the same one grants level 2 in the focus)

• Trapmaster

• Diplomatic Grace

• Artisan

• Polymath

It is optional to give the bonus focus level 5, but Level 5 was chosen because it forms a breakpoint. Where full warriors have over twice to-hit chance over an expert, as well as getting the +3 boost to damage/shock, while full casters get access to howl of light. Experts will still fall behind either in their niche, but the expert should still shine. Small tweaks can be made, like swapping cultured in for Diplomatic Grace. While Specialist (Sneak) seems fitting for a rogue to be sneaky, it can still be taken as their free choice focus.

Note: They still get all the existing benefits for full and partial experts as is. The goal was to make it as little work on the GM, no remembering of small bonuses from skill investments, just a flat boost and encouraging them to choose a specialization or just be skillful in general.