Hello,
I have a question regarding focus improvement. Skill improvement is clear, but not focus.
For example, what exactly means 1-2 > 1-3? In core book page 301
Thank you
There are two aspects to skills: Expertise and Focus. Expertise determines your target number when rolling d20s. The target number is always Attribute + Skill Expertise.
Focus on the other hand determines the range which gives you two successes. So Focus 1-2 means you get two successes when rolling a 1 or a 2. Focus 1-3 means you get two successes when rolling a 1, 2 or 3.
So basically the notation 1-3 indicates a range.
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Thanks for your answer! Clear now 
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Can you increase a focus more than your expertise?
And in mutant chronicles you normally couldn’t increase expertise or focus above 3. Is that the same in conan?
Yes, they can be leveled separately. The price is the same though " Each type (Expertise or Focus) must be acquired separately, but each level of improvement costs the same amount of experience. Improving skills requires experience points equal to 200 times the target skill rank."
You can increase them independently. Also talents might have different requirements. I have seen talents that require Expertise and some that require Focus.
Also, Focus discounts talents that are linked to the Skill.
To be honest, I find that a little much and confusing. As a house rule, I only allow Expertise and Focus to be increased as a package deal (costing twice the XP then). This might sound stupid, but we don’t play very often and it tends to get confusing if you have different Focus and Expertise.
What about buying a brand new skill. Is it 200 xp for the skill with Expertise 1 and Focus 1, then you must improve them separately
M?
Along similar lines, it is 200 xp for Level 1 Expertise and 200 xp for Level 1 Focus. I get that, but…
On a skill in which I currently have no expertise OR focus, can I increase my Focus first, even if I have 0 Expertise in that skill? I do not see any rule against this in the CRB, so I am allowing it currently.
I would agree the rules are silent on the subject if you can develop Focus before you have even a +1 in Expertise. That being said, from a logic perspective and considering the description of the difference between Expertise and Focus, it would stand to reason that a PC should have at least a +1 in Expertise before you can develop ranks in skill focus. We are debating this point in our group too but that is my opinion. I may not win out.
The system doesn’t require it. I agree it makes logical sense but technically rules as written it isn’t required.
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