I'm missing something regarding refinements and focus items

[JesterOC]

I read the rules on refinements and I can't see why anyone would decide use refinement to gain 2 focus slots vs 2 specialization bonuses.

It seems that the specializations can be used for both offense and defense while the focus items need to break up their power into the offense and defense subsections which cuts their usefulness in half.  I assume I have something wrong here. I would assume that focuses would add flexability at the cost of the potential to loose them, but it seems just the opposite.

Can anyone give me a hand.

Thanks,

JesterOC

[Ophidimancer]

Seems Specialization bonuses are capped by your Lore, while Focus Item benefits are not.  I think that may be the only advantage.

[wyvern]

Short answer: Because they stack, and specialization bonuses get expensive.

Long answer: Because specialization bonuses are limited like skills, each additional +1 gets increasingly expensive.  Going from no bonus to +1 costs one (half a refinement).  Going from +1 to +2 costs two (one refinement), since you have to also have a +1.  Going from +2 to +3 costs three, since you need to keep around both a +1 and a +2 specialization.  Etc.  By the time you've spent two refresh on specialization in a single element, the cost per +1 is even - and after that, focus items become the cheaper method of boosting your bonus in a single specific element. 

In other words, at starting PC level, you're probably right.  But if you're really focusing on boosting one element, then, when you get that third or fourth point in refinement, focus items are going to start looking like better options.

And both specializations and focus items are capped by your lore.  See YS278 for focus items, and YS183 for specializations.

[Belial666]

You begin with 1 "free" specialization and 2 "free" focus slots for Evocation. So you use both because you have both. After that, specializations are limite to the skill pyramid. That makes them less cost-effective after a point.

To get a +2 specialization, you need to have another +1, so 3 of them total.
To get a +3 specialization, you need another +2 and another +1, so 6 of them total.
To get a +4 specialization, you need a +3, a +2, and a +1, 10 of them total.
To get a +5, 15 of them total.
And so on.

So for higher bonuses, if you specialize, foci end up cheaper. But they have the drawback that they can be left behind, stolen or even destroyed so it evens out.

[JesterOC]

Thanks folks, that makes a lot of sense.  I appreciate it.

JesterOC

[luminos]

Also, because focus item slots can be used for enchanted items, and having some really powerful enchanted items can be really awesome.