I also meant to mention that the bonuses would still be gained at skill levels 4, 8, and 12.
So character X may take boxing and choose his bonuses to it to be +1 Attack and +1 Initiative. At level 12 in the skill he now has +3 Attack and +3 Initiative.
He then decides he's been around the block a few times in London, and has picked up streetfighting with a bonus of +1 Dodge and +1 Attack. He raises this skill to Level 4.
So with Boxing(+1 Attack, +1 Initiative) at level 12 and Streetfighting (+1 Dodge, +1 Attack) at Level 4, his total bonuses are +4 Attack, +3 Initiative, +1 Dodge. If he ever gets streetfighting to level 12, his bonuses would total out to be +6 Attack, +3 Initiative, +3 Dodge.
He clearly focused on his attack modifier. A character could just as easily focus on Will or whatever they wanted.
Also, as for werewolves having a decent Will score because of styles like this… wouldn't that make more sense and add to customization? Should all Werewolves be stuck in a role of a hulking brute with the same bonuses as every other hulking brute… or every mage a weakling?
In Black Bayou, breeds were min/maxed. That is the OPPOSITE of customization. It means that if you are a certain breed, you are forced into a niche.
Keep in mind, assuming a werewolf decides he wants to beef his Will up in this way, he's going to gimp himself in other areas. That means other werewolves who decided to put most of their bonuses in Attack and Dodge are going to kick his ass. Chances are, that werewolf who dumped a majority of his bonus on will is still going to have a toguh time agaisnt a psychic or Mage anyway.
The fact that we use 2d6 means that it is very hard to beat anyone who even has the slightest edge on you in modifiers. If someone has a modifier 4 higher than you, assuming they roll an average roll of 7, you only have a 1 in 36 chance of beating them because you need a 12. Even if we used 1d12, it makes the game 10x fairer.
I've told Steve before in Crossroads I've never been a fan of 2d6 because of that, but it's how the game works and changing that would pretty much mean revamping the entire rule system. 1d12 could be used pretty easily using the same target numbers, but anythign else would be rough. Rather than go off on a tangent though, I'll end there.