Unifying Level-Based Bonuses

I've put a lot more thought into the topic of my previous post on setting difficulty. I'm not so sure that the best answer for my table is to lower the starting difficulty.

Instead, I should keep the difficulty higher, but make it increasingly easier to accomplish tasks and feats in which you're trained. The great game Knave accomplishes this by allowing three ability score increases every level, but this approach rubs me the wrong way:

• You roll to increase your scores. This randomness makes the score increases feel detached from the fictional experience that drove the increase.

• You increase your attributes. You can go from the least nimble human adventurer to the most nimble just by gaining experience. Again, it creates a disconnect when I try to envision the fictional character. How did my innate attributes change so much?

• You tend to pick which ability scores to roll based on mechanical benefits. For instance, increasing your Constitution is a priority because it increases how much you can carry (very important in a classless, inventory-driven system!).

Here, 5th Edition might offer a possible solution: a proficiency bonus. Keep your initial attribute scores the same, but grant an increasing bonus for any action in which you're proficient: swinging a sword for a fighter, casting a spell for a mage, picking a pocket for a thief.

An adventurer with proficient feet (art from AD&D rulebook)

Set your proficiency bonus at half of your character level, rounded up. This keeps you roughly in line with old school attack bonuses and saving throws.

At least until 9th Level. After that I stopped mathing because I don't need to waste effort on something that'll never get used!