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Lemme throw out the basic design first, then I'll explain it.
Characters start out with straight tens in all stats, plus racial and size modifiers, and can purchase competence, enhancement, insight, and sacred/profane bonuses to their ability scores by spending 15 points worth of character customization points.
A competence bonus of +2 can be purchased for two ability scores from the following combinations:
Strength/Dexterity
Dexterity/Constitution
Constitution/Charisma
Charisma/Wisdom
Wisdom/Intelligence
Intelligence/Strength
competence bonuses do not stack. This option costs 3 customization points (but is cost efficient).
An enhancement bonus of +2 can be purchased for any ability score. enhancement bonuses do not stack, nor do they stack with equipment. This option costs 2 customization points (and represents a magical trinket on your character's possession that can never be stolen nor disenchanted, nor used against your character in any way).
An insight bonus of +2 can be purchased for any ability score. insight bonuses do not stack, nor do they stack with equipment. This option costs 2 customization points (and represents innate talent and a gift that cannot be taken away, even by ability score drain).
A Sacred/Profane bonus can be purchased for any ability score, but at a cost.
+2 Strength/-2 Constitution (you are gifted with strength at the cost of health)
+2 Dexterity/-2 Charisma (Your physical grace and speed afford you less social grace and patience)
+2 Constitution/-2 Wisdom (Your health in the face of danger leads you to unwise decisions)
+2 Wisdom/-2 Strength (You are granted the sight of the sages, and some of their sloth)
+2 Intelligence/-2 Dexterity (You are granted gifts of memory, but your head remains in the clouds)
Sacred/Profane bonuses can be purchased at the cost of 1 customization point, and do not stack, and Sacred bonuses do not stack with Profane bonuses. These are gifts granted by the gods through clerics, and represent blessings obtained at childbirth by a child's parents (or by the watchful eyes of oracles and gods).
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This system is intended to flesh out the ability score generation process and to help players start fleshing out more interesting character concepts from the beginning of character design (without pushing the limits too far) while giving characters the ability to create fleshed out scores for their characters.
here are some sample "rolls":
14
12
10
10
8
14
14
14
12
12
18
10
10
10
8
18
18
12
10
8
8
I'm hoping this is close enough to the standard 15-point buy that it doesn't create dangerous builds or push too far into the overpowered or underpowered.
The choice of buff names was because they were the best from HERE that would work okay at explaining not only why a character would have a high stat, but a little more about the stat boost's source.
Racial and size modifiers stay as is, and I chose not to use circumstance, luck, or morale boosts because those seem tied better to spells or GM decisions.
Anyone have any feedback or suggestions? I'd appreciate your advice on this.
Given your stacking rules I don't understand how you could get an 18; no more than one 2 bonus from each of 3 categories (since you're not letting insight & enhancement stack) on a base of 10 gives 16.
Edit : OK, enhancement & equipment are different. 18s do happen.
Well then, what you have is well above standard 15 point buy; a wizard who only really, really wants Int and Con would be fine with a couple of 18s. It's much better for SAD classes than for MAD classes since the cost for a high stat scales less than standard point buy. These aren't necessarily flaws but you need to think about what sort of game you're creating.
My advice: put this in Homebrew/Suggestions forum.
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What's this intended to do, that normal point buy cannot do?
The purpose is to add a little flavor to the ability scores, not to eliminate point buy or replace it.
It's a sort of point buy buffet, where you only have to worry about the ability score landmarks where the modifier actually changes.
I'll probably take it to homebrew/suggestions once I'm convinced it's not broken.
I noticed a mistake I made, I was treating the competence bonuses like they stacked in one example. I'll fix that.
edit: welp, nevermind, I can't edit it. I wonder why.
Cost-efficient MAD should be:
16
16
14
12
10
10
or
14
14
14
12
12
12
Those seem too low to be effective to me, is that low by point buy standards?
Also, if the reasons for this change are still unclear, just think of it as answering the question: "Why is my Dexterity an 18?" and breaking that down into chunks.