A starting player character has four Focuses, representing areas of expertise and specialization beyond their broad Skills. These Focuses will each be associated with a single skill, which represents the skill which will use that focus most often. But any focus can be used with any skill if it applies appropriately to the action in question. However, a focus of Gladiatorial Dueling is going to be used with Battle more often than with Understand, for example.

Your chosen archetype will provide two Focuses, one of which will usually be associated with the archetype’s primary skill, and the other of which will usually be associated with the archetype’s secondary skill. You should pick a focus for your primary skill and for your secondary skill (even from outside your archetype). But you may also pick either or both offered by your archetype regardless of skill.

Once you’ve chosen these, you may choose two other Focuses, which may be associated with any Skills you want.

Example: Claire likes both of the Focuses listed for Commander (Inspiration and Leadership), and picks Inspiration for her Communicate focus. However, she wants something more direct for her Battle focus and so instead picks Short Blades (representing her training among the House Molay assassins). For her third pick she wants something that will help in House negotiations and takes Diplomacy as a Communicate focus. For her final pick she decides the Bene Gesserit taught her how to move unseen and takes Stealth as a Move focus.