@Llengrath, you are right, you did actually offer a pretty good alternative. Sorry if my last sentence seemed extra harsh, but please let me assure you that it was not targeted at you directly, but it was rather a call for caution in any proposals made. Apart from your take, which I find more constructive than not, there were outright calls-to-arms for scrapping the whole ASI system outright and substituting it with nothing worthwhile in return.

I'd personally be fine with both a Pathfinder-like system (I've already mentioned it in this thread) and your own suggestion of unlocking the 17 start, at least if everything is thought out and properly tested and tuned.