Trapfinding and character level

[ElyasRavenwood]

I have a quick question. I am converting a character from 3.5 to pathfinder. He is a 7th level bard and a 2nd level rogue. With the rogue’s trap finding do I add a + 4 to the perception rolls for finding traps because the character is 9th level, or do I add a +1 to the perception rolls for finding traps because the character only has 2 levels of rogue?
thanks

[nidho]

Just the rogue levels count, the same situation with ranger and track.

This is to make one level dips much less valuable than going full class; one of Paizo's design goals, BTW.

[meatrace]

nidho wrote:

Just the rogue levels count, the same situation with ranger and track.

This is to make one level dips much less valuable than going full class; one of Paizo's design goals, BTW.

Well also it's to make up for the fact that you no longer NEED a rogue to find traps. They are still bar none the best at it, but you can easily use a bard or wizard or fighter to do the same job if they invest the skill points (and maybe a skill focus feat).

[nidho]

Let me punctualize that even if you do not need a rogue to find traps, you still need one to disable* magical ones.

(*)note that I use the word disable instead of avoiding, bypassing, dispelling or harmlessly triggering.
I know non rogues still have options at their disposal, it's just that these will not be always reliable.

[KaeYoss]

Only the rogue levels count because only the rogue levels offer special training in trapfinding. It's a class ability.

[ElyasRavenwood]

I was just asking because in my pathfinder book in the entry for bardic knowledge it says that a bard adds ½ of his class level to all knowledge skill checks. Under the Trapfinding it says “ a rogue adds ½ her level to all perception checks for finding traps and to her disable device skill checks.

I noticed a difference between the “class level” in the bardic knowledge entry and a “1/2 level” in the trapfinding entry, and I wondered if there was a difference.
Thanks

Nihdo what you say makes sense to prevent level dipping. I was just confused about the text that’s all.

Thank you Kaeyoss and Meatrace as well for your thoughts as well.

[Gorbacz]

The "class" word is missing from a few places in the book, but Jason did say that intended idea is for class abilities to work off the level of that specific class (unless something says specifically that it stacks with other class levels).