Stacking CR and reducing it by level

[SylvrDragon]

Essentially if monsters gain PC levels their CR "goes down" as they gain class levels. I know that's not exactly how it works, but that is what the overall equation comes out to. The rules say you treat the race as a separate class for purposes of class level. The minimum a CR can be reduces by is half rounded down. But what if you have templates? Are each instance treated as is own class and reduced to half, or do you add the CR's together and to to half of that? For instance if you have an advanced Atomie. Atomiare CR 1 and advanced is a CR +1. If you add together that can be lowered to a 1, but if you don't it stays at a two. One one hand for balance it seems kinda nuts to get one of those for free. But a CR 2 is a CR two and as such it seems fair for all of them to be reduced to the same CR over time. I can see argument for it going either way and I just want to get some second opinions.

[njharman]

Wtf are you talking about? CR is increased.

PRD Determine CR wrote:

Determining the final CR for a creature with class levels requires careful consideration. While adding a class level to a monster that stacks with its existing abilities and role generally adds 1 to its CR for each level taken, adding classes that do not stack is more complicated.

Table: Monsters with Class Levels gives general guidelines regarding which core classes add directly to a monster's abilities based on its role. Classes that are marked “key” generally add 1 to a creature's CR for each level added. Classes marked with a “—” increase a creature's CR by 1 for every 2 class levels added until the number of levels added are equal to (or exceed) the creature's original CR, at which point they are treated as “key” levels (adding 1 to the creature's CR for each level added). Creatures that fall into multiple roles treat a class as key if either of its roles treat the class as key. Note that levels in NPC classes are never considered key.

[Buri]

Wtf are you talking about? The PC levels you gain follow a certain formula that let's you level mid-way between levels to let you even out with your party. Monster racial HD doesn't keep in step with PC power levels as you go up. To compensate for this, you do the following:

Quote:

Note that in a mixed group, the value of racial Hit Dice and abilities diminish as a character gains levels. It is recommended that for every 3 levels gained by the group, the monster character should gain an extra level, received halfway between the 2nd and 3rd levels. Repeat this process a number of times equal to half the monster's CR, rounded down. Using the minotaur example, when the group is at a point between 6th and 7th level, the minotaur gains a level, and then again at 7th, making him a minotaur barbarian 4. This process repeats at 10th level, making him a minotaur barbarian 8 when the group reaches 10th level. From that point onward, he gains levels normally.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/monsters/monstersAsPCs.html

[SylvrDragon]

Maybe I wasn't full clear. But as Buri pointed out, CR goes down as you gain levels.