Catfolk Favored Class Bonus Bard calculation

[jhunterj]

If my Bardic Knowledge bonus is equal to half my Bard level (minimum 1) and I take Bard as my Catfolk's Favored Class and always select the Bardic Knowledge Favored Class Bonus from the Advanced Race Guide, do I get:

Level/Knowledge Bonus
1/1
2/2
3/2 (3 bard levels = 1.5 bonus rounds down so my bonus 1, 3 Catfolk selections equals 1.5 bonus to the bonus of 1, equals 2.5, rounds down to 2)
4/4
5/4
6/6
etc.

or
1/1
2/2
3/3
4/4
5/5
6/6
etc.

RAW seems to me to yield the former (since the Catfolk Favored Class effect adds to the bonus, not to the Bard levels for determining the bonus), even though it "looks" wrong.

[Nefreet]

Lv / Total
01 / minimum of +1
02 / 1 + 1 = +2
03 / 1 + 1 = +2
04 / 2 + 2 = +4
05 / 2 + 2 = +4
06 / 3 + 3 = +6
Etc.

Pretty sure, at least. Can see it both ways.

[B-ob]

To me, I can see it both ways but I'd be applying it as maths (interpretation 2). The Bardic Knowledge doesn't actually specify "Round Down", just "A bard adds half his class level (minimum 1) on all Knowledge skill checks"

So, when you hit Level 3, your bonus is 1.5 - You can't apply half a bonus to a skill though so the effective bonus is 1. The Catfolk Favored class bonus is "Add +1/2 to the bard's bardic knowledge bonus." So, at level 3, having taken it at each level, you have a bonus of 1.5 + .5 + .5 + .5, which is 3.

The key is that nothing says when the bardic knowledge bonus is rounded, or even that it is rounded in the first place. So I'd be applying all bonuses and then rounding if applicable.

[Squirrel_Dude]

As far as I'm aware, the rules is to round down unless it says otherwise. I'll check that and get a more specific answer.

Core Rulebook, Getting Started. wrote:

[link]

Unless otherwise noted, whenever you are must round a number, always round down.

So that said... I'd still go with your second interpretation because math

1: 1 + .5 = 1
2: 1 + 1 = 2
3: 1.5 + 1.5 = 3
4: 2.0 + 2.0 = 4
5: 2.5 + 2.5 = 5
6: 3.0 + 3.0 = 6

And, that's not a typo in the quoted text

[B-ob]

Another way of thinking about it - your bonus is only rounded when applied. That is, let's say you're doing a Knowledge: Local check, at level 3 (since it's the first one that differs)

"Unless otherwise noted, always round down"

So your bonus is 3/2 (1.5)

Calculate your ranks in Knowledge (Local), (say 1 rank) and your total skill check is Int Mod + Ranks + Class Skill w/ Ranks + Misc Bonus (1.5) = Your total bonus is (say) +11.5, which would then round down to 11.

"Unless otherwise noted" would imply that "half point" bonuses stack or add up until such time as you need to apply them to something - unless otherwise noted.