Human barbarian favored class bonus

[Bigdaddyjug]

I'm pretty sure this has been answered before, but my search-fu is failing me.

Can a level 1 human (or half elf or half or) barbarian take the racial favored class bonus for barbarians even though they don't have the Superstition rage power yet?

[Rysky]

It is my understanding that no, you can't take something like that till you have the actual ability.

[Claxon]

Nope, not until you actually select that rage power.

[Bigdaddyjug]

Well hell, that's a waste of 3 levels worth of FCB in PFS

[Khudzlin]

Well, you can always choose which bonus to take when you gain a level in a favored class, so you can take HP or skill ranks for the levels before you gain Superstition. Since it's a fractional bonus, you might want to take other FCBs for the leftover levels anyway.

[Bigdaddyjug]

For the character I was building, neither 3 HP nor 3 skill points is going to make that big of a difference. But that extra point of Superstition could make all the difference in the world. The character is a half orc so I guess I could d worse than 3 extra rounds of rage per day.

[Daedalus the Dungeon Builder]

That rule seemed odd to me. Does that mean the Gnome FCB for druid is effectively useless?

Advanced Race Guide wrote:

Druid: The druid gains energy resistance 1 against acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Each time the druid selects this reward, increase her resistance to one of these energy types by +1 (maximum 10 for any one type).

If you can only apply a FCB to a class feature you already have, you could never get any energy resistance, as it's not adding to something you already have, making this useless as opposed to potentially good.

Yes, I am aware that is not the intent of the FAQ. That's not the point. The point is, depending on reading, that FAQ varies from 'very annoying' to 'gives no racial FCB.'

[MageHunter]

Well I'd assume the key word there is 'gains'. They gain energy resistance. On the other hand, for the Barbarian, it just says add to the ability.

[Chess Pwn]

if a FCB is increasing then you must possess it before taking that option.

[Claxon]

Daedalus the Dungeon Builder wrote:

That rule seemed odd to me. Does that mean the Gnome FCB for druid is effectively useless?

Advanced Race Guide wrote:

Druid: The druid gains energy resistance 1 against acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Each time the druid selects this reward, increase her resistance to one of these energy types by +1 (maximum 10 for any one type).

If you can only apply a FCB to a class feature you already have, you could never get any energy resistance, as it's not adding to something you already have, making this useless as opposed to potentially good.

Yes, I am aware that is not the intent of the FAQ. That's not the point. The point is, depending on reading, that FAQ varies from 'very annoying' to 'gives no racial FCB.'

You misunderstand the wording of the FAQ.

I can't find it, but the wording was about you can't take a FCB that requires you to make a choice until you have that character option already.

So you can't enhance superstition until you have it because you must first choose to have superstition.

[Daedalus the Dungeon Builder]

No, I understand the wording of the FAQ. My point was more to poke fun of another hole that it opened in the rules. I could likely find another FCB that doesn't use language like "you gain...," it's just that the Gnomish energy resistance was the first thing that I thought of.