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In Pathfinder I've seen the phrase "adds 1-1/2 the creature's strength bonus on damage rolls"

Does that mean multiply by 1.5?

Nerevar
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1 Answers1

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Yes.

When the rules say "1-1/2" they mean 1.5 times. Remember to round down.

This is a holdover from 3.5, which also phrased it that way. Frankly I think "1.5" or "one and a half" would have been a better choice, precisely because it would avoid this kind of confusion, but that's neither here nor there.

doppelgreener
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Oblivious Sage
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  • Thanks, it's a weird way of writing it on their part so I appreciate the clarification! – Nerevar Mar 20 '14 at 23:41
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    To be precise, it's a holdover from the d20 SRD which doesn't use typographical fractions (to maintain a lowest-common-denominator of text formatting) and favours numbers over words (for brevity/clarity); in D&D 3.5 they do use "one and a half times". Partly this is because an SRD isn't a teaching document, but rather a reference for those who have already learned the game, so it's written assuming the reader already knows this rule. – SevenSidedDie Mar 21 '14 at 04:38
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    To clarify, "1-1/2" uses a system of notation that's only common in certain parts of the world. In this system of notation, the dash serves as a separator between the integer and fractional components of a number, meaning that "1-1/2" means "one and a half." I'm not sure how a separator that so closely resembles a minus sign ever caught on, but this is the world we live in. – GMJoe May 17 '16 at 00:31