Inquisitors bane usage

Question

The inquisitors bane ability confuses me as theres the way I feel it is meant to work (as thought by this answer) and the way it reads.

Bane

At 5th level, an inquisitor can imbue one of her weapons with the bane weapon special ability as a swift action. She must select one creature type when she uses this ability (and a subtype if the creature type selected is humanoid or outsider). Once selected, the type can be changed as a swift action. This ability only functions while the inquisitor wields the weapon. If dropped or taken, the weapon resumes granting this ability if it is returned to the inquisitor before the duration expires. This ability lasts for a number of rounds per day equal to the inquisitor’s level. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.

So the way I feel it was meant to work is that the ability is limited to rounds per day based on inquisitor level which is how the linked answer also took it. But the way it reads to me is that you can use a swift action to activate Bane and it lasts for inquisitor levels, but doesnt have a usage amount. The ability has a stated starting action, changing action, and duration (which is important and different from how other classes are worded). It does not mention stopping the action (likely free, but this is countered by the ability remaining in effect when not in possession) or that the number of times you can use the ability is limited.

Similar class abilities are the barbarians rage, but it draws from a rage point pool, and you cant rage with an empty pool. A bard has their performance, but its also built around a point pool. A magus arcane pool is the closest Ive found, as it has a stated activation and duration, but also draws from a pool.

There are other class abilities that are number of times per day per class level but none of them occur to me at the moment for comparison.

So RAW, does the inquisitor have a limit on the number of times per day they can activate Bane?

Answer 1

Yes, their rounds per day is limited.

The last line of the portion of the ability you quote is your answer...

This ability lasts for a number of rounds per day equal to the inquisitor’s level. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.

They are limited to (level) rounds per day, but the rounds do not need to be consecutive (meaning you don't have to take them all at once).

I agree that it's strange that they don't provide an action to maintain or dismiss the ability. However, there are similar abilities (usually auras, such as Aura of Prescience) that are worded similarly. It generally seems that such abilities merely are or are not maintained on their future turns.

Answer 2

No, there is no specific limit to the number of times you can activate the Bane class feature, but you are still bound by how long you can use it.

The class feature does not specify how many times per day you can imbue a weapon with the bane weapon quality. As such, if you had no duration limit, you could activate the feature as many times as you wished during a given day. In the hypothetical case, you had the ability to use a second swift action in a given round, you would be able to imbue another weapon, it is inferred (although admittedly not specified, because this cannot be done under general rules) that bane weapon quality in the second weapon would consume the inquisitor bane rounds.

Because the way bane works, what is relevant to the ability is for how long you can use it, not how many times you can activate it.