"vigilante must be at least level x before..."

[Origomar]

When the system says this does it mean that their vigilante level(or whatever class the feature is for ive seen it for almost everything) must be at least this level, or that their total character level must be this level?

For example mad rush says

Mad Rush (Ex): Whenever the vigilante charges, he can make a full attack. Whenever he uses this ability, he takes a –4 penalty to his AC until the start of his next turn (in addition to the AC penalty for charging). Only an avenger vigilante of at least 12th level can select this talent.

Could you technically be 10 barbarian/ 2 avenger(you get your first vigilante talent at level 2) and pick this up?

Or would you have to take twelve levels in avenger?

I assume the latter but the wording is sort of ambiguous.

[Elricaltovilla]

The general rule in Pathfinder is that any time a class ability refers to x level, it's short hand for x class level. So in that specific instance you would need 12 levels of Vigilante before you could take Mad Rush.

[Origomar]

The general rule in Pathfinder is that any time a class ability refers to x level, it's short hand for x class level. So in that specific instance you would need 12 levels of Vigilante before you could take Mad Rush.


ok so one other thing.

vigilante gains Diehard as a bonus feat, though he does not have to meet the prerequisites for this feat. At 6th level, he doesn't lose hit points when he takes a standard action while disabled. At 12th level, when he would die from hit point damage, he remains alive for 1 round before dying (and if his hit points rise above a negative amount equal to his Constitution score before that round is over, he doesn't die). At 18th level, he is no longer disabled at negative hit points and can take a full round's worth of actions. Only an avenger vigilante can select this talent.


Does this refer to vigilante levels as well or total class level? I would again assume its vigilante level, but it's not stated the same way as the previous example because in the other one it said "a vigilante must be atleast x level" and this one just says "at x level"

[Serafina]

Again, that refers to class level. Basically nothing described in your class refers to character level, ever - if it stacks even a bit with levels from other classes, it'll say so and not even refer to character level there.

[Yanisa]

Here's the general rule (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/character-advancement#TOC-Multiclassing) (it's decently hidden):


Note that there are a number of effects and prerequisites that rely on a character's level or Hit Dice. Such effects are always based on the total number of levels or Hit Dice a character possesses, not just those from one class. The exception to this is class abilities, most of which are based on the total number of class levels that a character possesses of that particular class.
Emphasis mine.

So yeah, any ability granted from a class only scale with levels you have taken in that class. Multiclassing makes class abilities scale poorly.

And yes, there are some exceptions, but these always call themselves out as exceptions.

[Florian]

@Origomar:

Unless stated otherwise, "Level" in PF always indicates "Level in the class that the feature comes from". Otherwise, it would state "Character Level".