Does character level go up first or last in the leveling order?

[Allstar]

I'm relatively new to D&D, I started with 5th, I prefer 3.5. I've come across something that's not quite obvious and/or answered amidst the pages of the books I've skimmed through. I've read the PHB and DMG a bit better than that but there's a lot to take in an little niches get missed.

I've googled the leveling order:



Choose Class
Adjust base attack bonus
Adjust base save bonus
Adjust ability score
Adjust skill points
Select feats
Select spells
Add class features



If I've 7 levels in a class, say fighter, and I have the experience to get my 8th level and I want to go into a Prestidge class that has a requirement of "character level 8th" since I got to level 8 before I choose the PrC does that mean I can take it starting at my 8th level?

I understand that for say "12 ranks in Survival" I've had to spend 12 ranks over my first 9 levels so I'd have met the requirements in my 9th level and could take it as my 10th since class selection comes before skill point allotment. This makes complete sense.

However the steps outlined don't mention when you actually attain "8th", does character level go up as a zeroth step or the last nth step?

[Uncle Pine]

You need to satisfy a PrC's prerequisites before selecting it, so you couldn't be Fighter 7/PrC 1 (an 8th level character) before selecting said PrC and therefore you can't qualify for it before attaining 8 levels in something else.

[Khedrac]

This sounds like a homebrew or a houserule attempt to stop early entry tricks.

Character Level is not part of the defined leveling order (which is PHB but not SRD so we cannot reproduce in full here, and I am afb currently) so that makes this one very hard to answer.
I think I would rule the reverse, leveling up is what happens when you reach a new character level, so I would say that (if everything else is met) you could choose this prestige class - you are 8th level as soon as you start the process.

[Dagroth]

I've never seen a PrC with a requirement of "Character Level X". It's always "Caster Level X", "X ranks in Skill-X" or "Able to cast Level X Spells".

I would say that "You are now Level X" is the very first thing that happens. Then you pick the class you're going to take and so-on.

[Dekion]

I would say that "You are now Level X" is the very first thing that happens. Then you pick the class you're going to take and so-on.

But, that said, if the PrC requirement was to be level 8 to enter, you wouldn't be level 8 until you took levels in the class that made you level 8, as such, those levels could not be taken in the PrC, as you would not qualify for it until you took the levels. However, as has been stated here as well, I am also not sure of any non-3rd party PrC that require you to be of a specific class level to enter.

[OldTrees1]

Character level is a derived stat. Look at your HD, when they increase (benefit from your chosen class) then your character level increases.

So if the prerequisite is Character Level X it can be taken at:
X+1th level if it is a class
Xth level if it is a feat or class feature

[SirNibbles]

"characters must meet Requirements before they can take their first level of a prestige class." - SRD

"Character Level
The total level of the character, which is the sum of all class levels held by that character." - SRD

You gain your level as soon as you choose your class. You can't choose that class until you have the number of levels you need.