Swift ambusher question

[Railak]

So question about this feat, the prerequisites state that you only need skirmish and sneak attack not rogue levels, but the benefit section states rogue levels. Is it just using rogue for simplicity and you can use it with any class that grants sneak attack, or is it just rogue?

[Zaq]

RAW, only actual rogue levels get the benefit.

Feel free to ask your GM for a rule to the contrary, but how appropriate such a houserule might be depends on just what you’re packing.

[ManicOppressive]

I'd say that's (debatably) obvious RAI though. There's a ton of precedent for using the default class that gains an ability as the text--nearly every animal companion-related thing specifically references Druids, but applies to Rangers as well; Fast Movement and Uncanny Dodge are referenced only as a Barbarian ability, Evasion as a Rogue ability, etc.

Any given class with Sneak Attack usually specifies that it stacks with Rogue levels though, and by basic transitive properties that should mean it all works together.

Very little in 3.5 is worded with PrCs or unusual classes in mind.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

RAW, you're stuck with Rogue for advancing your Skirmish dice (and classes that give Skirmish naturally, of course).

Noteworthily, you don't actually need any levels of Scout to get the benefit, though. If you qualified with Skirmish from a different class (my favorite is the Halfling Monk racial substitution levels from Races of the Wild), you get additional Skirmish benefits as though you were a Scout with levels equal to your levels in Rogue. Note also that Scout's Skirmish benefits explicitly stack with Skirmish from all other sources.