Does Racial Emulation grant you the traits of the emulated subtype?

Question

I have a changeling character with the Racial Emulation (Races of Eberron 110) feat, whose benefit says:

When you use your minor change shape ability to assume the form of a humanoid creature, you can also emulate any of that humanoid’s subtypes. Though you do not gain any of the humanoid’s traits, you are considered to be a member of that race for all other purposes (allowing you to use magic items or spells keyed to race, for example). You can also ignore the normal penalty on Disguise checks when disguising yourself as a different race…. You can only emulate one race at a time, and you always retain the shapechanger subtype.

What effect does "emulating" a humanoid's subtypes give? The feat says you don't get "the humanoid's traits," but do you get the subtype's abilities? Are those "traits," and if so, are they "the humanoid's traits"? A few subtypes use the word "traits," but many don't: does that matter?

For example, would using minor change shape to take the form of a locathah and emulating the acquatic subtype have my character breathing water instead of air until he stopped emulating the subtype?

Answer 1

No, I don’t think you do.

Nothing in the feat says that you get the subtype, just that you “emulate” it. What does that mean? That is not a general game term here, so Racial Emulation defines it for you—and says only that you count as that race for stuff like spells and magic items, and you don’t take Disguise penalties. That’s it. Use Magic Device uses similar language, including “emulate,” and no one is expecting UMD to allow you to do anything but use magic devices.

So whether the rules for subtypes are “traits,” or “the humanoid’s traits,” or whatever else, doesn’t matter (which is good because there is no answer to that). That line is, effectively, a red herring: it only states what the feat does not do, and implies nothing about what it does do. The only things it does are those listed explicitly in the feat.

Ultimately, Racial Emulation is best used for accessing racial feats and prestige classes. Note that feats won’t work unless you’re emulating that race at the time you want to use it, but at least RAW, prestige classes only require you to qualify in order to take your 1st level, so you can easily combine those of different races that way (check with your DM first, though, many don’t like that rule, though this seems to me a fairly non-abusive use of it).