Horse Master (combat) Feat prerequisites

[NecroticTouch]

The Horse Master feat reads:

Horse Master (combat) wrote:

Prerequisite: Expert trainer class feature, Ride 6 ranks.

Benefit: Use your character level to determine your effective druid level for determining the powers and abilities of your mount.

Normal: You use your cavalier level to determine your effective druid level for determining the powers and abilities of your mount.

This seems pretty straightforward. The question is, can this feat be taken by the Cavalier with the Huntmaster archetype?

Animal Trainer wrote:

Animal Trainer (Ex)

At 4th level, a huntmaster's expert trainer ability applies to birds and dogs rather than mounts.

This ability modifies the expert trainer ability.

I don't know if I should rule that the cavalier cannot take the feat because strictly speaking, he doesn't have the expert trainer class feature, but a modified version of it called Animal Trainer. Or if it is legal, but only applies to birds and dogs.

[Samasboy1]

Well, the way I see it is you still have the ability. Otherwise the text doesn't make sense.

"At 4th level, a huntmaster's expert trainer ability applies to birds and dogs rather than mounts."

If you didn't have the ability Expert Trainer, the ability wouldn't function at all.

Then the last line.

"This ability modifies the expert trainer ability."

Again, if you didn't have Expert Trainer, then the text makes no sense.

So, if you have Expert Trainer, you qualify for the feat.

The problem is not qualifying for the feat, but that the feat will have no effect.

Hunting Pack wrote:

At 1st level, a huntmaster forms a close bond with an animal companion. This animal companion functions as a druid's animal companion, using the cavalier's level as his effective druid level. He can choose either a bird or a dog when selecting his animal companion.

The huntmaster can have more than one animal companion, but he must divide up his effective druid level between his companions to determine the abilities of each companion. Each time a huntmaster's effective druid level increases, he must decide how to allocate the increase among his animal companions (including the option of adding a new 1st-level companion). Once an effective druid level is allocated to a particular companion, it cannot be redistributed while that companion is in the huntmaster's service (he must release a companion or wait until a companion dies to allocate its levels to another companion). The share spells animal companion ability does not give the huntmaster the ability to cast a single spell so that it affects all of his animal companions.

A huntmaster's animal companions gain a bonus on Survival checks to follow tracks equal to 1/2 the cavalier's class level (minimum 1).

This ability replaces mount.

Since the feat only aaffects the Mount ability, and you don't have it, you gain no benefit from the feat.

[NecroticTouch]

Nice catch, I didn't notice the reference to mount.