Monk's Fast Movement Concerning Climbing and Swimming

[Major Doom]

Monk's Fast Movement wrote:

At 3rd level, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to his land speed, as shown on Table: Monk. A monk in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

I know that swimming speed being affected by Fast Movement might be a stretch since it does say that only land speed is affected, but what about climbing?

[Cerberus Seven]

Based on the skill descriptions, yes. A characters 'speed' is assumed for PC races to be synonymous with their land speed, which the monk class feature enhances. Therefore, at 3rd level monk has a 40' move speed, which means he normally swims and climbs at 10 feet per round, double that for a full-round action.

[Oladon]

It does not give the character a swim speed or a climb speed, nor does it affect those speed types (if the character has them).

However, as Cerberus Seven has pointed out, if you don't have a swim speed or climb speed, the enhancement to your land speed does allow you to move more quickly when using Swim and Climb (the skills).

[j b 200]

The reason it says land speed is to distinguish it from other forms of movement. I.e. Merfolk Monk does not add fast movement to their swim speed, or a Strix to their fly speed, or a Catfolk's climb speed, but only their land speed.

Your speed when using the Swim or Climb skill is separate from a swim speed, therefore yes the Monk's Fast Movement does increase their speed when using the swim or climb skill, but not if they are using a swim or climb speed.

[Major Doom]

Thanks all for the clarification.

[carn]

Im hooking on this thread due to a similar question, what about a monk, who does not have a land speed, but only swimming for example?

[LazarX]

carn wrote:

Im hooking on this thread due to a similar question, what about a monk, who does not have a land speed, but only swimming for example?

Then he gets no enhancement to speed at ALL.

[Rynjin]

Does he?

Or does he gain a 10' land speed? I thought enhancement bonuses to things were supposed to be added even if the thing being enhanced were 0.

Beware the land sharks!

[Speaker for the Dead]

I know the rules say land speed specifically but I think if makes sense to apply the bonus to the characters main mode of locomotion. Beware the Mermonk!

[carn]

Cerberus Seven wrote:

Based on the skill descriptions, yes. A characters 'speed' is assumed for PC races to be synonymous with their land speed, which the monk class feature enhances. Therefore, at 3rd level monk has a 40' move speed, which means he normally swims and climbs at 10 feet per round, double that for a full-round action.

What happens if a monk has 30 land and 10 swim speed but no climb speed and gets his bonuses?

The above post suggest that his climbing speed improves per formula tied to land speed, while his swim doesnt, cause its not tied to land speed. And it would mean, that at very high level the monk swims faster based on his land speed than based on his swim.

[Dabbler]

Yes, the monk speed is pretty nerfed at the same time that it's good. It's good in isolation, but ends up nerfed as soon as you actually try and do anything with it, and as most improvements are enhancements, it's not easy to improve.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Speaker for the Dead wrote:

I know the rules say land speed specifically but I think if makes sense to apply the bonus to the characters main mode of locomotion. Beware the Mermonk!

In 3E, the monk's fast movement added to all modes he had a speed for. So in an Aquatic game, or at higher levels when everyone is flying, one of his primary class features didn't go obsolete.

PF didn't like the monk having nice things and took this away, though.

[Kazaan]

I'm pretty sure SKR stated in some thread that you always take the calculation that benefits you the most. So if 1/4 of your land speed would be greater than your full climb or swim speed, due to land speed bonuses, it should be permissible to use the greater value and, despite the fact that you actually could climb by natural climb speed, you could climb the way non-natural climbers do it. You'd likely not gain any of the bonuses to climbing via natural climb speed when doing this, though.

[Dabbler]

Yeah, but it still sucks.