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A rank in swim gives you up to half your base speed.
Assuming 3.5 source material is available, there are several races from stormwrack which have swim speeds. Also in magic item compendium there's an item which grants a swim speed. I think it's called finned gauntlets. Cheers!
There's a first level APG spell that grants such, Touch of the Sea. Cheaper than Alter Self.
aquatic bloodline sorceror third level gets a swim speed, too.
I know that an aquatic druid gets a swim speed at 3rd level. I see no feat that would give a character a swim speed. Is there something I missed?
I suppose that with enough ranks and the Athletic feat a character could have a near certainty of success at Swim checks. Is that the best one can do?
There is no feat in Core or APG I know of that gives you a swim speed.
And yes, bumping up acrobatics is a good thing to do :-)
Since theres been a few years and a halfdozen splatbooks since last post im bumpibg this. What methods do characters have for getting swim speeds & water breathing that are not spells?
I know that an aquatic druid gets a swim speed at 3rd level. I see no feat that would give a character a swim speed. Is there something I missed?
I suppose that with enough ranks and the Athletic feat a character could have a near certainty of success at Swim checks. Is that the best one can do?
For thematic reasons, I'd love to be able to get it as an inherent ability of some sort rather than a spell or magic item. It's for a half-black dragon, and I want it to share the water affinity of full black dragons. One option is improved eldritch heritage (aquatic), but 1. it feels weird to take eldritch heritage in something non-dragon when I'm a halfdragon, and 2. doesn't kick in until level 11. That's kinda heavy.
Ideas?
what class, or does it matter?
Touch of the Sea A first level spell, crapping all over skills all over again.
Yeah, true story. Though let's be honest, this really boils down to math.
Aquatic Campaign = prepared for swimming
Non Aquatic campaign = drowns...
For thematic reasons, I'd love to be able to get it as an inherent ability of some sort rather than a spell or magic item. It's for a half-black dragon, and I want it to share the water affinity of full black dragons. One option is improved eldritch heritage (aquatic), but 1. it feels weird to take eldritch heritage in something non-dragon when I'm a halfdragon, and 2. doesn't kick in until level 11. That's kinda heavy.
Ideas?
Ask your GM to use the Race Builder. You can gain a swim speed from that. Trade out some 1 point racial ability from your half dragon for the swim speed. Should be appropriate given the heritage.
Unchained skill unlocks:
Swim
With sufficient ranks in Swim, you earn the following.
5 Ranks: You gain a swim speed of 10 feet, but only in water with a Swim DC of 15 or lower.
10 Ranks: You gain a swim speed (though you do not gain the +8 racial bonus on Swim checks) equal to your base speed in water with a Swim DC of 15 or lower, or 10 feet in all other water.
15 Ranks: You ignore the penalties for using slashing or bludgeoning weapons underwater, as freedom of movement.
20 Ranks: You gain a swim speed equal to your base speed in all water. If you have both hands free, you gain a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks.
Touch of the Sea A first level spell, crapping all over skills all over again.
And since a rogue was mentioned earlier in the thread, there is an unchained rogue talent (Major Magic) that would grant an ever increasing number of uses of that spell combined with increasing durations from level advancement.
If you can spare the feats, VMC Sorcerer with the Aquatic bloodline gives you a swim speed at 7th level.
Aquanaut Fighter archetype gets a swim speed at 3rd level equal to your base speed.
Fighter Archetype Aquanaut
The feat Deific Obedience[Hanspur(CN)-exalted] lets you grant yourself and all allies within 30ft a swim speed of 60 for 1 round per HD you possess at will.
Demonic Obedience[Dagon(CE)] and Fiendish Obedience[Dagon(CE)-exalted]let you breathe underwater and grant a swim speed equal to your land speed.
Fiendish Obedience[Dagon(CE)-evangelist] lets you take on a form that can breathe underwater and has a swim speed of 60ft.
The only downside is that in all cases these are 2nd tier boons meaning you won't see them until 16th level unless you take the associated prestige class in which case you can pick it up as early as 11th.
Fiendish Obedience[Dagon(CE)-sentinel] allows you to take on a form that can breathe underwater and has a swim speed equal to your landspeedx2 as a tier 3 boon as well. but hopefully you already had some kind of swim speed by the time you hit 20th level.
Updated for 2018:
(I think I got everything but I'm very curious if I missed anything)Swim Speed:
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Cloak of the Manta Ray -7,200 gp
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The Cloak of the Manta Ray also gives the ability to breathe underwater.
/cevah