Rules makes very little distinction
between base speed and base land speed.
There is at least one example where base speed refers to land speed, and climb speed is called out separately
All the evidence points to 'base speed' being shorthand for 'base land speed'.
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Well, I don't think any effect will apply to the base speed. That is determined by the eidolon's form and evolutions. An increase to base land speed would not increase your fly speed.
If you don't lay out what you are doing and what assumptions you are making, it is really difficult to find support for your position.
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The flight evolution isn't a continuous updating determination. It gives you a fly speed. The fly speed is determined when you take the evolution. Changing your land speed later won't change your fly speed.
There is no confusion between base speed and base land speed. They don't matter.
Edit: Again, what specifically are you trying to use? Because that could make a difference. From what you've said, I am very skeptical it could work.
Can't agree with you KoA. If your base speed changes so will your fly speed. Nothing in the ability fixes it at the speed you have when you take it.
Base speed and land speed are the same thing - in most cases. Base land speed should probably only used to differentiate from the speed of other movement types. So whatever the eidolon's normal movement rate is, it should be able to fly at the same speed. But the details are very important: a spell like haste would increase the speed of all movement types (including fly), but expeditious retreat would not increase fly speed due to specific wording in the spell's description.
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Most spells that enhance "base land speed" specify that they don't apply to flight, burrow, etc. Those should not apply to the flight evolution.
The eidolon has a specific "base speed" determined by limbs.
Each pair of legs increases the eidolon's base speed by 10 feet.
This "base speed" is not just land speed, it is used to determine an eidolon's swim, burrow, and flight speeds. Because this is the case, "base speed" does not equal "base land speed" in the case of the eidolon. "Base speed" includes "base land speed" and is an abstraction of it.
The eidolon gains webbed hands, webbed feet, or powerful flippers, giving it a swim speed equal to its base speed.
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I just need something to point to and say see base speed means base land speed. at least in this evolutions case
The best thing you're probably going to be able to do is point to the bestiary in the stat block section at the very front where it describes the speed entry in stat blocks.
Speed: The creature’s land speed, and additional speeds as necessary for the creature.
Every time a speed is listed without a qualifier (fly, swim, etc.), it refers to the land speed of the creature. It's one of those things that's poorly explained in the game, but base land speed and base speed are synonymous. Every time they talk about another speed, they include what kind of speed it is, that's not always the case with land speed, and the many times where they use either base speed, or base land speed it does add unneeded confusion to the situation. They should have done better to enforce a standard instead of using the two terms interchangeably, but base land speed and base speed are the same thing.
So in your case, increasing base speed also increases your fly speed. The GM probably doesn't like it because having more legs make you a better flyer is kind of silly, but that's what the rules are.
If an effect says it applies to the base speed then it refers to all the base speeds.
If an affect calls out "base land" or base fly" speed then it would only apply to that one speed.
Some monsters can only fly or swim so their base speed is whatever they use. Many people assume base speed equals land base speed because most creatures can walk if they can't do anything else.
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But what about in the case of the movement evolutions of the eidolon. It references base speed, not base speeds. If you're suggesting that all speed types are the base speed, how do you decide if you have multiple movement types? Just use whichever you want? Because I don't know why I wouldn't take swim twice to get a swim speed equal to my swim base speed +20, then flight at my swim speed which is land speed +20, instead of the +10 the limbs evolution already gives you. Plus an extra 20 feet for every evolution point you put into.
As further example, let's look at greater longstrider. Greater longstrider says:
This spell functions as longstrider, except it gives you a +20-foot enhancement bonus to your base speed and a +10-foot enhancement bonus to your other modes of movement (burrow, climb, fly, swim, and so on). It does not affect movement modes you do not actually have—for example, if you do not have a swim speed, this spell does not grant you a swim speed.
If your base speed included all speeds, it would say it provides a +20' enhancement bonus to your base land speed, and a +10' to your other base speeds. That's not what it says though, it says you get a +20' bonus to your base speed, and a +10' bonus to other modes of movement. Which seems to indicate that your other movement types are not your base speed.
I'll admit this is a little weird considering creatures that don't have a land speed, but with many things, like spells assuming you're small or medium, this game was designed around rules for the PCs, and all PCs walk as a standard form of movement. Even merfolk have a base speed of 5'.
But what about in the case of the movement evolutions of the eidolon. It references base speed, not base speeds. If you're suggesting that all speed types are the base speed, how do you decide if you have multiple movement types? Just use whichever you want? Because I don't know why I wouldn't take swim twice to get a swim speed equal to my swim base speed +20, then flight at my swim speed which is land speed +20, instead of the +10 the limbs evolution already gives you. Plus an extra 20 feet for every evolution point you put into.
As further example, let's look at greater longstrider. Greater longstrider says:
This spell functions as longstrider, except it gives you a +20-foot enhancement bonus to your base speed and a +10-foot enhancement bonus to your other modes of movement (burrow, climb, fly, swim, and so on). It does not affect movement modes you do not actually have—for example, if you do not have a swim speed, this spell does not grant you a swim speed.
If your base speed included all speeds, it would say it provides a +20' enhancement bonus to your base land speed, and a +10' to your other base speeds. That's not what it says though, it says you get a +20' bonus to your base speed, and a +10' bonus to other modes of movement. Which seems to indicate that your other movement types are not your base speed.
I'll admit this is a little weird considering creatures that don't have a land speed, but with many things, like spells assuming you're small or medium, this game was designed around rules for the PCs, and all PCs walk as a standard form of movement. Even merfolk have a base speed of 5'.
Can you type this again and match it up against statements I actually made?
I never said it could improve a base speed you did not have. Do I really need to say that "it can't affect your fly speed if you do not have a fly speed"? I kinda assumed everyone would understand that it can't give you a base speed you don't have access to.
If an effect says it applies to the base speed then it refers to all the base speeds.
If an affect calls out "base land" or base fly" speed then it would only apply to that one speed.
Some monsters can only fly or swim so their base speed is whatever they use. Many people assume base speed equals land base speed because most creatures can walk if they can't do anything else.
Base Speed
Base speed is your unencumbered speed for a specified type of movement. Your base speed for any movement type is calculated in a similar manner as described in Base Land speed. When a speed type is not referenced, base speed usually implies base land speed
seems to me you have it a bit backwards, we don't assume its base land speed. we are told to assume it's base land speed
It also says "Base speed is your unencumbered speed for a specified type of movement" so I was not wrong.
Now it also says "base speed usually implies base land speed", but that is not the same "base speed only applies to base land speed unless otherwise stated".
Being told to assume it is land speed still does not change the fact that people can be wrong when doing so.
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Base Speed
Base speed is your unencumbered speed for a specified type of movement. Your base speed for any movement type is calculated in a similar manner as described in Base Land speed. When a speed type is not referenced, base speed usually implies base land speed
Seems to me you have it a bit backwards, we don't assume its base land speed. we are told to assume it's base land speed
So, I'll admit I've been wrong before, so I wanted to do my due diligence, looks through as much source material as I could, and come back to this in case I found something contrary to what I've already mentioned. But looking through almost every hardcover I own, I'm more convinced now that base speed only refers to land speed.
The above quote isn't from a sourcebook, it's a from a fan made FAQ request post looking for clarification on speed definitions that received a no reply necessary response from the PDT. This is likely because there was no question posted, but was then taken by the d20pfsrd to mean that's the actual definition and added to their common terms page. No where is this actually confirmed as the rules, it was just assumed by a third party website.
The problem with base land speed is that it's a legacy term from 3.5 that slipped through in only certain situations where for the most part the term was simply shortened to base speed. There's also the problem that they never actually define base speed as a term in any of the sourcebooks, basically making it an unwritten rule, and like most unwritten rules, you basically have to look at how it's applied to see how it works.
So today I went through every hardcover PDF looking for the terms base speed, base land speed, base fly, and for good measure, base swim and base climb in rules heavy sourcebooks. The term base fly speed never appeared in the 21 hardcover sourcebooks checked. Neither did base climb, or base swim in the half dozen that were also checked for those terms. The terms base speed and base land speed are used interchangeably, but always referring to land based movement. To go even further, most effects that increase base speed go out of their way to say they don't apply to other movement speeds, and make the distinction that movement speeds like fly, burrow, climb and swim are different than base speed.
I realize even this may not convince you, since, like I said before, this is an unwritten rule. I can't point to something that says with absolute certainty it's one way or the other, but in every example I can find of the rule being applied, this is how it works.
The word base, in this case, is an adjective. It describes the word speed. In this situation, it means the starting point. So a base speed is the starting point from where you start all your calculations.
Some creatures don't have a base speed for a particular movement type. Humans do not have a base fly speed. It is not a fly speed of 0. It is non-existent. There is nothing to apply any calculations to. The human has a base land speed of 30. Note that humans (basically all the races in the core book), although they can swim, do not have a base swim speed. Their swim speed is dependent on their base land speed. Their swim speed is calculated by using their base speed (shortened from base land speed since humans only have one type of base speed: land).
There is no need to define a term that is already defined outside of the game and needs no additional context. This is not a legal document (and even if it was, it wouldn't be perfect). Just use common sense and common definitions unless told to do so otherwise.
The term "base speed" is intentionally used instead of saying "base land speed" and "base fly speed" and "base swim speed" and "base burrowing speed" and "base climb speed" etc.