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If I'm playing a early stage barathu (a blimp-like creature vaguely reminiscent of jellyfish, land base speed 0 ft. and average flight speed of 30 ft.) and I purchase the standard prosthetic limbs (legs) twice (200 credits)...
does this mean I now have a land base speed?
If I'm a blitz soldier (+10 ft. at first level to base land speed)
or have the fleet feat... (+10 ft. to base land speed)
does this give me a land base speed?
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This prosthesis replaces a missing limb. It restores functionality, but it is no more durable than and doesn’t otherwise function differently than a normal limb for your species. A prosthetic limb can replace one you’ve lost, or you can have a limb removed in order to replace it with a prosthetic.
A storage prosthetic limb has a built-in concealed storage compartment, which functions as a hideaway limb (see above).
The prosthetic limb replaces a missing limb. An early stage barathu starts with no legs; so, their legs cannot be missing. At best a prosthetic leg could restore functionality... which is a 0 ft land speed.
If I'm a blitz soldier (+10 ft. at first level to base land speed)
or have the fleet feat... (+10 ft. to base land speed)
does this give me a land base speed?
I can't find any reason to say no. I'm at work, so perhaps someone with more time to research will turn something up. But it looks to me like both of these options do give you a base land speed.
You still have no legs, so you somehow have a land speed without legs. How you move about is up to the GM. Maybe you use your tentacles to move around like an octopus out of water. Maybe you slither like a snake. Or maybe you spin upside down on your head. (Do you even have a head?)
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I recall in Pathfinder that there's some obscure ruling where bonuses to your base land speed apply to your base speed, even if that's not a land speed. Sounds like your base speed is fly, so I'd give both class and feat bonuses to fly speed.
I looked for a similar rule in Starfinder, and I could not find anything. I imagine a FAQ will come out at some point. Right now I believe that RAW actually supports granting a land speed with blitz soldier or the fleet feat.
To make things more complicated, an early stage barathu can gain a base land speed of 15 ft for one round by using the early stage adaption ability. If the bonus from fleet and blitz soldier normally apply to fly speed (which I disagree with), what happens when the PC gains a land speed through other means?
RAW doesn't support either side.
Blitz Soldier adds 10' to your ground speed only if you have a ground speed to add it to. So the question is whether we see zero ground speed as a number (yes to Blitz) or a status of none at all (no to Blitz).
RAW doesn't clarify that crucial question.
So...
Imagine a similar situation where a character gained a +10' to their fly speed, but didn't have a fly speed. Would they now be able to fly?
No.
In this game with assumed ground movement, such ability would likely address that. But one can extend the thought to swim speed or burrow speed too and see that an addition wouldn't give you the ability (at least as I'd interpret RAW.)
The +10' to non-ground base speed in PF was a nod to some races so they wouldn't lose an earned ability. Gaining a ground speed later, especially a temporary one, doesn't necessarily switch the +10' over. The character has already applied their bonus, they've cashed it in so to speak.
That said, I might be persuaded w/ most creature types to allow wiggle room for wiggling bodies. If the player really wants their PC to wiggle around at 10' on the ground (or swimming for some similar ability) and the PC's body-type makes it plausible, I'd likely allow it. Of course I'd be wondering why they didn't take my offer to speed up their flight (!) by +10' instead.
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0 is certainly a number. 0 ft. ground speed is a listed ground speed. Considering Early Stage Adaptation, I'm comfortable saying the barathu has matured a bit early under the influence of rocky-planet gravity or an artificial gravity field, and can use his limbs for walking all the time rather than for one round. I wouldn't count him as slithering, as there is no other indication he should be immune to tripping.
Barathu have a land speed. It is a land speed of "0," which is different from not having a land speed at all.
Thus, I do declare that PC barathu can benefit from the land speed increases of class abilities and feats.
I do not personally believe they could necessarily benefit from prosthetic legs that replace something they didn't already have though.
Can't they just grow legs with their adaptability.