Any templates that grant land speed?

[Sima Shi]

This is my first post and I apologise if the format is sub-optimal or the thread incorrectly labelled.

I noticed there is a race called the Shalarin which is LA +0 with the modifiers of +4 str and +4 dex.
I want to make a character using this race but I haven't been able to find any template that grants a land speed which is obviously an issue.
I was thinking a Shalarin with the templates proto-creature, amphibious, dragonborn and arctic would make for a sweet Warblade character with the total stat modifiers adding up to: +8 str, +8 con, -2 int and -6 cha.
(Dragonborn to get wings for +10 on jump checks since I'm trying to use battle jump and need to hit DC 40 consistently)
So does anyone know of a way to get a land speed with a template or is there another workaround I'm not aware of?
Alternatively I'm thinking of going Dragonborn and arctic, snow elf with the same build idea but that's just a side note.

[Lord of Shadows]

So does anyone know of a way to get a land speed with a template or is there another workaround I'm not aware of?

Does not apply in 3.x, but under Pathfinder rules the Travel Domain (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/cleric/domains/paizo---domains/travel-domain) grants an unspecified +10 bonus to base speed. It would require access to Domains, though, such as 1 level in Cleric.

[Necroticplague]

Does the race have a land speed of zero, or lack a land speed completely? Because if they have a land speed 0, a barbarian dip can improve it to 10.

[ComaVision]

Half-Minotaur and Half-Ogre templates both do.

Half-Minotaur is the better one of the two (imo)

[unseenmage]

Do any of the above actually grant a land speed or do they just improve an existing land speed?

With nonabilities in ability scores improvements to nothing result in nothing.
I doubt the RAW would differ much for speed values.

You might have to go to 3rd party books (I suggest Advanced Bestiary) for giving a creature a land speed when it doesn't have one. Or homebrew/adapt the Anthropomorphic Animal template from Savage Species, IIRC it can grant land speeds to fish and squid and whatnot.

[ZamielVanWeber]

I checked: Shalarin have no base land speed at all, only a swim speed.
The Feathered Wings graft costs 10,000 gp and will grant you a fly speed, but that is the best I am seeing (other then templates that grant fly speed and a hefty LA to boot).

Edit: I forgot: Shalarin are aquatic but not amphibious. Get an air supply to enjoy holding your breath a lot.
Double edit: Amphibious template. Dur. Still yer gonna need 6 on that Dragonborn or some homebrew.

[LTwerewolf]

It's not a non-ability unless it's listed as such. Just like many monsters don't have certain skills listed because they're 0 doesn't mean that skill is a non-skill. Therefore you have to assume the default move is 0.

[Venger]

stormwrack's amphibious template gives a landbound creature a swim speed equal to its land speed. it makes perfect sense to give a swimming creature a land speed equal to its swim.

[Agent 451]

So does anyone know of a way to get a land speed with a template or is there another workaround I'm not aware of?
Alternatively I'm thinking of going Dragonborn and arctic, snow elf with the same build idea but that's just a side note.

If Pathfinder is allowed its version of the Aquatic Template (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/open-review/advanced-bestiary/amphibious-creature?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint% 2F) specifically says that it works in reverse, granting a land speed to a creature with only a swim speed.


If the base creature has a swim speed but lacks a land speed, the amphibious version gains a land speed 10 feet slower (to a minimum of 5 feet) than the base creature’s swim speed. If the base creature lacked strong legs to walk on, the amphibious creature gains two or four such appendages, whichever is most appropriate for its body form. These legs are not capable of gripping weapons and are not useful for attacking foes, but they can be used for locomotion, including climbing and jumping.

Edit: Huh, apparently published by Green Ronin, not Paizo. There it is, nonetheless.

[Sima Shi]

Edit: Found it! The stormwrack amphibious template only works one way however the amphibious template from advanced bestiary gives a creature with only a swim speed a land speed and furthermore it gives -2 dex + 2 con rather than only -2 dex. If anyone is interested you can read more on page 21 in advanced bestiary. Thanks a lot for the help! :D

Original post: Thanks a lot for the replies everyone! I got a lot more than the casual no I was fearing. :)

Does the race have a land speed of zero, or lack a land speed completely? Because if they have a land speed 0, a barbarian dip can improve it to 10.
They completely lack a land speed unfortunately.


Half-Minotaur and Half-Ogre templates both do.

Half-Minotaur is the better one of the two (imo)
These templates improve an existing speed rather than actually adding one but thanks for the tip.
I should make a speed build with the ideas from this thread. :D



With nonabilities in ability scores improvements to nothing result in nothing.
I doubt the RAW would differ much for speed values.

You might have to go to 3rd party books (I suggest Advanced Bestiary) for giving a creature a land speed when it doesn't have one. Or homebrew/adapt the Anthropomorphic Animal template from Savage Species, IIRC it can grant land speeds to fish and squid and whatnot.
All of the above increases a speed indeed. Hadn't though of advanced bestiary for some reason so I will give it a quick look.
I forgot it's literally a book of templates. Seems I will need sometime to go through it.
Thanks a lot for the suggestion I'm sure there is something in there that can solve it!


The Feathered Wings graft costs 10,000 gp and will grant you a fly speed, but that is the best I am seeing (other then templates that grant fly speed and a hefty LA to boot).
Thanks for the suggestion.


stormwrack's amphibious template gives a landbound creature a swim speed equal to its land speed. it makes perfect sense to give a swimming creature a land speed equal to its swim. I'm not really sure it makes perfect sense although I wish it did. If for instance you added a fish template to a land creature it would make sense it got a swim speed, but adding a fish template to something that can only swim shouldn't give a land speed. Sorry if it's a weird example. I should maybe ask my GM if I can use it in reverse as you suggested although it seems a bit iffy to me.

[Venger]

I'm not really sure it makes perfect sense although I wish it did. If for instance you added a fish template to a land creature it would make sense it got a swim speed, but adding a fish template to something that can only swim shouldn't give a land speed. Sorry if it's a weird example. I should maybe ask my GM if I can use it in reverse as you suggested although it seems a bit iffy to me.

it's not a "fish" template, it's an "amphibious" template. it gives you the ability to move and breathe on both land and water.

it's hardly a gamebreaking template, especially considerint the -2 dex it imposes. your dm should be fine with it. all you want to do is walk on land and breathe air.

[Sima Shi]

it's not a "fish" template, it's an "amphibious" template. it gives you the ability to move and breathe on both land and water.

it's hardly a gamebreaking template, especially considerint the -2 dex it imposes. your dm should be fine with it. all you want to do is walk on land and breathe air.

I was trying to illustrate why it shouldn't work as you described from a rule perspective but obviously I didn't do a good job.
As we talked about the stormwrack template amphibious doesn't grant a land speed however the template amphibious from advanced bestiary does and it's simply a better template so I'm just gonna use that as pointed out in my edit in my above post. It gives a sweet +2 con modifier too.
Edit: Thanks for the help everyone! :D

[Jeff the Green]

I was trying to illustrate why it shouldn't work as you described from a rule perspective but obviously I didn't do a good job.

The point is that "amphibious" literally means "lives in both (water and land)", so an amphibious mermaid is one that can survive both on land and in the water and the template should give an aquatic creature the ability to walk.

[Sima Shi]

The point is that "amphibious" literally means "lives in both (water and land)", so an amphibious mermaid is one that can survive both on land and in the water and the template should give an aquatic creature the ability to walk.

As much as amphibious indeed does mean that it can live in both water and on land it still doesn't grant it a move speed if you use the stormwrack template. It gives a swim speed based off your land speed if you don't have one but not the other way around. Fortunately the amphibious template from advanced bestiary grants a land speed as mentioned so it's not really an issue.

[Jeff the Green]

You said it "shouldn't" work. I was saying "it doesn't, but it should".