Amphibious Creature
By Robert Wiese
Perhaps only a few times in any generation, an individual member of an otherwise land-bound race is born fully capable of surviving both on land and in water. These amphibious creatures display specific adaptations to watery environments. Typically, these are the result of something in the creature's heritage - perhaps an aquatic ancestor, or even the result of recent interbreeding - but regardless of the reason, the effect is the same.
Creating An Amphibious Creature
"Amphibious" is an inherited template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
An amphibious creature uses all the base creature's statistics and abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature gains the aquatic subtype, but its creature type and other subtypes are unchanged. Size is unchanged.
Speed: An amphibious creature gains a swim speed equal to half the normal land speed of the base creature (not including any adjustments for feats, class features, or other effects).
Special Qualities: An amphibious creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following special quality.
Amphibious: An amphibious creature can breathe air and water equally well.
Abilities: Adjust from the base creature as follows: Dex -2. Amphibious creatures are less agile and flexible than their surface kin.
Skills: An amphibious creature has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can move through water at its swim speed without making Swim checks. The creature can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. The creature can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Environment: Any (usually aquatic).
Level Adjustment: +0.
Sample Amphibious Creature: Amphibious Medusa