Skills/Swim

This skill is your ability to swim, especially in stormy conditions.

Swimming
You must make a swim check once per round while in water to not only move but stay afloat. Success allows you to swim up to half your speed as a full-round action, or a quarter of your speed as a move action. Failure by less than one degree does not allow you to move but you do not sink. Failing by one degree or more causes your head to be below the surface of the water, and subsequent failures can cause you to sink by an additional 5 feet.

While underwater you must hold your breath if you lack a way to breath underwater (see suffocation under environment rules).

The DC to swim is dependent upon the conditions of the water with calm water being a DC 10 and increasing in difficulty the more severe the condition. Each hour that you are swimming, you must make a DC 20 Survival check or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage from fatigue.

Swim Speed
A creature with a swim speed gains a +8 racial bonus to all Swim checks. The creature must still make a swim check but may choose to take a 10 in any situation. Such creatures can move as normal using their swim speed, and may make a run or charge action while swimming.