How well do skeletons swim?

[Ragnar_Deerslayer]

Because they don't have webbing between their fingers, and all that. Also, they don't float. I checked the MM and DMG, but couldn't find anything to suggest they couldn't swim just as easily as their flesh-enveloped counterparts.

Maybe they just walk along the bottom, a la Pirates of the Caribbean?

Thanks,
Ragnar

 

[Liquidsabre]

Apparently in Eberron they can swim...

 

[Fieari]

I always liked the image of skeletons walking on the sea floor, and I would personally keep that even IF the RAW said they could swim.

 

[Henrix]

There's a crocodile skeleton in Libris Mortis that has a 30ft swim speed...

But I'd agree that skeletons are normally cooler walking on the bottom of the lake.

 

[Scion]

I'd say that they can swim as well as animated rocks.

Depending on the rock type this might be decently or not so decently

 

[Henrix]

You mean that bird skeletons can swim, but not others?

 

[Kyrail]

Bones are hollow though, they'd really more float than swim... actually I think they'd be tottally screwed in water since they could move very fast at all and would be bobbing on the surface.

 

[jonexmachina]

Not to be too boring, but I'd just give them a -4 racial penalty on swim checks, unless they had a swim speed when they were alive.

Thus they could swim, but walking along the bottom would probably be faster and look a lot cooler. (as opposed to flailing as fast as possible just to stay afloat)

In any case, bonebags should be able to swim at least a little, or else ghost ships would depopulate faster than you can say 'glub'.

 

[Coredump]

How does as skeleton walk? It has nothing connecting the bones.
How does a skeleton lift and attack? It has no muscles.
How does a skeleton see me? It has no eyes.
How does a skeleton know I am not allowed? He has no brain to think with.

etc.
etc.


If you have no problem with a bag of bones walking and attacking, I don't see why swimming is much harder.

 

[Liquidsabre]

If you have no problem with a bag of bones walking and attacking, I don't see why swimming is much harder.

Because it is soooo much cooler to have them trudge along the bottom of the water or see an army of skeletons cross the river by walking along the bottom before they assault the port city, etc...

Besides the magic that sustains skeletons allows it to move but doesn't necessarily change the nature of it's corporeal body (bones). If it did perhaps the same magic could make skeletons fly (hmm flying skeletons *writes it down* cool! lol). If you want undead that float try zombies or, even more appropriate, drowned. Not too hard to do when designing an adventure, just simply swap out one type for another more appropriate one.