D&D 5E Rules Question - The interaction between Str (Athletics) checks, movement and actions. Does Swimming take an Action?

[Hussar]

Just had this come up in game and I'm not sure the answer.

A character without a swim speed (or a climb speed in the case of climbing) needs to make a Strength (Athletics) check in order to swim and move half the character's speed, presuming difficult swimming conditions. I'm not worried about the DC, that's fine. But, does that Strength (Athletics) check count as an action?

I think that it does and here is my logic:

1. You have a movement speed of 0 for unusual movement types - climbing, swimming, etc. Thus, you can't actually move using those movement types normally.
2. Taking an action in the form of a Strength (athletics) check allows you to move at half speed (typically), thus burning your action.

Otherwise, how can you move if your speed is 0. You only gain movement speed through a successful ability check. Typically checks are actions (with some exceptions). Having that movement speed obviates the need for any check and you just move that speed. But, without that movement type, you need to make a check in order to gain any speed.

IOW, you are trading actions for movement.

And, secondly, would the same logic apply to climbing for characters without a climb speed?

 

[billd91]

Characters do not really have a swimming or climbing speed of 0. They just don’t have a listed one, meaning they don’t benefit from the various perks of having an explicit one. They just use their regular movement rate but with additional cost for each food moved.
And for most situations, an athletics check is unnecessary. See page 175 of the PH.
So, no, it shouldn’t cost any action under normal circumstances.

 

[DeviousQuail]

I'm away from book but I'm sure the PHB specifically says that if you are swimming or climbing every foot of movement requires 2 feet of your movement speed (or more in difficult terrain) if you don't have a swim or climb speed listed. Your first point is incorrect and making any check to succeed on the move should not require your action.

 

[Hriston]

No, you just move at half your speed. It doesn’t require an action.

 

[Hussar]

Well, the specific situation was being flung 40 feet by a kracken into water - I figured that a Strength (Athletics) check was warranted.

Well, three for three say that it's part of movement, so, who am I to argue. Thanks folks.

 

[billd91]

Well, the specific situation was being flung 40 feet by a kracken into water - I figured that a Strength (Athletics) check was warranted.

Oh, I think a Strength (Athletics) check would still be warranted. After all, being violently thrown 40 feet into the water would be a difficult situation that could warrant a check - it's not simply swimming.

 

[auburn2]

Oh, I think a Strength (Athletics) check would still be warranted. After all, being violently thrown 40 feet into the water would be a difficult situation that could warrant a check - it's not simply swimming.

What specifically is the check for?

I could see a check to avoid being damaged (soft landing) or to avoid being "prone" on the first turn and niether would require an action. I realize a character is not actually prone but I could see hitting the water awkwardly could cause the equivalent of being prone in terms of requiring half your movement to orient yourself and become "unprone" before you start swimming.

If I did this I would allow either athletics or acrobatics. The acrobatic character who rolls really high sommersaults in the air and hits the water with toes pointed in what would be a perfect score in olympic diving. The character using athletics braces himself and uses after as soon as he hits he hits he kicks his legs hard and skulls with his hand to break the fall and orient himself how he wants.

On a failure they end upside down and crooked and maybe lose what they are holding.

 

[Hussar]

I figured it was a check to basically tread water and not sink like a stone. Fully clothed character hits the water like that, a failed check and you're sinking.

 

[Shiroiken]

In general, using Str/Athletics is because of an odd situation or a desire to push beyond the normal rules. For example, many DMs will allow a character to jump a bit higher/farther than their Str score allows by requiring a check. In the case of swimming or climbing, if the water/surface is harder to handle than expected it might require a check. In no case, however, is it an action (although the Dash action could be used to increase speed).

I figured it was a check to basically tread water and not sink like a stone. Fully clothed character hits the water like that, a failed check and you're sinking.

From your example, I would think it's getting back to the surface. Falling a depth unexpectedly into deep water will cause disorientation, and the disrupted water wouldn't help determine which way is up. In addition, while 5E doesn't cover it, being unexpectedly submerged means you probably don't have a full breath.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Yeah, the game defaults to the idea that every character can swim and climb in a rudimentary fashion, they just go half as fast in relation to the speed at which they walk (with some characters able to climb/swim just as fast as they walk if they have special movement abilities.) So ordinary climbing/swimming movement would require no Strength (Athletics) check and thus no Action.

But as others have said... circumstances in the game might inspire you, the DM, to ask for checks if what is happening or what the character wants to do is above and beyond ordinary climbing/swimming. But in that case the rules do not indicate (at least as far as I can tell) that it requires an Action to do so... looking at PHB pg 182 - 'Special Types of Movement' there is nothing in those sections stating that these checks require Actions, they all are just an added requirement the DM asks for when the player chooses a movement that is beyond ordinary. So in my opinion, the Strength (Athletics) checks would just be part and parcel with the movement.