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On the default character sheet, there is a burrow speed that I don't know how to determine it or if I even have it.

I was able to find fly and swim speeds in the skills section but don't know where to look for burrow.

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2 Answers 2

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If using only the core rulebook, it's unsurprising that you couldn't find your character's burrowing speed. Beneath the description of Burrow on the d20PFSRD site, there's the following note:

The details for Burrow were not included in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook so the above information was copied from d20srd.org.

The original D&D 3.5 text is here. Anyway, most characters don't have an effective burrow speed, but you might list a burrow speed if...

"Why should I care?"

On an earth-dominant plane "individuals without the ability to burrow are entombed in the earth and must dig their way out (5 feet per turn)," and that's fast because if you're buried by a cave-in or collapse, you can't dig your way out. Only

[c]haracters who aren't buried can dig out their friends. In 1 minute, using only her hands, a character can clear rocks and debris equal to five times her heavy load limit. The amount of loose stone that fills a 5-foot-by-5-foot area weighs 1 ton (2,000 pounds). Armed with an appropriate tool, such as a pick, crowbar, or shovel, a digger can clear loose stone twice as quickly as by hand. A buried character can attempt to free himself with a DC 25 Strength check.

Further, even if you have that burrow speed you might have to convince the DM that at least part of that debris mentioned is dirt, because burrow works only through earth unless noted. In other words, if you don't have friends, appropriate magic, a burrow speed (maybe a burrow speed through rock), or a Strength score of 20 or more, probably you just die.

So it's a good idea to note your burrow speed if you do have one, just in case.


As an aside, you can sometimes get lucky and kill friendless, low-strength, nonburrowing things that are way above your character's pay grade by collapsing a ceiling on them.

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You are highly unlikely to have one, and certainly not without some sort of magical ability. If you aren't already aware, then you don't have one - leave it blank.

Burrow is the ability to travel underground. There are a number of creatures that can do it, but as far as I know, not player races.

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    \$\begingroup\$ As an addendum, not having a burrow speed doesn't mean your character can't pick up a pickaxe and start digging; It means that they can't expect to do so as a reasonably-efficient means of getting around. \$\endgroup\$
    – GMJoe
    Mar 24, 2014 at 2:28

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