Does Haste affect speed, or total movement per round?

Question

I'm moderately new to Pathfinder, having only played in one low-level campaign. We just finally got access to Haste, and started casting it in order to run around faster. (Amusingly, the first encounter we used it ended up being a chase scene, but that's beside the point...)

The parts of the spell description relating to movement speed state:

All of the hasted creature’s modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice the subject’s normal speed using that form of movement. This increase counts as an enhancement bonus, and it affects the creature’s jumping distance as normal for increased speed.

As I read this, I infer that movement speed increases - "all modes of movement ... increase" via an enhancement bonus. In other words, for a creature with a base speed of 30 ft, then they have a Hasted speed of 60 ft. In a single round, then, with two Move actions, they can travel speed + speed = total round movement, or (30+30) + (30+30) = 120 feet.

However, the GM insisted that it's not an enhancement bonus to speed, but instead to movement in the round. In other words, the aforementioned creature taking two Move actions would travel speed + speed + haste enhancement = total round movement, or 30 + 30 + 30 = 90 feet.

So my question is - which interpretation is correct? Does Haste grant enhancement bonus to speed (thus allowing 120 feet with 2 Moves), or does it grant an enhancement bonus to movement per round (thus allowing 90 feet with 2 Moves)? Can you help me with citations / quotes from the rules or official sources to back up either side?

Answer 1

There's no such thing as total round movement. Your speed is how far you move when you take a move action.

The simplest move action is moving your speed.

(from the CRB combat section on actions)

The haste spell increases your speed(s) in an overly complicated manner, which nonetheless states:

All of the hasted creature’s modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet

(source: Haste spell text in your post)

A typical character has a land speed of 30 ft. Increasing that movement mode by 30 feet results in a land speed of 60 ft, because 30 + 30 = 60 (source: addition).

When a creature with a land speed of 60 ft. takes a simple move action, it moves 60 feet (see above). If said creature elects to use a second move action at a later time, that character would again move 60 feet. After two move actions, the character would have covered a total of 120 feet, because 60+60=120.

If said character instead elected to take the 'run' action, the character would instead move three or four times their speed (depending on if they have the run feat or not), and that would result in a total movement of 180 or 240 feet respectively (source: multiplication).

Answer 2

Haste affects your base speed

Haste, and similar effects, will increase your character speed, sometimes refered to as her base speed. For most creatures, this also means it increases their land speed, as they are often the same if they lack other movement types.

Movement is defined as "How many feet you can move with a single move action on your turn". While Speed lacks an official glossary definition, it is often interpreted as the same thing as your movement or movement speed.

This thread at Paizo messageboards attempts to explain all about how speed and movement work, asking for clarification from the developers, which decided that "no response was needed" as the author is quite correct about pretty much everything. Which is why this information was copied over to the SRD.

All About Speed Definitions in Pathfinder

There are various references to character speed terms in the Core Rulebook. Here are the definitions of those terms and examples of how they apply to characters.

Base Speed

Base speed is your unencumbered speed for a specified type of movement. Your base speed for any movement type is calculated in a similar manner as described in Base Land Speed. When a speed type is not referenced, base speed usually implies base land speed.

Base Land Speed

Base land speed is your unencumbered speed. Base land speed is calculated by applying all modifiers to your character’s speed with the exception of armor or encumbrance adjustments or any effect that modifies your “normal speed”.

Example: Kraag is a half-orc barbarian wearing light armor and calculates his speed as follows:

• Total base land speed: 40’ (30’ half-orc base speed; +10’ barbarian in light or medium armor, untyped bonus for Fast Movement class feature)

Full Speed

Your speed after calculating your normal speed and applying all other adjustments that affect your normal speed is your full speed. In most circumstances, your full speed is the same as your normal speed. Some effects modify normal speed. However do not specifically add to its total, such as the Haste spell. This newly modified speed is your full speed.

Example: Kraag a half-orc barbarian, wearing hide armor (medium armor) has just had Haste cast on him. Kraag calculates his speed as follows:

• Total base land speed: 40’ (30’ half-orc base speed; +10’ barbarian in light or medium armor, untyped bonus for Fast Movement class feature)

• Total normal speed: 30’ (40’ total base land speed; -10’ reduction as per Armor and Encumbrance speed reduction table on page 170)

• Total full speed: 60’ (30’ total normal speed +30’ enhancement speed bonus)

Normal Speed

Your normal speed is your total encumbered speed (if any encumbrance applies). Normal speed is calculated by applying any armor or encumbrance reduction as indicated on the “Armor and Encumbrance for Other Base Speeds” table on page 170, to your base speed.

Example: Kraag a half-orc barbarian, has just donned hide armor (medium armor). Kraag calculates his speed as follows:

• Total base land speed: 40’ (30’ half-orc base speed; +10’ barbarian in light or medium armor, untyped bonus for Fast Movement class feature)

• Total normal speed: 30’ (40’ total base land speed; -10’ reduction as per Armor and Encumbrance speed reduction table on page 170)

Overland Speed

Overland movement is typically referred to as a unit of measurement over vast distances and is measured in miles per hour or miles per day. Overland movement is not the same as your land speed. Table 7-6: Movement and Distance on page 172 provides overland movement rates which are calculated as follows:

• One Hour Overland: full speed divided by 10 with the result referenced in miles.

• One Day Overland: one hour overland speed multiplied by 4 with the result referenced in miles.

Speed

This term is loosely used throughout the Core Rulebook and is sometimes referred to as “character speed”. Generally, unless indicated otherwise any reference to speed should be deemed as a reference to normal speed.

Speed Mode

Speed modes are usually in reference to the different modes of land speeds available: walk, hustle and run. Run is usually further defined by a situational multiplier starting at (x3).

Speed Type

This is the type of speed you have available: burrow, climb, land, fly and swim.

Top Speed

This is a reference to using the best speed mode you have available, for any type of speed.

Answer 3

You are correct and the GM is wrong.

As you stated, it affects the move speed, and you can double move in a round. Offhand I do not have any rules to point you towards which is stronger evidence than some guy on the internet.