Legend says a pair of old boots caught while fishing makes you swim faster. Aside from that, there's also the ferryman's ring, which ressurects you when you drown.
Asphyxiation already goes away real fast. I think at the rate of 2 per hour? My 48 pt asphy went off in about a day and yes, the -5 int was troublesome for that time but it really only cost me around 2,000 LP I'd say. You'll live.
No. It's already much too lenient. Would go in the other direction if anything.
"The psychological trials of dwellers in the last times will be equal to the physical trials of the martyrs. In order to face these trials we must be living in a different world."