Coelenite

Coelenites were colony creatures that began life as single-celled organisms that grew a hardened shell similar to coral. Rudimentary intelligence was achieved when groups of coelenites lived together as a colony, eventually becoming sentient when enough coelenites gathered.

Description
Coelenites living in a colony “grew” a humanoid form by secreting hardened shells that were modified to suite their desire. They often looked like a man encrusted with coral but lacked any sensory organs. Their dexterity was quite poor.

Combat
Coelenites were slow but dangerous. They usually attacked in the water but were known to climb aboard ships or land as well.

Arrows, blunt, and edged weapons barely scratched a coelenite’s hard exoskeleton. Spells affecting a single target, such as finger of death, were utterly useless against them. Area effect spells targeting only a small portion of a coelenite would barely harm the creature, but an area effect spell engulfing the entire creature would instantly kill it. Coelenites were immune to all enchantment or charm spells.

Coelenties were sea creatures and suffered damage after being separated from the sea for several minutes, making this one of the most effective ways of “killing” one.

Habitat/Society
Though possessed of simple intelligence, these colonies acted as single creatures. They stored food, usually rotting fish, in a nest and slowly ate and rested. Coelenites were attracted to noise and sometimes grabbed struggling sailors who fell overboard.

Ecology
Coelenite husks were useful for studding clubs and making fine grinding powders. Exotic traders sold dead coelenites to collectors for up to 1,000 gp.

Mass Colonies
When more than fifty coelenites gathered together they formed a mass colony that had a higher consciousness called a mass mind.

A mass mind was able to control the activities of surrounding coelenite colonies and used basic strategy in battle. The mass mind would disintegrate if half of its colonies were destroyed.

Mass minds usually claimed entire lagoons as their territory. They were known to entrap ships entering their lagoon by sealing of the exits with hardened shell walls.