Buy me a coffeeCoelacanth
“Living Fossil Found: Mind-Blowing Secrets of the Coelacanth Revealed!”
The Coelacanth is a remarkable living fossil with a unique and captivating appearance, defying conventional understandings of evolution. This ancient fish species possesses a fascinating blend of physical features and characteristics that has sparked scientific curiosity and awe among researchers and nature enthusiasts.
Physical Description: The Coelacanth is a large, torpedo-shaped fish that can reach up to six feet in length. Its body is covered in thick, lobed scales, providing an armored and primitive appearance. These scales are typically bluish or brownish, allowing the fish to blend into its deep-sea habitat.
Notably, the Coelacanth boasts paired lobed fins that resemble limb-like structures. These fins, particularly its pectoral fins, have jointed and finger-like features, setting it apart from modern fish species. Its dorsal fin is continuous and runs along its back, contributing to stability and control. Its unique cranial structure, featuring a divided skull with a hinge-like joint, allows it to open its mouth widely to catch prey efficiently. The Coelacanth’s mouth is equipped with sharp teeth for grasping and tearing food.
General Description: The Coelacanth inhabits deep underwater caves, rocky reefs, and other deep-sea environments at depths ranging from 500 to 2,300 feet. This fish species is known for its slow, deliberate movements and elusiveness, often lurking in the darkness of its deep-sea habitats. Its diet primarily consists of smaller fish and cephalopods.
The Coelacanth’s extraordinary survival over millions of years provides valuable insights into the complex history of life on Earth. Its unique blend of primitive features and an uncanny resemblance to ancient fish ancestors continues to mystify scientists and enthusiasts, offering a living glimpse into the distant past of our planet’s oceans.
Coelacanth 5e
Coelacanth 3.5
Coelacanth
Large beast, Unaligned
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 84 (8d10 + 40) Speed 20 ft., swim 60 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 12 (+1) | 20 (+5) | 2 (-4) | 12 (+1) | 6 (-2) |
Skills Perception +3 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages understands Aquan but can’t speak Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Amphibious. It can breathe air and water.
Limited Limb Movement. It has limited movement with its limbs, granting it advantage on grapple checks and allowing it to climb difficult surfaces, including walls and ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Multiattack. The coelacanth makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its tail.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Deep Sea Camouflage. While in deep underwater environments, the coelacanth has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
Actions
Swallow. The coelacanth makes one bite attack against a Medium or smaller target it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is swallowed, and the grapple ends. The swallowed target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the coelacanth, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the coelacanth’s turns.
If the coelacanth takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the coelacanth must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate the swallowed creature, which falls prone in a space within 10 feet of the coelacanth. If the coelacanth dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the coelacanth’s choice that is within 60 feet of it and aware of it must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the coelacanth’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
A primordial fish glides through the crevices near the bottom. It glares at you with its glassy eyes and stands guard over the lair like an oceanic phantom.
Coelacanths are ancient fish that seem to be a mix of shark, bony fish, and amphibian. They haunt the depths of the ocean, a testimony to the endurance of life. Another species known as mawsonia swims a bit closer to the surface and is often the prey of spinosaurs like suchomimus. A coelacanth’s tough hide is often used in hide armor and gives the wearer a unique-appearing hide that cannot be found in most other animals.
| Medium animal | |
| Hit Dice | 3d8+21 (34 hp) |
| Initiative | +4 (+4 Dexterity) |
| Speed | Swim 30 ft. (6 squares) |
| Armor Class | 19 (+4 Dexterity, +5 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 15 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +2/+7 |
| Attack | Bite +7 melee (1d6 +5) |
| Full Attack | Bite +7 melee (1d6 +5) |
| Space/Reach | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks | Improved grab |
| Special Qualities | Low-Light Vision |
| Saves | Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +2 |
| Abilities | Strength 21, Dexterity 19, Constitution 23, Intelligence 2, Wisdom 13, Charisma 5 |
| Skills | Hide +5, Listen +3, Move Silently +5, Spot +3, Swim +5 |
| Feats | Great Fortitude, Toughness |
| Environment | Any deep aquatic |
| Organization | Solitary or colony (5-14) |
| Challenge Rating | 3 |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Always neutral |
| Advancement | 4-6 HD (Medium); 7-9 HD (Large) |
| Level Adjustment | – |
Combat
Coelacanths rarely fight, but if forced into combat they will bring their strong jaws into play.
Improved Grab (Ex) If a coelacanth hits with its bite, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required. Unless Improved grab only works against targets size small or smaller.
The coelacanth has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its mouth to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but is not considered grappled itself; the coelacanth does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents.
Each successful grapple check the coelacanth makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the bite. When a coelacanth gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space. This act does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It can even move (possibly carrying away the opponent), provided it can drag the opponent’s weight.