Craniform

Medium humanoid (craniform), lawful good

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10)
Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	11 (+0)	15 (+2)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)

Skills Perception +4
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Craniform, Aquan
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Limited Amphibiousness. The craniform can breathe air and water but begins to suffocate if not submerged at least once every four hours.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The craniform makes two Pincer attacks or one Pincer attack and one Spear attack.
• Pincer. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 13) if it is a Large or smaller creature and the craniform doesn’t have another creature grappled already. The target is restrained until the grapple ends.
• Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 +3) piercing damage.

ABOUT

Craniforms are bipedal humanoids with a chitinous carapace, eyestalks, antennae, and a pair of mandibles set to either side of a complementary set of horizontally-aligned maxillae that constitute the creatures’ mouths. Extending outward from the neck of each creature is a set of short but large chitinous arms, each of which terminate in a seemingly oversized claw. Below these larger claws is another set of arms. These extend from either side of the upper torso, not unlike how arms extend from shoulders in more familiar humanoids. This second set of smaller chitinous arms each end with a smaller pincer. The creatures’ torsos and legs are covered by the same chitinous exoskeleton and extend to cover their clawed feet. Females and males are hard to tell apart, but males are slightly smaller than females.

Craniform inhabit tropical coastal waters where they usually create permanent colonies. These timid and reclusive creatures are very rare and stay well away from other humanoid settlements. Craniform typically live in coastal caves, but some communities excavate more expansive subterranean underwater burrows beneath the waterline and back up and under the shoreline. Craniform society is as complex as most terrestrial societies.

Craniform are led temporally and spiritually by a group of priestesses who oversee most of their important functions, rituals, and endeavors. Craniform are deeply reverential of their deity, the Sea Mother, goddess of all sea creatures, and see themselves as the Sea Mother’s chosen stewards of the sea. While little is known of the magics of the reclusive craniform and their priestesses, it is believed that they can confer the ability to breathe underwater to surface dwellers through a ritual venerating the Sea Mother called the Sea Mother’s Blessing.