Manticore¶
A weary traveler hears a call through the forest or friendly voices from a rocky shelter, and their heart leaps at the promise of refuge—only to find themself at the mercy of serrated teeth and poisonous spikes. In a manticore's territory, people go missing without a trace. These fearsome creatures carve out their hunting grounds in forests near small villages, mountain passes where caravans travel, and other locations with plentiful wildlife. Though manticores can subsist on a carnivorous diet of any nearby prey, their choicest meal is humanoid flesh.
Uncanny Appearances¶
A manticore has a lion's body, a dragon's wings, and a scorpion's tail barbed with spines, but their most unnerving trait is their humanoid face. Owing to a quirk of magical evolution, manticores develop the features of common ancestries that populate their region of birth. For example, a manticore in an area densely populated by devils inherits fiendish eyes and devilish horns. Manticores are born with an inherent understanding of a regional language, but they can speak only through mimicking that which they've heard—a talent manticores use to lure in prey.
Heralds of Death¶
Manticores have a magical howl like a trumpet blast. This haunting sound unnerves and terrifies creatures, making them more susceptible to the manticore's bite. While on the hunt, manticores often take to the skies, shooting poison-tipped spikes from their tail to weaken their victims before howling and closing in.
Ferocious Companions¶
A manticore who develops a taste for humanoids can rarely be tamed. But a young manticore who has yet to cut their teeth on such flesh can be raised into a fearsome ally. Even after a trained manticore companion finally tastes delicious humanoid flesh, they typically remain loyal to their caregiver.
Manticore Languages¶
Most manticores can mimic Caelian and one language commonly spoken in the region where they dwell. Except in rare cases, manticores don't communicate in full sentences and are too driven by hunger to engage in negotiation.
Manticore Treasures¶
Manticore Treasures
Although manticores have no earthly use for treasure, they tend to collect a lot of it—it comes attached to the humanoids they prey on. Since manticores drag their victims back to their cave lairs to feed, a manticore's cave is typically strewn with bones, broken weapons, coins, and other relics of unfortunate travelers. After a while, a manticore abandons its cluttered lair in favor of a fresh one, leaving unguarded treasure for anyone willing to explore manticore-infested wastes.
The following are sample treasures from a manticore's cave, of which a manticore might have one or two. These items can be found in Draw Steel: Heroes.
- Treasures: Blade of the Luxurious Fop, Bull Shot, Stop-'n-Go Coin
- Components: Adamatine spearheads, a mirror blessed by a priest, pixie wings
- Project Sources: Notes in Zaliac for the Warding II armor enhancement, notes in Khelt for the Celerity implement enhancement, notes in Variac for an Onerous Bow
- Wealth: If the heroes follow blood trails back to a nearby abandoned caravan, each hero earns 1 wealth
Manticore
- Solo MonsterTrait
- Agile PredatorTrait
- Carnivorous BiteMain actionSignature
- Tail SpikeMain action
- Harrying ClawsManeuver
- Reflexive InstinctTriggered action2 Malice
- Trumpeting HowlVillain Action 1
- Cornered PredatorVillain Action 2
- Debilitating PoisonVillain Action 3