Manticore
An overgrown lion with thick leathery wings and an ugly humanoid face
Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game
| Armor Class | 18 |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 6+1* |
| Number Appearing | 1d2, Wild 1d4, Lair 1d4 |
| Attacks | 2 claws/1 bite or 1d8 spikes (180' range) |
| Damage | 1d4/1d4/2d4 or 1d6 per spike |
| Movement | 40' Fly 60' (10') |
| Save As | Fighter: 6 |
| Morale | 9 |
| XP | 555 |
| Treasure Type | D |
Manticores look like an overgrown lion with thick leathery wings and an ugly humanoid face, often like that of a human or bearded dwarf. Their tail ends in an assortment of spikes, which the beast may fire as projectiles; a maximum of 24 are available, and the manticore regrows 1d6 per day. A typical manticore is about 10 feet long and weighs about 1,000 pounds.
Manticores are vicious predators, having a preference for human flesh. They will use their ranged attacks to “soften up” potential prey before closing to melee.
Special Abilities
Other Sources
Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy
| Armor Class | 4 [15] |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 6+1 (28hp) |
| Number Appearing | 1d2 (1d4) |
| Attacks | [2 × claw (1d4), 1 × bite (2d4)] or 6 × tail spike (1d6) |
| THAC0 | 13 [+6] |
| Movement | 120' (40') / 180' (60') flying |
| Saving Throws | D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (6) |
| Morale | 9 |
| Alignment | Chaotic |
| XP | 350 |
| Treasure Type | D |
Special Abilities
OSRIC
| Armor Class | 4 |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 6+3 |
| Number Encountered | 1d4 |
| Attacks | 3 |
| Damage | 1d3/1d3/1d8 |
| Move | 120-ft; 180-ft flying (AA:II) |
| Alignment | Lawful evil |
| Intelligence | Low |
| XP | 6/525+8/hp |
| Treasure Type | 1d10×1,000 cp (5%), 1d12×1,000 sp (25%), 1d6×1,000 ep (25%), 1d8×1,000 gp (25%), 1d12 gems, 1d8 jewellery, 3 misc. magic and 1 scroll (25%) |
| Size | Large |
| Frequency | Uncommon |
| Lair | 20% |
Dark, dank caves or desolate underground caverns are the favoured lair of the manticore. These fearsome beasts are man-eaters. Their favourite tactic is to launch 6 iron spikes from their tail that act like crossbow bolts. They can do this up to 4 times before they run out. Once they have their prey in a weakened condition they use their claws to finish the job.
A manticore has a lion’s body with a human head and bat-like wings. Its tail is thick and club-like at the end, and bristles with iron spikes.