This creature has a vaguely humanoid head, the body of a lion, and the wings of a dragon. Its tail ends in long, sharp spikes.
Manticore CR 5
XP 1,600
LE Large magical beast
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +9
Defense
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size)
hp 57 (6d10+24)
Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +3
Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (clumsy)
Melee bite +10 (1d8+5), 2 claws +10 (2d4+5)
Ranged 4 spikes +8 (1d6+5)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Statistics
Str 20, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 9
Base Atk +6; CMB +12; CMD 24 (28 vs. trip)
Feats Flyby Attack, Hover, Weapon Focus (spikes)
Skills Fly –3, Perception +9, Survival +4 (+8 tracking); Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Survival when tracking
Languages Common
Ecology
Environment warm hills and marshes
Organization solitary, pair, or pride (3–6)
Treasure standard
Special Abilities
Spikes (Ex) With a snap of its tail, a manticore can loose a volley of four spikes as a standard action (make an attack roll for each spike). This attack has a range of 180 feet with no range increment. All targets must be within 30 feet of each other. The creature can launch only 24 spikes in any 24-hour period.
Manticores are fierce predators that patrol a wide area in search of fresh meat. A typical manticore is about 10 feet long and weighs about 1,000 pounds. Some have more human-like heads, usually with beards. Males and females look much alike.
Manticores eat any meat, even carrion, though they prefer human flesh and rarely pass up an opportunity for such a delicacy. They are smart and social enough to bargain with or bully evil humanoids into alliances or offering tribute, and more powerful creatures may hire or bribe them to guard or patrol a place or area. They like lairs in high places, such as hilltops and caves in cliffs.
Although manticores were likely a magical creation, they have long since established themselves as a naturally occurring species. Curiously, manticores seem strangely fecund, and can interbreed with a number of other similarly shaped creatures, including lions, dire lions, lamias, sphinxes, and even chimeras. The progeny of a manticore and an unusual mate is summarized on the table below.
| Manticore's Mate | Offspring |
|---|---|
| Lion | Standard manticore |
| Dire lion | Advanced manticore |
| Lamia | Lamia with spiked tail and spikes special attack |
| Sphinx | Sphinx with spiked tail and spikes special attack |
| Chimera | Chimera with spiked tail and spikes |
| special attack | |