Tail Spike Regrowth. The manticore has thirty tail spikes. Used spikes regrow when the manticore finishes a long rest.
Spike Stinger. The alpha manticore‘s stinger loses 3 spikes for every attack made with the stinger. If all spikes are lost, stinger deals 1d6+4 bludgeoning damage with no poison.
Multiattack. The manticore makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws, three with its tail spikes, or two attacks with its stinger.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Tail Spike. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 100/200 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage. Target must make a DC 13 constitution saving throw or take 6(2d6) poison damage or half as much on a success
Spike Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 14 (2d10+4) piercing damage. Target must make a DC 17 constitution saving throw or take 9(3d6) poison damage, or half as much on a success.
Alpha Manticore has 3 Legendary actions that can be spent after a players turn. The Alpha Manticore regains all 3 actions at the start of its turn.
Leap. Costs 1 action. The Alpha Manticore leaps to an empty space within twenty-five feet without prompting opportunity attacks.
Swipe. Costs 1 action. The Alpha Manticore makes an additional claw attack.
Sling. Costs 2 actions. The Alpha Manticore fires two additional tail spikes
Sting. Costs 2 actions. The Alpha Manticore makes an addtional attack with it's spike stinger.
Wing-Frenzy. Costs 2 actions. The Alpha Manticore flaps its wings furiously. All creatures within melee distance must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be forced ten feet straight back and knocked prone.
Spike-Refill. Costs 3 actions. The Alpha Manticore forces six spikes growing inside its tail to sprout immediately.
Description
A manticore has a vaguely humanoid head, the body of a lion, and the wings of a dragon. Its long tail ends in a cluster of deadly spikes that can impale prey at impressive range.
The alpha manticore has grown a deadly venom sac at the base of a massive scorpion-like tail, a rare occurrence for manticores. This allows the spikes of the Alpha Manticore to be coated with deadly poison that causes immediate tissue damage.
The powerful scorpion like tail allows the Alpha Manticore to perform a devastating stinging attack, sticking its venomous spikes in its prey, but reduces the accuracy of its spike throwing ability.
The beasts heavy tail has taken away its ability to fly long distances, and therefore may rely on its smaller airborne cousins to bring food to it.
Alpha Manticores are rarely found outside a pride or at least without a mate, as they give the best chance at powerful offspring. A male and female Alpha will never mate, as one would kill the other to establish dominance in a pack.
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Posted Mar 8, 2019This is great. I'm going to be using it in my homebrew campaign. Thank you so much.
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Posted Mar 25, 2019Awesome! I hope you enjoy playing it as much as I enjoyed creating it! If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to know how the encounter goes for you and your party.
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Posted Mar 26, 2019I’ll keep ya posted.
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Posted Nov 29, 2020Well, that was a fricking lie.
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Posted Jan 2, 2023Man don't get me wrong, this shit is great. But it is not cr 5. comparing it to other monsters, I would say that this is easily cr 7
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Posted Mar 3, 2023You make a good point. I originally made this legendary version of a manticore to challenge a very large party of relatively low level players, and even with a pack of other manticores they still managed to dispatch it fast enough I must have assumed the CR was lower than it actually was.
I mostly wanted a tanky monster that did not do too much damage to low level parties unless they let it get too close.
Either way this was my first homebrew monster from years ago, so I might try updating it in the future.