| Manticore | |
|---|---|
| skill | 11-12 |
| stamina | 11-18 |
| Attacks | 3 |
| Weapon Used | Large Claws and Bite and see below |
| Habitat | Caves, Dungeons, Ruins, Wilderness |
| Number Encountered | 1 |
| Type | Monster |
| Reaction | Hostile |
| Intelligence | Average |
A Manticore is a monster from the Fighting Fantasy franchise.[1]
Origins and Distribution
Manticores are magically cross-bred creatures of Chaos. Spawned in a horde beyond the Western Ocean by a deranged warlock centuries ago, one of them eventually killed their creator. Now spread throughout the world, these monsters are Evil life-hating flesh-eaters. A Manticore usually makes its lair in a remote, inhospitable place from where it can seek out warm flesh to feed on.
It is unclear whether these creatures can reproduce among themselves as can other beasts, or whether there is only a finite - and ever-dwindling - number of them. If the latter is true, then Manticores must have an extremely long lifespan; perhaps they are even immortal unless slain.
Description
A Manticore is a creature possessing a Lion's body, the wings of a Bat, and a Human face. There are two disctinct types of Manticore known on Titan: the more common Scorpio-Manticore, which possesses a giant scorpion's tail,[2] and the rarer Spiker-Manticore, which has a number of iron-hard spikes adorning its tail.[3]
Special Abilities
The Scorpio-Maticore can employ its stinger tail in combat to inject an opponent with a deadly poison. If it hits its opponent, there is a chance (5-6 on a die roll) that it has injected its venom, which inflicts 6 points of Damage.[4]
Spiker-Manticores, on the other hand, prefer to attack a victim with its tail spikes first before they engage in melee. They usually fly overhead, pouring spikes onto their victims from a safe distance.[5] Each salvo contains six spikes, out of a total of 24, but these can only be directed at a single victim at a time. In combat, roll one die for each salvo to determine how many hit the victim; each hit does 2 points of Damage. (In Advanced Fighting Fantasy, treat them as Crossbow Bolts.)
Further Notes
- A Spiker-Manticore is most famously encountered in the Fighting Fantasy gamebook Deathtrap Dungeon,[6] and a Scorpio-Manticore in The Shamutanti Hills.
See Also
References
- ↑ Blacksand! - p.??
- ↑ Out of the Pit - p.??/199-200
- ↑ Deathtrap Dungeon - 222, 247; Master of Chaos - 341
- ↑ Out of the Pit - p.??/200
- ↑ Master of Chaos - 341
- ↑ Deathtrap Dungeon - ???