Manticore

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Version 0.25: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
manticore HManticore.png
HP 32-66
HD 9
XP 529
Speed 10
AC 5
EV 7
Will 40
Attack1 26 (bite: plain)
Attack2 14 (claw: plain)
Attack3 14 (claw: plain)
Resistances None
Vulnerabilities None
Habitat Land
Intelligence Animal
Uses Uses nothing
Holiness Natural
Size Large
Type manticore, manticore
Flags Flying
Warm-blooded
Hybrid
A hideous cross-breed, bearing the features of a human and a lion, with great bat-like wings. Its tail bristles with spikes that can be loosed at potential prey.

“Ctesias writeth, that in Aethiopia likewise there is a beast which he calleth Mantichora, having three rankes of teeth, which when they meet togither are let in one within another like the teeth of combes: with the face and eares of a man, with red eyes; of colour sanguine, bodied like a lyon, and having a taile armed with a sting like a scorpion: his voice resembleth the noise of a flute and trumpet sounded together: very swift he is, and mans flesh of all others hee most desireth.”
-Pliny the Elder, _Natural History_, Book 8, Chapter XXI

Useful Info

Manticores are natural beasts that can fling volleys of spikes at you from afar; these spikes can become lodged in you, causing you to take damage whenever you move. Although players can easily maintain distance from manticores, they can deal dangerous amounts of damage to you as you flee. They are found in the mid-Dungeon, the Lair, the Shoals, and the Vaults, and can be summoned by the Monstrous Menagerie spell.

Spells

Spell set I
Slot1 Throw Barbs (2d13) Natural flag

Tips & Tricks

  • Manticore spikes deal 2d13 physical damage per hit, which is reduced by your AC and can be blocked or dodged. They have an infinite supply, so manticores don't have to resort to melee. Heavily armoured characters or characters with a source of Repel Missiles can usually shrug off these spikes with ease, but others may want to keep their distance (6 tiles away is a perfectly safe kiting distance) to avoid perforation.
  • As dangerous as manticores are from a distance, they're more deadly in close quarters. Heavily armoured bruisers can generally take them toe-to-toe, but characters wearing lighter armour may wish to engage them in a ranged battle despite the spikes.
  • Once you have the Barbs status, moving inflicts 2d(level+2) damage, where level is the number of times you've acquired the status (up to a maximum of 4). This is a small enough amount of damage that it may be worth improving your position if it only takes a square or two of movement, but be careful if you have low HP. Also note that the game only warns you once about moving with barbs; if you've already repositioned, be careful that you don't accidentally move again.
    • You will automatically remove the barbs after remaining in one spot for long enough. This includes any time spent swinging a weapon or casting spells, so don't worry about fighting back if you've still got a manticore or other opponents to deal with.
    • The barbs will also eventually snap off on their own if you move around for long enough, but as they'll be damaging you the entire time you're moving, this method is rather less than ideal.
  • Manticores have lousy magic resistance, so if you're able to induce confusion, do so. They're completely unable to fire spikes while confused.

History

  • Prior to 0.15, manticores didn't move as fast as the player, and had a finite number of spike volleys.
  • Prior to 0.14, manticores had lower HD and attack damage, and the spikes of a manticore didn't inflict the Barbs status effect. The player wasn't able to summon manticores with the Monstrous Menagerie spell.