Manticore

### Cry

The manticore is a *composite character*. You do not select a separate race and class combination. You begin play with one level of the manticore class, which also includes all your racial features. You cannot multiclass: when your level increases, you must take a level of the manticore class. This is because, as a monster, your unusual physiology is unsuitable for many features granted by other classes.

## Manticore Overview

A manticore shares the build and size of a lion, with four legs ending in clawed paws and shaggy fur. A manticore's felid head may resemble that of a man or woman, and is surrounded by a long mane. When they open their mouth wide they reveal three rows of teeth. Their tails are slender and segmented like a scorpion's, tipped with a powerful stinger. Manticores also have a pair of bat's wings which in some individuals eventually become strong enough to allow the beast to fly.

There are two subspecies of manticore. The malign proto manticore, and the otherworldly ghost manticore.

Strong and durable like many beasts and beast-like creatures, manticores are excellent fighters. Lacking hands limits the manticore’s abilty to cast spells or use weapons, but the manticore’s long tail offer a potent ranged option. Manticores hunt in packs, and willingly join forces with other evil creatures provided that they are treated well and given regular prey. An evil party might recruit a manticore character by promising it the right to eat the party’s foes.

Created by the magics of old valyeria, and orginally intended as creature-servants for The Flowering Court, with the fall of the empire these monstrosities have escaped into the unmapped wilds, and have even snuck onto cargoships or smuggled off-world.

It's difficult to tell the species of manticore in youth, as their under-developed stinger is not yet capable of shooting spikes, nor venom. They do however, have fully formed vocal cords from birth. While one of these tiny babies may appear helpless, it’s friends and family are but a scream away...

## Manticore Names

Male: Dûraêkaêta, Gaotema, Huvaxshtra

Female: Kanukâ, Ushtavaitî, Zairichî

## Quick Build

Depending on if you wish to focus on melee (proto) or ranged (ghost), your should set your build up differently.

If you are melee, make Strength your highest ability score, as this is your damaging ability. Constitution should be your next highest score, as you are reliant on this for your defenses. Charisma should be your third highest score to make your magical features more effective. Alternatively, you can choose to increase Dexterity to boost your armour class.

If you are ranged, make Dexterity your highest ability score, as this is your main damaging ability and improves your armour class. Charisma should be your next highest score, to make your magical features more effective. Constitution should be your third highest score to bolster your defences.

Select the Monster background.

## Racial Traits

* ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Strength increases by 2 and your Dexterity increases by 1.
* ***Age.*** Manticores are varied in life span, but they generally mature after 8 years, and can live between 60 to 150 years. The Ghost manticore can live longer, known to live up to 200 years.
* ***Alignment.*** Evil, intelligent predators, most manticores are lawful evil.
* ***Size.*** As big as a lion, 7-8 feet tall. Your size is Large.
* ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
* ***Monstrous Physiology.*** You cannot wear armor or wield weapons. You can hold items but cannot activate equipment that requires fine manipulation. You cannot wear wondrous items except those that fit on your face or head.
* ***Darkvision.*** You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
* ***Natural Armor.*** If you are not wearing armor your AC is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifier.
* ***Natural Weapons.*** You are proficient in your natural melee weapons, claw, bite, and stinger. Your claw deal 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, your bite deals 1d8 + your Strength modifier piercing damage. Your tail stinger has the reach property and deals 1d4 + your Strength modifier piercing damage.
* ***Languages.*** You can speak and understand Common.

## Monster Background

You are the devourer in the night, the lurker in the hills, the terror of villages. Children check for you under the bed before they go to sleep. The town's warriors arrange hunting parties to slay you, but often do not return. The elders lay out sacrificial offerings to satiate your bloodlust. You are a monstrosity, a lone hunter or living with a small pack. Your favorite food is the livestock of humanoid settlements – or the humanoids themselves!

* **Skill Proficiencies:** Intimidation, Survival
* **Languages:** One of your choice.
* **Equipment:** A necklace, hairpin or other accessory made from the bones of your victims

### Feature: Hated

You are rarely accepted in civilized communities, even when in good company. Unless your adventuring party can successfully vouch for you, people will try to drive you away or flee. The local baron may try to capture you, brave scholars may wish to study you. Eventually, through your deeds, you may come to be tolerated. For now, you are a frightening monster, and in smaller communities you can demand a sacrifice or simply chase away the villagers. In towns and cities you can worry the authorities enough that they'll mobilize the militia, perhaps a useful distraction.

### Suggested Characteristics

While you have left your monstrous life behind, old habits die hard and sacrifices are ever so tasty. All monsters come from some sort of heritage, whether the spawn of doting parents, summoned by a mad wizard, created by a madder wizard, or awoken from the earth by a god. Monsters are typically bestial, short-tempered, focused, bloodthirsty, or arrogant. Most care little for the lives of those they have destroyed, but others are truly ashamed for their actions. Monsters have a lot to prove, both to themselves and the world that has labeled them so.

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## Class Features

As a manticore you gain the following class features.

### Hit Points

* **Hit Dice:** 1d10 per manticore level
* **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 10 + Constitution modifier
* **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per manticore level after 1st

### Proficiencies

* **Armor:** None
* **Weapons:** None
* **Tools:** None
* **Saving Throws:** Strength, Constitution
* **Skills:** Choose two from Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, and Survival

### Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

* None

### Manticore Species

At 1st level you choose a subspecies that determines your physiology. You can choose either the Proto Manticore or the Ghost Manticore.

### Lesser Innate Spellcasting

Starting at 2nd level, you can cast a spell as determined by your manticore species. This is an innate spell that does not require any material components, but is always cast at the lowest possible level. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier.

At 2nd level you can cast this spell once. At 11th level you can cast your chosen spell 3 times. When you complete a long rest you regain the use of this feature.

### Savage Claws

From 3rd level onwards, When you attack with one claw, you can attack with the other as a bonus action, as though you were two weapon fighting. Do not add your modifier to your second damage roll.

### Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

### Hybrid Physiology

At 6th level, and again at 13th level, you choose one of the following options.

* **Dragon Wings:** You gain a fly speed of 30 feet.
* **Lion's Pounce:** If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and hit it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. The DC is 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. If the target is prone, you can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.
* **Striking Tail:** Melee attacks with your tail gains the Finesse property. Once per short rest, if the target takes damage from the tail, you can choose to apply poison with a saving throw DC 8 + your Constituion modifier + your proficiency bonus, being Poisoned for 1 hour on a failed save. The creature repeat the saving throw on each of their turns to end the condition. This is the same throw as Potent Stinger, and both effects apply.
* **Thick Mane:** You gain a +1 bonus to AC.
* **Great Strides:** Your base land speed improves to 50 feet.
* **All-Terrain Hunter:** You have a swimming speed equal to your base land speed, and you can breathe water.

### Mythical Aegis

Starting at 8th level, you gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws.

### Greater Innate Spellcasting

Starting at 9th level, you can cast a spell as determined by your manticore species. This is an innate spell that does not require any material components, but is always cast at the lowest possible level. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier.

At 9th level you can cast this spell once. At 18th level you can cast your chosen spell 3 times. When you complete a long rest you regain the use of this feature.

### Magic Natural Weapons

Starting at 4th level, your natural weapons are considered to be magic weapons. You gain a +1 bonus on weapon attack rolls and damage rolls. This improves to +2 at 12th level and +3 at 19th level.

### Forest Prowler

Forests and jungles are your favored terrain. Starting at 7th level, nonmagical natural difficult terrain in these environments does not slow you down, and you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide while under a canopy.

### Mythic

At 14th level, you develop a truly monstrous feature. Choose one of the following.

* **All Things Are Food:** You have advantage on saving throws against effects that would blind you, charm you, or cause you to fall asleep.
* **Corrosive Breath:** You can use your action to breathe a 30 ft. cone of acid. Creatures in the cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. The DC is equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. Targets take 4d6 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much acid damage on a successful one. You mush finish a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.
* **Discordant Roar:** You can use your action to let out a distressing magical roar. Each creature that you choose within 30 feet, and able to hear, must make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The DC is 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. At the end of each of the targets' turns, they can repeat the saving throw to end the effect. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.

### Masterful Spellcasting

From 15th level onwards, you gain a +1 bonus to the saving throw DCs of your innate manticore spells.

### Beast's Body

At 17th level, your Constitution score increase by 4. Your maximum for this score is now 24.

## Proto Manticore

*Back to Manticore Species*

A highly intelligent race, these were the oldest and most common breed of manticore. Evil predators resembling a lion with bat wings and a humanoid face. Proto manticores are known for their potent venom that they can inject from their tails; their sting is potent enough to knock out a dragon. They are ambush predators, and frequently stand perfectly still for several hours, waiting and watching, with only the humanoid face exposed.

### Devouring

Starting at 1st level, You must consume at a minimum a Medium creature or equivilent worth of food each day. Once per day you can devour the body of a medium or larger humanoid or beast who was killed within the last 24 hours. This takes 1 minute. You consume all the flesh, bones, blood as well as nonmagical apparel and equipment – leaving no trace whatsoever.

### False Appearance

When you select this manticore species at 1st level, you can use your human head to hide your true nature. If you hide long grass or other concealment with just your head exposed, you have advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks made to pass as human or non-threatening.

### Potent Stinger

From the 1st level, once per short rest, you may apply additional 2d10 poison damage when you attack with your tail stinger.

### Innate Spellcasting

Your lesser innate spellcasting spell is your choice of Charm Person, Cause Fear or Hunter's Mark.

Your greater innate spellcasting spell is Confusion.

### Toxic Blood

At 5th level, the poison damage you may apply with your tail increases to 3d10. You also gain resistance to Poison damage and Advantage on saves against the Poisoned condition.

### Unrelenting Assault

At 10th level, the poison damage of Potent Stinger increases to 4d10. Additionally, you can use a bonus action to attack with your stinger.

### Virulent Venom

At 15th level, the poison damage of Potent Stinger increases to 5d10. When you apply this poison, Your target must make a saving throw with DC 8 + your Constituion modifier + your proficiency bonus, on a failed save you can have the target fall asleep or be paralysed. The sleep lasts for one minute or until the target takes damage, while the paralysis lasts for one round.

### Insatiable Hunger

At 20th level, your urge to consume knows no bounds. Your bite attack now deals 2d8 + your Strength modifier slashing damage. If you reduce a humanoid or beast to 0 hit points with a bite attack, you may swallow them whole with your Devouring class feature instantly. If the swalled creature was medium or larger, you gain 2d10 temporary hit points. This counts as using your Devouring feature for the day.

## Ghost Manticore

*Back to Manticore Species*

 So named the ghost manticore not because of any particular undead nature, but for the haunting, otherworldly voice that this species of manticore possess. A ghost manticore's voice sounds like a pan-pipe blended with a trumpet, but is recognizably Common. With their barbed tail, they are able to hit targets in the air as well as on the ground. Grace and ferocity all bundled into one; this monstrosity knows how to battle, and knows how to win.

### Disorienting Scream

Starting at 1st level, whenever you can make a bite attack you can instead attack with a close range burst of noise. Your voice is a magic weapon that deals 1d6 thunder damage, or 2d6 against any creature of *good* alignment. It uses your Charisma modifier for the attack and damage roll.

### Tail Spikes

Starting at 1st level, your Stinger gains the Ranged trait. Its range is 100/200 and it deals 1d8 + your Dexterity modifier piercing damage when used as a Ranged weapon. Making an attack with your tail this way consumes a spike.

At 1st level you have 8 spikes. You recover all your spikes at the end of a long rest.

### Innate Spellcasting

Your strange melodic voice has magical properties.

Your lesser innate spellcasting spell is your choice of Unearthly Chorus, Dissonant Whispers or Command.

Your greater innate spellcasting spell is Compulsion.

### Deadly Thorns

At 5th level, you have 16 tail spikes. When you hit a creature with a tail spike, you can use your bonus action to make another tail spike attack against the same target, expending another spike.

When you miss with a ranged attack with a tail spike, it becomes embedded in the ground at the feet of your target. Creatures must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw with DC 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus when moving on or off the tile. A creature takes 1d6 piercing damage on a failed save, and the spike disappears.

If multiple spikes land on the same tile, a creature only triggers one spike on a failed save, and the rest remain until they are triggered, or until 10 minutes have passed, after which they decay and become harmless.

### Spike Volley

At 10th level, you have 24 tail spikes. You shoot multiple spikes, and can target two different creatures with your Tail Spikes in a single action. You expend two spikes if you choose to multi-target in this way.

### Spectral Passage

At 15th level, you and your party can walk through terrain of living plants (such as grassland or forest) without leaving a trace, such that you cannot be tracked via nonmagical means.

You can also walk on the surface of still water.

### Crop of Thorns

At 20th level, you have 32 tail spikes.

If you've used your Deadly Thorns manticore feature to embed more than one of your tail spikes on the same tile, you can choose to have the ground around that point sprout dozens of spikes. They cover a 10-foot radius around the embedded spike, and this area becomes difficult terrain. When a creature moves into or within the area, it takes 1d6 piercing damage for every 5 feet it travels. You can spend 1 minute harvesting the spikes. This removes the area of difficult terrain and you regain 1d4+1 expended spikes. You can use this feature again after a short rest.