Manticore (Dungeons & Dragons)

Manticore

Characteristics
Alignment	Lawful Evil
Type	Magical beast
Image	Wizards.com image
Stats	Open Game License stats
Publication history
Mythological origins	Manticore

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the manticore is a large magical beast with the body of a lion, dragon wings, and a somewhat humanoid head. It is based on the mythological manticore.

Publication history

The manticore was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

The manticore was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" set (1974), where they were described as huge, lion-bodied monstrosities with a tail full of spikes that can be fired.^[1]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

The manticore appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977),^[2] where it is described as having a lion body, bat wings, and a human head. It attacks by loosing a volley of iron spikes from its tail.

Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)

This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the manticore, in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1977),^[3] and Expert Set (1981 & 1983).^[4][5] The manticore was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991),^[6] and the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

The manticore appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989),^[7] and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).^[8]

The manticore is further detailed in Dragon #153 (January 1990), in "The Ecology of the Manticore."^[9]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

The manticore appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).^[10]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

The manticore appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

The manticore appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008).^[11]

Description

A manticore's long tail has a cluster of deadly spikes, which the creature can launch at its foes as weapons.

A manticore is usually lawful evil in alignment.

In the Eberron campaign setting, the manticore is the heraldic beast of the dragonmarked House Kundarak.

References

1. ^ Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson. Dungeons & Dragons (3-Volume Set) (TSR, 1974)
2. ^ Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977)
3. ^ Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974], edited by J. Eric Holmes. Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (TSR, 1977)
4. ^ Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974], edited by Dave Cook. Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set (TSR, 1981)
5. ^ Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974], edited by Frank Mentzer. Dungeons & Dragons Set 2: Expert Rules (TSR, 1983)
6. ^ Allston, Aaron, Steven E. Schend, Jon Pickens, and Dori Watry. Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (TSR, 1991)
7. ^ Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume One (TSR, 1989)
8. ^ Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1993)
9. ^ Jones, Spike Y. "The Ecology of the Manticore" Dragon #153 (TSR, 1990)
10. ^ Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
11. ^ Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)