Mantidrake
Mantidrake
Huge Dragon
Hit Dice: 10d12+70 (135 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares), fly 60 ft (clumsy)
Armor Class: see table
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+27
Attack: Claw +20 melee (1d8+12) or 6 spikes +11 ranged (1d8+6/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 claws +20 melee (1d8+12) and bite +18 melee (2d6+6); or 6 spikes +11 ranged (1d8+6/19-20)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Spikes, Breath Weapon (see table)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, scent, immunity to
sleep, paralysis effects, and energy (see table)
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +8, Will +9
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 13, Con 25, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 11
Skills: Hide -7, Listen +15, Spot +19, Survival +15, Intimidate +13
Feats: Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Track
B, Weapon Focus (spikes), Snatch
Environment:
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: see table
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always lawful or chaotic evil (see table)
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Huge); 21-30 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -
Combat:
Spikes (Ex): A mantidrake can release a volley of spikes as a standard action, attacking up to 6 targets within 30ft of each other. The attack has a range of 180ft with no range increments. A half-dragon manticore can release up to twenty-four spikes in a given day.
Breath Weapon (Su): A mantidrake has the same breath weapon as a young dragon of the same variety (see the table below), usable every 1d4 rounds (up to 4 times per day). A successful DC22 Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 racial HD + Con modifier) reduces damage by half.
Skills: A mantidrake has a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks.
Sample Encounters:
Mantidrakes are most commonly encountered as protectors of wizards' lairs, and they may therefore be found in combination with many other types of monsters or constructs. Wild mantidrakes are almost always encountered alone, especially since they will only rarely tolerate other predators in their territories.
Individual (EL 9-10):
A solitary mantidrake is terrorizing a large area, devouring not just animals but humanoids, as well. This mantidrake might be feral, recently escaped from its creator, or it could be serving as a distraction for the mage's other schemes.
EL 10: A red mantidrake has tracked the party to its resting spot for the night. It flies in, showering the party with spikes and then closes for melee with the strongest fighter. If it reaches half its hit points, it takes to the air again, attacking with spikes and breath
weapon before returning to melee.
Guardian (EL 10-16): A wizard with an extensive hideout guards her laboratory with a mantidrake and one or two constructs.
EL 12: The wizard Shellantha keeps her laboratory, loaded with valuable equipment, and a modest library of spellbooks, scrolls, and historical tomes under a marsh, accessible by a teleportation circle from her residence. The entrance chamber to this lair is inhabited by a foul-tempered, ill-fed black mantidrake and an iron golem (whose orders include keeping the mantidrake out of the lab). Both will attack any intruder mercilessly, the mantidrake especially because he is ravenous.
Ecology and Society:
Mantidrakes are not naturally occuring creatures; the usual result of a dragon-manticore pairing is a half-dragon manticore, which are typically smaller and weaker than mantidrakes. Mantidrakes are bred with magical assistance to form a more draconic hybrid, with more uses of the breath weapon. Since mages usually intend to keep mantidrakes as servants, they breed for low intelligence. These captive mantidrakes (not tamed, however), often serve to protect some area of the mage's or organization's hideout or act as a distraction from whatever the mage may be trying to accomplish.
Wild mantidrakes, those that escape their creators and captors, are usually solitary brutes, requiring vast territories to hunt, at least 25 square miles. Mantidrakes favor the flesh of intelligent creatures, especially humans, though they will eat anything to survive. They are vicious predators and unlikely to form a relationship with any other creature, unless that partnership will bring them more food or treasure.
Mantidrakes favor the same climates as manticores, and they mate for life, like manticores. The offspring of a mantidrake and a manticore is a half-dragon manticore of the same variety as the mantidrake, and the pairing of a mantidrake with a half-dragon manticore or another mantidrake results in a mantidrake, with a 50% chance of the variety of either parent. The rare mating of a dragon and a mantidrake produces a mantidrake (60%), a half-dragon mantidrake (30%), or a dragon (10%), always of the same variety as the dragon parent.
Captive mantidrakes can be trained, provided that they are reared from birth. Usually, this requires separation from the parents and does not require a Handle Animal check (unless some special task is the purpose). Using a reared mantidrake as a mount requires special training, however, requiring 6 weeks of work and a DC25 Handle Animal check.
The supple hide of a mantidrake can be used in much the same way as dragonhide for the purpose of crafting armor, and it can be sold for the same price as dragonhide.
Alignment: A mantidrake has the alignment of its dragon parent (see table below).
Treasure: Wild mantidrakes keep double standard treasure in their lairs, having inherited the draconic love of treasure of all types. On the other hand, those kept by mages or arcane organizations typically have no treasure of their own; however, they do often guard many valuable magic items.
Alignment, AC, Energy Immunity, CR by variety
Code:
Dragon AL AC Immunity CR
Black CE 19 Acid 9
(-2 size, +1 dex, +10 natural)
touch 9, flat-footed 18
Blue LE 20 Electricity 10
(-2 size, +1 dex, +11 natural)
touch 9, flat-footed 19
Green LE 20 Acid 10
(-2 size, +1 dex, +11 natural)
touch 9, flat-footed 19
Red CE 23 Fire 10
(-2 size, +1 dex, +14 natural)
touch 9, flat-footed 22
White CE 19 Cold 9
(-2 size, +1 dex, +10 natural)
touch 9, flat-footed 18
Breath Weapon by variety
Code:
Dragon Weapon Damage
Black 60ft line of acid 6d4
Blue 60ft line of lightning 6d8
Green 30ft cone of corrosive (acid) gas 6d6
Red 40ft cone of fire 6d10
White 30ft cone of cold 3d6
Lore
A knowledge(arcana) check reveals
Code:
DC Result
20 This rare creature is a mantidrake. Reveals dragon traits and spike attack.
25 Mantidrakes can use their breath weapon 4 times a day. Reveals type of breath
weapon.
30 Mantidrakes are bred from dragons and manticores with magical assistance.
Usually they are kept as servants for a spellcaster or arcane organization.
35 This level of success reveals organizations or spellcasters who might make use of
a mantidrake.
As an alternative, the new style stat block, just substitute in at the top:
MANTIDRAKE CR VARIABLE (SEE TABLE)
Always LE or CE Huge Dragon
Init +1;
Senses
Darkvision 120ft, Low-light Vision, Scent, Listen +10, Spot +14
Languages Common or Draconic
AC see table
HP 135 (10d12+70)
Immune sleep, paralysis effects, energy (see table)
Fort +14
Ref +8
Will +9
Speed 30ft (6sq), Fly 60ft (clumsy, 12sq)
Melee 2 Claws +20 (1d8+12) and Bite +18 (2d6+6), or
Ranged 6 Spikes +11 (1d8+6/19-20)
Space 15ft;
Reach 10ft
Base Atk +10;
Grapple +27
Atk Options Flyby Attack
Special Actions} Breath Weapon (see table)
Abilities Str 28 Dex 15 Con 21 Int 9 Wis 12 Cha 11
Feats Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Track
B, Weapon Focus (Spikes), Snatch
Skills Hide -7, Listen +15, Spot +19, Survival +15, Intimidate +13
Advancement 11-20 HD (Huge); 21-30 HD (Gargantuan)
Thanks for the interest!
