Same stats, different manticore?

[Ry]

I could use a hand here.

I love the manticore - at least, in terms of its combat usefulness, it's awesome. Does anyone have an alternate description for a creature that can do those ranged attacks but isn't necessarily D&D's tailspiked manticore?

 

[EricNoah]

I vaguely remember an illustration for an asp-headed "manticore" that used the same stats as the manticore. I want to say Monte Cook had something to do with it. It might have been in an article or chapter about dressing up monsters differently but I can't remember where I saw it...

 

[shilsen]

Make it a strange flying aberration with multiple arms, each of which has spikes growing out of it, which it can hurl with a flick of its wrist?

 

[ephemeron]

A griffin-like beast with the head of a giant spitting cobra.
A kind of fey that can command trees or rocks near its enemies to attack.
A monstrous version of the Teleporter from Buck Godot -- the spike attack becomes a claw that teleports, strikes, and teleports out of reach again.
Stymphalian birds.

 

[Land Outcast]

I once had it as a cunning hunched giant with a line of spikes protuding from each of its forearms in an acute angle (used the same stats except flying and gave it some insane jumping bonuses).

Given that the setting was in deep jungle, at treetop height, it didn't need flying (jumping or swinging from branch to branch), god knows I had some wicked fun with Ranged Pin and Ranged Trip.

 

[Land Outcast]

Another option would be some kind of naga with crystal shards spinning around it constantly (which she can command at will).

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Turn it into a construct creature, flying with mechanical crossbows that fire - all of a sudden I'm imagining the manticore-class attack helicopter...

 

[Darklone]

I'd use a psionic porcupine. It can fly and it can shoot spikes.

 

[RangerWickett]

This is a spirit creature, an aberration that looks similar to Shiva, with her six arms, flying around in the air in a sitting position, one leg crossed over the other. She has four gold rings around each of her wrists, and as she flies she performs elegant gestures with her arms, pointing generally at her foes without directly pointing. As she does, one ring on each wrist slides down her arm, and the person she targets has their flesh torn and wounded.

If a creature gets too close, the spirit strikes with all its arms in melee, which is the equivalent of a bite attack.

 

[Mark CMG]

How about an airborne version of a puffer fish that throws spikes in various directions by suddenly inflating.