(Arctic) Manticores are OP

[Arienette]

The first time this happened I chalked it up to bad luck. But now it has happened 3 times over the weekend.

You are in the high teens doing writs in the Skull Crags and you bump into a group of 3 manticores. They are slow to die and spam you with spines almost every round.

I have tried attacking each one in a rotation to try to get them to use melee attacks. But they just keep spamming spine attacks over and over.

In at least one of these exchanges I had to use a pray and almost all of the healing supplies that should have lasted the whole session just to survive this one battle.

Perhaps the spine attacks should be on some sort of cool down or something? That sort of non-stop direct damage from multiple enemies is way overboard when combined with how tough they are. It’s not like a mage with LGMS who you can focus on and beat down in a couple rounds. Also the spine attack can’t be interrupted like a spell can.

[Anomandaris]

I dislike that the necessities of “friendly game design”’ place similarly challenging content in a given area so that oocly we know we can clear everything within walking distance based on the fact that we’re in “that area.”

I’d invite you to consider options like running, avoiding the conflict altogether, or bringing a friend. Why must you be able to defeat everything you encounter?

I wish there were MORE encounters like this that caught adventurers off guard as they are on cruise control expecting the same challenge rating in an area. Something akin to random encounters in PnP.

That’s just me though..

[Diegovog]

iirc they have high resistances, high ac and spam those quills for a lot of damage. I remember taking a long fight to kill one. They do feel out of place if you're on the lower level curve for the area.

[Skibbles]

Have you tried a wand/potion of ghostly Visage?

If spines are regular damage a simple ghostly could dramatically reduce the damage.

[Arienette]

Ghostly Visage is a good idea.

As for the other reply; why should a random encounter be harder than the Glorag Watcher boss, the Legendary Snowbeast Boss, the Mountain Spirit Boss, and the Spriggan gnomes (crazy strong!) part of the writs in the area?

All of these challenges were surmountable with planning and smart tactics. The random Mantocores were the thing that really put me on my butt.

I dont think that resting, summoning, buffing, using my array of wands and other consumables, working my way up into the writ area only to turn around and give up because the engine RNG'd 3 Mantocires in my path to be fun or useful to anyone.

"Normally" one manticore spawns alongside a Yeti and a cat or Mylock. Its when they spawn in groups of 2-3 with unlimited instant direct damage that it starts to get silly.

[Skibbles]

Definitely try out visage. I'd like to hear the results if it works. If these are the same manticores found In other places such as sibayad then it should reduce your incoming damage by 50% or more.

I think I might add that spell to the pve guide now that I'm thinking out it.

Also, they're touch attacks, so they're going to be subject to concealment. Having improved invis will make 50% of their attacks fail too.

If you have both imp invis and ghostly you'll probably be indestructible.

[garrbear758]

Visage will solve your problem. Some stuff takes preparation

[Hinty]

Yes, if they are using a standard Manticore Spikes ability then anything that grants 5 points of damage reduction changes them from utterly OP to something you have to take a few moments to kill on your way past. Ghostly Visage is a good solution, as are greensteel bracers.

[Baron Saturday]

Any of the damage reduction bracers also trivializes the spikes. They're no slouches in straight combat, though, and they have pretty high AC. Anything that ignores that would likely make short work of them, I'd imagine!

[Freyason]

When 3 of something kicks my Snuggybear I run and fight them 1 on 1.

[Skibbles]

Also as a further tip on ghostly Visage...

It might seem really hard to find a consumable for this spell but if you aren't aware ghostly Visage is also part of the shadow conjuration spell and (at least in Andunor) potions of shadow conjuration are sold everywhere at usually very good prices.

[-XXX-]

Any of the damage reduction bracers also trivializes the spikes.

This.
The bracers are good, come in many forms that accommodate a wide variety of character builds during various stages of their level progression.
Use them, they are a fashionable accessory.

[Morgy]

Anything like imp invis concealing also reduces touch attacks connecting.

[Barkoneus]

A few months ago my character and his friend ran into one of the Unique arctic manticores. We fought valiantly, and then ran for our lives.

We still talk about it IC all the time, wondering when we will meet that manticore again and get to extract our revenge. It has turned into a fun point in our characters' shared history.

So basically just posting to say I have very fond memories of those Arctic manticores!

[Baron Saturday]

A few months ago my character and his friend ran into one of the Unique arctic manticores. We fought valiantly, and then ran for our lives.

We still talk about it IC all the time, wondering when we will meet that manticore again and get to extract our revenge. It has turned into a fun point in our characters' shared history.

So basically just posting to say I have very fond memories of those Arctic manticores!

Ditto! My first encounter was a trio, with one elite. Managed the normal ones, but ultimately had to run away.

[ReverentBlade]

LOS is your friend for these guys. You don't have to stand and fight monsters where they spawn. Drag them to terrain to where only one at a time can see you.

[Blossom]

Also as a further tip on ghostly Visage...

It might seem really hard to find a consumable for this spell but if you aren't aware ghostly Visage is also part of the shadow conjuration spell and (at least in Andunor) potions of shadow conjuration are sold everywhere at usually very good prices.

It also just takes 10 lore to read the scroll. Bringing it up because reading low-level scrolls doesn't seem to occur to a lot of players, but being able to use ghostly visage, knock, barkskin and a few other lv 2 scrolls on any character is worth the minor lore investment especially at low levels.

[Kuma]

The spikes each do 1d8 + 2 piercing damage, without an enhancement bonus, so it sounds like what you actually want is one of the DR bracers (crafted under smithing) that give you 5/+x DR.