u/Dnd-sheet

I’ve always thought manticores were one of the more underrated monsters in D&D.
They’re intelligent, cruel, can fly, and have a nasty habit of hunting people for sport. But I feel like they usually get thrown into encounters as just another monster to kill.
Which seems like a missed opportunity.
I could totally see a manticore terrorizing a small village, stalking travelers, and slowly becoming this terrifying local legend that the party has to deal with.
Has anyone actually built an adventure around one as the main villain?
I’d love to hear how you ran it, especially if you leaned into its intelligence and personality rather than just making it another combat encounter.