Manticore Bracers are worn like normal bracers, fully covering the wrist and forearm. In their normal state they appear to be a pair of sturdy leather bracers offering no armor bonus.
As a standard action, each bracer has five 6-10″ spikes that extend from the arm. The spikes can be retracted in a similar manner. These spikes provide two benefits.
- When present, these spikes act as +1 Armor Spikes sized for the creature wielding them. When worn, someone not proficient with Armor Spikes does not incur the usual -4 penalty for non-proficiency.
- Each spike can be shot similar to a manticore’s tail spikes. As a standard action the wearer can shoot at most 4 spikes in a given round at up to as many targets. The wearer needs to make separate ranged attacks for each spike. Each spike deals 1d8+2 points of damage and has a range of 180′. All prospective targets must be within 30′ of each other. The spikes themselves are treated as +1 darts for overcoming damage reduction. Each spike can only be used once per day and will reform the next day.
Moderate transmutation; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, Animate Objects, Summon Monster III; Price 14,500 gp.
Manticore Bracers are exceptionally useful for someone that doesn’t threaten the area around them since Armor Spikes can do that for them. The ability to make 4 ranged attacks in a round is also exceptionally useful for characters that do not have a high BAB and wish to stay out of melee.