Round she is, yet flat as a board.
Riddle of the gynosphinx of White Plume Mountain
Altar of the lupine lords.
Jewel on black velvet, pearl in the sea.
Unchanged but e’erchanging, eternally.
Buckle up, everyone! We’ve got a big guy on our hands today!
Lore: Divine Test Givers
Calm and powerful, wise and patient, the sphinx stands as the guardian of the gods’ treasures, the scattered bones of those who tried to claim its charge laying beneath it. They test the worth of any adventurer who seeks the prize; those who fail face death.
Some sphinxes are priests to the gods that created them. Others are embodies spirits. Regardless, they maintain their vigil valiantly and without rest. Should one fail a sphinx’s test, the treasure they seek will vanish, forever becoming unreachable and making an enemy of the god to whom it serves.
Though they most often reside in tombs or ruins, sphinxes can access realms beyond the Material. One might shift into all kinds of bizarre locals while speaking to one, such as a life-sized game board or any number of things. It is in these realms most absurd that the noble sentries administer their tests.
Even should a sphinx forsake their duty, they will never abandon it. Though driven mad by regret or dreams of being worshipped themselves, they can never abandon their charge. Once a sphinx has been set to vigil, they never depart.
An androsphinx is strong and mighty. Though they may speak cruelly to those who approach them, they are noble and wise, and their words are carefully chosen. Should one pass their test, the androsphinx may even reward them with a hearty feast.
Meanwhile, a gynosphinx is a master of magic and riddles. Gaze into their eyes and you will find yourself transported somewhere far away. They are not above bargaining, willing to accept treasure or service in exchange for their ancient knowledge and secrets.
This is some of the strongest lore we’ve seen in a long while! It’s so open-ended and full of depth that you could theoretically do anything with it!
Design: Y’all Ever Watch Lion King?
I do like how there’s a distinct difference between them. You can immediately tell which one of these is the noble warrior and which one is the spellcaster. All with minimal detail changes. It’s impressive!
But the core design itself is lackluster at best. It’s just a lion with wings. It’s extremely dull and disappointing.
Stats: Lords of Time and Space
Even before you reach the sphinx, the boss fight has already begun. This is because of its four lair actions. These are:
- Force everyone to re-roll initiative
- Increase or decrease a target’s age by 1d20 years
- Move everyone in the lair forward or backward in time ten years
- Shift itself or up to seven other creatures to another plane of existence
The implications of that are absolutely insane, and we haven’t even gotten started yet!
Both sphinxes are mighty foes indeed. With an AC of 17 and a monstrous pool of HP (more so for the andro than the gynosphinx), they’re tough to kill. More than that, they’re immune to phyiscal damage, and the androsphinx is immune to all nonmagical melee (the gynosphinx is only resistant to it).
They both have the Inscrutable ability. With this, they’re immune to all effects that can read their minds or emotions. More than that, Insight checks made on them have disadvantage.
For actual attacks, they don’t have much. Just their claws, which do a decent amount of damage and are buffed by the Magic Weapons ability. However, the androsphinx also has the Roar action, with three different effects. Its first use can cause the frighten status, the second escalates frighten to paralyze, and the third does a monstrous amount of thunder damage.
They’ve both also got an extensive list of spells. For the androsphinx, they are:
- Cantrips (at will): sacred flame, spare the dying, thaumaturgy
- 1st level (4 slots): command, detect evil and good, detect magic
- 2nd level (3 slots): lesser restoration, zone of truth
- 3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, tongues
- 4th level (3 slots): banishment, freedom of movement
- 5th level (2 slots): flame strike, greater restoration
- 6th level (1 slot): heroes’ feast
For the gynosphinx, they are:
- Cantrips (at will): mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation
- 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, identify, shield
- 2nd level (3 slots): darkness, locate object, suggestion
- 3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, remove curse, tongues
- 4th level (3 slots): banishment, greater invisibility
- 5th level (1 slots): legend lore
Finally, we have the Legendary Actions. Which are… kind of lame, I’ll admit. Practical, yes. But they don’t feel particularly Legendary. They’re really simple. It can make a claw attack, it can teleport, or it can cast a spell. And… yeah, that’s it.
Phew! That was a lot! And it can make for some incredible boss fights! The time and space manipulation alone allows for near infinite possibilities! The sky is the limit!
Placement
This was almost a perfect monster! It’s lore and stats are both amazing, some of the best we’ve seen yet! But that design is really lackluster. Of all the interpretations of the sphinx I’ve seen, it’s among the safer and more boring.
Even still, the Sphinxes have earned the #30 spot on the Best of the Bestiary!
- Beholder
- Death Tyrant
- Mind Flayer
- Dragon Turtle
- Mummy/Mummy Lord
- Nagas (all three of ’em)
- Green Dragons
- Red Dragons
- Blue Dragons
- Black Dragons
- White Dragons
- Silver Dragons
- Couatl
- Behir
- Aboleth
- Sea Hag
- Slaadi (all six of ’em)
- Lamia
- Bronze Dragons
- Brass Dragons
- Copper Dragons
- Gold Dragons
- Chuul
- Kuo-Toa
- Gibbering Mouther
- Kraken
- Intellect Devourer
- Shadow
- Chimera
- Sphinxes <———————————-
- Death Knight
- Fomorian
- Bone Devil
- Dracolich
- Faerie Dragon
- Gelatinous Cube
- Lich
- Peryton
- Remorhaz
- Orcs (all four of ’em)
- Magmin
- Shield Guardian
- Kobold
- Kenku
- Hobgoblins
- Night Hag
- Green Hag
- Black Pudding
- Ankheg
- Hook Horror
- Oni
- Purple Worm
- Storm Giant
- Hill Giant
- Empyrean
- Efreeti
- Grimlock
- Minotaur
- Dao
- Cloud Giant
- Manticore
- Scarecrow
- Drow (all four of ’em)
- Shadow Demon
- Modrons (all five of ’em)
- Marilith
- Drider
- Aarackockra
- Azer
- Demilich
- Spectator
- Gray Ooze
- Ochre Jelly
- Hydra
- Rakshasa
- Marid
- Salamander
- Harpy
- Werejackal
- Otyugh
- Satyr
- Half-Dragon
- Cambion
- Fire Giant
- Nothic
- Pixie
- Animated Armor
- Roper
- Banshee
- Basilisk
- Yochlol
- Bulette
- Cloaker
- Darkmantle
- Doppelganger
- Revenant
- Ghoul and Ghast
- Sahuagin (all three)
- Ettin
- Medusa
- Pit Fiend
- Erinyes
- Chain Devil
- Bearded Devil
- Barbed Devil
- Spined Devil
- Ice Devil
- Mimic
- Djinni
- Merrow
- Nalfeshnee
- Glabrezu
- Chasme
- Grell
- Barlgura
- Horned Devil
- Balor
- Skeletons
- Shadow Dragon
- Myconids (all four of ’em)
- Piercer
- Werebear
- Lizardfolk
- Vrock
- Dretch
- Pseudodragon
- Gnolls (all three)
- Goristro
- Hezrou
- Manes
- Quaggoth
- Frost Giant
- Weretiger
- Werewolf
- Duergar
- Quasit
- Dryad
- Shambling Mound
- Flumph
- Goblin
- Nightmare
- Rust Monster
- Wereboar
- Wererat
- Githyanki
- Owlbear
- Planetar
- Imp
- Ogres/Half-ogres
- Roc
- Clay Golem
- Flameskull
- Displacer Beast
- Carrion Crawler
- Githzerai
- Grick
- Invisible Stalker
- Rug of Smothering
- Bugbear Chief
- Bugbear
- Flesh Golem
- Vine Blight
- Twig Blight
- Needle Blight
- Mephits (all six of ’em)
- Bullywug
- Hellhound
- Ettercap
- Gas Spore
- Cockatrice
- Lemure
- Homonculus
- Merfolk
- Solar
- Deva
- Gorgon
- Hippogriff
- Griffon
- Cyclops
- Centaur
- Ghost
- Pegasus
- Fire Elemental
- Water Elemental
- Air Elemental
- Stone Giant
- Deep Gnome
- Dinosaurs (All six of them)
- Specter
- Iron Golem
- Stone Golem
- Earth Elemental
- Galeb Duhr
- Helmed Horror
- Flying Sword
- Crawling Claw
- Violet Fungus
- Shrieker
- Gargoyle
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