5e:Sphinx

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Sphinx Overview 

  

A sphinx (SFINGKS, plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion.

In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches of a lion, and the wings of a bird. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless. Those who cannot answer her riddle suffer a fate typical in such mythological stories, as they are killed and eaten by this ravenous monster. This deadly version of a sphinx appears in the myth and drama of Oedipus.

Unlike the Greek sphinx, which was a woman, the Egyptian sphinx is typically shown as a man (an androsphinx). In addition, the Egyptian sphinx was viewed as benevolent, but having a ferocious strength similar to the malevolent Greek version. Both were thought of as guardians, and often flank the entrances to temples.

In European decorative art, the sphinx enjoyed a major revival during the Renaissance. Later, the sphinx image, initially very similar to the original Ancient Egyptian concept, was exported into many other cultures, albeit there often interpreted quite differently due to translations of descriptions of the originals and through evolution of the concept in relation to other cultural traditions.

Sphinx depictions are generally associated with architectural structures such as royal tombs or religious temples.

Monster Manual (5e)

Monster Manual (5e) p.280 describes the following topics of sphinxes:

• Divine Guardians
• Magical Tests
• Extraplanar Beings
• Fallen Sphinxes
• A Sphinx's Lair

Sphinx's Lair

 A sphinx lairs in an ancient temple, sepulcher, or vault.

Lair Actions

 When fighting inside its lair, an sphinx can use lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the monstrosity takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the monstrosity can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Alter Time (seconds)
• Age or Rejuvenate Creature
• Lair Time Shift
• Plane Shift

List of Sphixes

3 Sphinxes

Monster	Size	Type	Tags	Alignment	HP	CR	Habitat	Marked	Source
Sphinx Overview		Overview	Monstrosity, Sphinx					Noncanon	Varied
Androsphinx	Large	Monstrosity	Sphinx	Lawful Neutral	199	17	Desert	Canon	SRD-OGL v5.1
Gynosphinx	Large	Monstrosity	Sphinx	Lawful Neutral	136	11	Desert	Canon	SRD-OGL v5.1

Sources and Notes

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