GYNOSPHINX – 5e stats

Large monstrosity (sphinx), lawful neutral

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 136 (16d10 + 48)
Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft.

Proficiency Bonus +4
Proficiency Bonus +7 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)

STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
18 (+4)15 (+2)16 (+3)18 (+4)18 (+4)18 (+4)

Saving Throws (suggested) Str +8, Int +8, Wis +8
Skills Arcana +12, History +12, Perception +8, Religion +8
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Common, Sphinx
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Inscrutable. The sphinx is immune to any effect that would sense its emotions or read its thoughts, as well as any divination spell that it refuses. Wisdom (Insight) checks made to ascertain the sphinx’s intentions or sincerity have disadvantage.

Magic Weapons. The sphinx’s weapon attacks are magical.

Spellcasting. The sphinx is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). It requires no material components to cast its spells. The sphinx has the following wizard spells prepared:

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The sphinx makes two claw attacks.
  • Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The sphinx can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The sphinx regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

  • Claw Attack. The sphinx makes one claw attack.
  • Teleport (Costs 2 Actions). The sphinx magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
  • Cast a Spell (Costs 3 Actions). The sphinx casts a spell from its list of prepared spells, using a spell slot as normal.

5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.

It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it

DESCRIPTION

A gynosphinx is a female sphinx, a creature with the body of a lion, the wings of a falcon, and the head of a humanoid woman. Gynosphinxes are very intelligent and wise, and they love to collect knowledge and ancient lore. They often preside over temples, vaults, or other places where secrets and treasures are hidden. Gynosphinxes have tawny fur and hair, and their facial features can vary from regal and human-like to wild and leonine. They can speak several languages, including Common, Sphinx, and Draconic. Gynosphinxes are not nearly as powerful as androsphinxes, their male counterparts, but they are much more knowledgeable, clever, and wise.

COMBAT

Gynosphinxes are not very aggressive, but they will defend their lairs and their secrets from intruders. They prefer to test their visitors with riddles, puzzles, and mental challenges, and they may reward those who impress them with information or treasure. However, they may also punish those who fail or offend them by attacking them or eating them. Gynosphinxes are capable of casting a number of spells, such as banishment, dispel magic, greater invisibility, and legend lore. They can also create arcane symbols that can cause various effects, such as death, fear, insanity, or sleep. Gynosphinxes have sharp claws that can inflict magical damage, and they can teleport short distances. They are immune to psychic damage and any effect that would sense their emotions or read their thoughts. They also have truesight, which allows them to see through illusions and invisibility.

HABITAT / SOCIETY

Gynosphinxes are solitary creatures that rarely interact with others of their kind. They usually dwell in warm climates, such as deserts or savannas, where they can find ancient ruins or hidden vaults to make their lairs. They may also inhabit other planes of existence, such as the Astral Plane or the Ethereal Plane. Gynosphinxes are very curious and inquisitive, and they seek to learn as much as they can about the world and its history. They may travel to other places or planes in search of knowledge or lore, or they may send their agents or messengers to do so for them. Gynosphinxes are often associated with deities of knowledge, magic, or secrets, such as Dugmaren Brightmantle, Vergadain, or Isis. They may serve these deities as guardians, emissaries, or advisors.

Gynosphinxes are solitary by nature, but not by choice. They spend most of their lives avoiding the advances of criosphinxes (which they detest) and hieracosphinxes (which they fear), and searching high and low for an androsphinx. Gynosphinxes own the dubious distinction of being the only female sphinx. A gynosphinx mated with an androsphinx will produce another androsphinx or gynosphinx (even chances for both). A gynosphinx mated with a criosphinx only produces another male criosphinx, while mating with a hieracosphinx produces similarly displeasing results.

Fortunately, gynosphinxes are much smarter than all of their counterparts and can avoid otherwise compromising situations through trickery and outright deceit. Unfortunately, they are among the slowest of the sphinxes when flying or running, and the lustful criosphinx and vicious hieracosphinx rarely give up the chase once a gynosphinx has been located.

ECOLOGY

Gynosphinxes are carnivorous creatures that feed on meat from various sources. They may hunt animals in their territories, or they may prey on humanoids that trespass on their lairs. They may also accept offerings of food from those who wish to gain their favor or appease them. Gynosphinxes are long-lived creatures that can survive for centuries or even millennia. They reproduce by mating with other sphinxes, usually androsphinxes, who share their intelligence and wisdom. The offspring of a gynosphinx and an androsphinx is always a gynosphinx