Dungeons and Dragons Lore: Sphinx

[@graydogger5711]

Sphinx: The Dummy thicc desert lady!

[@EvelynNdenial]

that last little bit about other forces showing up when the players start making progress solving riddles and exploring the site. i can just imagine the party answers the first riddle and a wizard teleports in behind them, nice guy but just insists the party ignores them, then they answer the second riddle and as they're mulling over the third a lesser devil pops in, then his boss shows up, then an angel, then some demons. all of them leave the party completely alone to let them get on with opening up the place but start arguing with each other and eventually start a free for all battle raging right behind the party. the sphinx of course also ignores all this and demands that party continue answering the riddles even setting a timer before it will just kill them. the more time the party wastes not only making the sphinx more impatient but also letting the battle behind them grow, more and more of every planar force porting in and going at it until the whole building starts coming down from the battle collateral damage.

[@AJPickett]

Heh! This is a great idea.

[@jacobfreeman5444]

Just because something doesn't sleep doesn't mean it cannot rest. Maybe flavor it as entering a torpor that they snap out of as soon as they sense anything, with no penalty to their perception.

[@AJPickett]

This largely describes my sleeping patterns.

[@hangryisangry427]

Would this be something doable: a very high level wizard or sorcerer needs something from a gynosphinx, be it information, artifacts, maps, tutelage, etc. In exchange for this item, the sorcerer agrees to polymorph or true polymorph into an androsphinx and mate with the gynosphinx. Or, she could offer this up as the deal and the wizard would be required to agree.

[@AJPickett]

Whatever floats your boat man, just hang a sock on the door.

[@aria5614]

You always inspire me to make a Homebrew AJ. A group of Adventurers, some preferably from an old campaign, seek out a Sphinx because supposedly she is terrorizing a village, keeping it isolated. Sort of the same idea as Theseus and Thebes. They challenge her, completely unaware of her abilities and when they fail her tests she turns them all into babies, while simultaneously having time flow backward ten years. She drops the babies off in the village she "was terrorizing" for the adventurers to grow up again and waits for them to return. This gives them all a chance to change alignment or class before starting the adventure again. At age 11, as the village culture dictates for all orphaned delivered by the Sphynx they all climb up the mountain to find out who they were in their past lives. She goes much, much easier on them this time and when they succeed turn them back into adults and show them who they used to be. More character sheet changes, before she sends them off on some epic adventure depending on the choices made in their two lives.

[@eldarhighelfhealermiriella7653]

Me: Stand ups in front of the Sphinx: "I'ts ok. I know why you do this but even thou that dosen't give you the rigth to keep these people in a jail. I can see you, your loneliness in your eyes! Dosen't have to have so much power to see through you! You are here alone, in this mountian with no one by your side, keeping us as your childdren, because that's wat you want. A companion to pass the flow of time. All that power, all that knowladge... with no use at all. You say your are as sphinx, a superior beeing, but deep in your heart you are as human as all of we are, envious of death dath will never arrive to you. You wanna change all of this, I know you want to do it...you just don't how....Then allow us to pass on, I personally will found a companion to you. Some of your kind to pass the waves of time together, but within the condition to free us and these people from your slavery. We could be as your cubs to you...but cubs also grow up."

[@matthill5426]

I once had a pirate ship campaign where one of the NPCs was a siege engineer/ carpenter. After an attack by a Heirakospynx, the players quickly added a ballista to the deck of their ship to deal with pesky flying enemies! Obviously in an Egyptian-themed setting, sphynxes will be keeping company with stone golems (giant Egyptian statuary), dust devils, possibly trading riddles with Djinnis and Efreeti to while away their immortality, possibly ensuring that no one wakes up the mummies, etc. Traps would of course include flesh-eating scarab beetles, asps such as those that killed Cleopatra, crushing blocks designed by sadistic architects, stone plates that slide over doors trapping characters inside, rooms that fill with sand instead of water, etc. Sphynxes themselves may have some influence on the cyclic flooding of rivers necessary for agriculture, or have contact with the entities that do. (Side note, mummies have always bugged me in D&D. The top-tier mummies are the necromancer-priests and God-Kings of their lands, and their primary vulnerability should be their carefully hidden- and secured canopic jars containing their vital organs! Think, a lich's phylactery, but with several of them. Destroying one has crippling effects on the mummy [destroying the brain jar removes spellcasting, for instance], but you have to destroy them all to completely kill it.) Back onto sphynxes, the Aztecs and Mayans had all manner of animal-headed gods, and it seems any number of sphynx variants could be made to simulate an Ancient Central American theme. I'd be curious to do some research there, and come up with monsters of similar power level, but different heads and magic.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

Maybe it has ways to reharvest the organs it's lost from the jars from unwilling donors to regain it's powers? 👍

[@matthill5426]

@@thedarkmaster4747 That's a good idea too, more in line with The Mummy movie with Brendan Fraser, though Imhotep was taking the organs from any random person to regenerate himself. Either way, I always thought the canopic jars should be a major factor in using greater mummies (arch-mummies?) in a game.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

Matt Hill He was just sucking their faces... XD Have you ever seen that hand surgery stuff? Like where "apparently" they don't use any tools, they just "go in" in a sudden violent motion - like their using a weird version of dimension door or something. I think that would be a good way for the mommy to remove organs as it fits the whole theme. The whole "No you, you know too much! Things nobody should ever know!" Trope, that mummies have, being timeless undead from the dessert.

[@ReunionMana]

20:41 I like this as an idea for a campaign though. The first fight is vs. a Sphinx, and they use the time change thing then kick the party out of their lair only for the group to realize it's ten years later and have to do a back to the future moment and search for someone who can cast a wish spell.

[@feralmagick7177]

I love that picture of the gyno sphynx with her babies!!!

[@MythosTheSophist]

To me, sphinxes are part-elementals the way dragons are part-elementals. A dragon might embody fire or ice, but a sphinx embodies time, that's the magic flowing inside it. Maybe the reason why we have not received much of an official origin is because they are monsters of time. They have existed since forever and they might always be. Or they're just Time Lords, that would be fun.

[@ericnox2069]

Ya know , I have never used one of these before. Most of my parties avoid the desert because Blues. Might have to rethink this. Thanks for the video.

[@AJPickett]

They are just as likely to be found in any warm climate, so, jungles, temperate woodlands, etc.

[@ericnox2069]

@@AJPickett I will have to keep this in mind. Thanks.

[@kyleellis9177]

Since sphinxes have such an mystic feel i have given mine an aditional set of feline legs for a total of 6. another set of wings for 4 total and a human torso more like a centaur with a pair of humanesque arms.

[@zacharyhawley1693]

Always convince the bard to seduce the sphinx. It gets so lonely in the forlorn places.

[@dragonlord498]

Images of bard half breed memes comes too mind

[@manuelcamara6400]

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, FAVORITE D&D MONSTER!

[@davidfletcher6703]

So, the sphinx from Dragon Dogma 2 would be a Gynosphinx

[@AJPickett]

Yessir

[@AJPickett]

@@AncientRylanor69 The mating situation

[@Jartopia]

I'm fascinated by sphinx, harpies, manticores and other ancient creatures. Great video.

[@Pandaemoni]

At least as I read "Lair Actions, the sphinx can't use a PARTICULAR effect more than once until it has rested, but it can use more than one Lair Action in the same combat (from among the four listed effects). So it could agethe characters in round one, then reset the initiatives on round two, for example. I am not a bog fan of the time travel effect, but I suppose it could be fun to let the party see how things turned out after they disappeared for ten years. It could also be a fun way to let them right some wrong. I'd just hate to use it on a lark. To be clear, nothing "ends the campaign". Even if the "bad guys have won" because the party wasn't there to stop them, the party can now act, maybe at a disadvantage or maybe with a mix of advantages and disadvantages. In the right campaign, it could be fun...or it could be that the party is trying to find someone who can move them through time.

[@lordswagimusii8222]

Wow that bit about the sphynxes used to hoard the rod of seven parts was an idea I was going to use in my campaign and here it is. Very cool, definitely going to now.

[@aria5614]

Humaniod male sphynx: I am focused on my duties and want to preserve the race. Also Humaniod male Sphynx: I don't like company and especially don't like children.

[@Randomdudefromtheinternet]

(2:29) Ginosphynx: Hey Frodo, It's Thursday, time for your 🦆 flattening 😏

[@observantowl1726]

Idea: A Sphinx ruling over a tribe of kobolds!

[@fhuber7507]

19:00 Natural 20 for non-combat: If a natural 20 does not succeed, then there was no point in having the player roll the die. If a natural 1 can't fail then there's no point in having he player roll either. If success is possible, a natural 20 succeeds. If failure is possible, a natural 1 fails. Regardless of bonuses or lack of bonuses. *********** Player: I want to standing broad jump over the Grand Canyon using my 20 Dex, Expertiese in acrobatics and advantage due to bardic inspiration. DM: Do not roll, you manage to throw yourself off a cliff, I don't have enough dice for the damage. (I have 40 pounds of D6s)

[@AJPickett]

Agreed.

[@thundasc]

The first thing that came to my mind when you mentioned the lair action to move forward or backward in time was to have a sphinx inform the players that an ally of theirs will come to power and become a tyrant, the sphinx could transport them to a future where this is the case and make them all invisible to allow them to observe the ally's elite guard (shadow monks who disappear dissenters) and his paranoid decrees (the gates will be opened for 10 minutes twice a day and everyone entering or leaving will need to report themselves and their civilian ID number, if they don't have one one will need to be assigned after completing a 4 page questionnaire and then submitting to a zone of truth before being asked if "Everything you've written is true and pertains to you?"). Once they returned to their own time it would be interesting to see if they cause this future by turning on the ally or spur any paranoia by being caught snooping around or asking probing questions out of nowhere while being evasive about the reasoning (the sphinx will insist on secrecy on pain of death at the hands of an even worse future). Maybe that was the outcome the sphinx truly desired, maybe not, maybe whatever outcome happens was it's true desire all along. This feels like something that would work well as a background layer to a campaign that was intended to have some good jumps of downtime so that things could develop long term.

[@kevinbarber2795]

23:55 UMMMMM, that’s a good looking Sphinx! Idk why but I immediately thought of her as a secretary, perhaps in some strange sitcom.

[@yossiharr]

The power to reduce the age would make them highly sought after by those who seek immortalty not to mention what they could charge for it

[@That80sGuy1972]

A definite Potion of Longevity component quest. Or, at least, a crux to solve... like a Sphinx riddle.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

That would have near religious levels of influence.

[@yossiharr]

@@thedarkmaster4747 indeed many would demand worship in exchange for youth

[@Krishnath.Dragon]

My favorite sphinx in media is Phix from the Wapsi Square webcomic (her granddaughter is pretty awesome as well). As for Sphinxes in my D&D campaign (3.5/Pathfinder1e), there is one that stands out, mostly because of how odd she is compared to other Gynosphinxes. First of all, she is massive (huge size), and heavily built with thick legs and large paws, and covered in thick white fur, she also has some manticore blood in her, so her tail ends in a stinger that allows her to flick a volley of spikes a few times each day if needed. Secondly, she lives in a system of caves quite a fair bit up a several miles high stone pillar in the middle of a massive tundra. She is, for all intents and purposes, the only Sphinx on the continent, and she enjoys occasionally hunting the local megafauna. She is quite friendly towards humanoids and the local giants see her as a wind spirit, and sometimes leave small gifts to her at the base of the pillar (which she quite enjoys, particularly the wines made from various tundra berries). She collects books and scrolls, and when asked, she simply says she enjoys reading. She is also quite willing to aid those who manage to make their way up to her lair, provided they are willing to undertake a small quest for her first. Despite her friendly demeanor, and willingness to answer questions (honestly, she's just happy to have someone to talk to), she absolutely, positively, refuses to answer any question about why she lives in the middle of a tundra. Her name is Ankhatra the Zephyr, and she is the reason that there are very few true dragon on and around the tundra.

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

I world luv to see a fight between buraq/yingzhao, glycon or Hatuibwari, jinmenkin, lamassu and a sphinx

[@Naxthural]

A Sphinx can easily be a campaign-long NPC, provided that your players behave, with a reward all the way at the end of the long, arduous tasks and riddles they can throw at you.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

*pictures an old wizard who's skin covered with several dousens worth of arcane tomes in scars, failing a to solve a riddle in a sphynx's lair. Only to leave with an agonizing gift of youth and mental plasticity as the child the sphynx said he is, landing back in his school as an alternative to being eaten.* 10:20 Humans might not have the bite force of a lion, but it's still incredible - not that most animals don't have an incredible bite force. Human teeth aren't really up for the job though, but lion teeth - in a human skull. I wouldn't so easily discount that.

[@michaelkelligan7931]

Excellent video AJ,good to roleplay as well as a great topic of discussion!

[@That80sGuy1972]

Great video AJ. I love Sphinxes. Well, the Gynosphinx and Androsphinx. One of my biggest hobbies is riddles, so... guess how I usually used them. I also love. as background noise, have the party find a Sphinx home by them rolling a random encounter... Manticore. If it's in a Sphinx's territory, high odds of them seeing the encounter as a fight between the Sphinx and Manticore... with the Sphinx completely owning the Manticore. Also, I'm old as dirt. I think I would love 5e's Sphinx. I'm a 2nd ed guy. My Sphinxes are home-brewed up to be what they should be.

[@sarahcohen5749]

With no opposable thumbs how does a gynosphinx attach jewelry or braid hair?

[@AJPickett]

They get their food to do it for them before it dies.

[@UNSCMarine117]

Force abilitys.

[@FleetfootMike]

Mage hand.

[@snorgonofborkkad]

AJ Pickett Harsh.

[@markgoodwin5918]

LOLz. Not harsh at all. Just one of the first tasks she demands. Seems simple at first, but I just love being the nasty DM of, "You bastards have taken me on so many left turns every damn night, my turn." And watch how they try to figure out how to clean and brush the hair. In the desert. By adventurers who don't have the first clue. Hope someone's sister or crush wanted to play. :D

[@aidbotwoody939]

Sphinxes are one of the best creatures in the entire lore of DND

[@Greenscyth22]

Anybody else thinking of Enid the Sphinx from the Paul Kidd books? I loved that she was still big enough to eat the characters alive, but feminine enough to be charmed by flattering her scroll work.

[@seamusfish7009]

Here wuz Seamus!

[@ericironcrow8291]

So what you’re saying is essentially as a humanoid you could live forever by going and making a pact with his sphinx to reverse your age …..

[@fhuber7507]

4:00 that one's wings are on backward.... to turn a bird's wings that way would shatter their "shoulders"

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

Good thing they are _supernatural,_ so that shouldn't be an issue.

[@AJPickett]

Yeah, that is a weird angle.

[@derskalde4973]

This just gave me the idea to, at some point, try and create, or maybe even play, as a Half-Sphinx. Maybe using the Leonin as kind of a template, able to cast some kind of _disguise self_ on themself basically permanently, with their true form appearing mostly like a biped, humanoid Lion with a human head, with maybe somewhat feline, lion-like features, more paw-like hands and feet, and most of the body covered in a short, soft fur, maybe even the face featuring a bit of very short, fluffy fuzz, like on a Peach. Maybe they could even have vestigal wings, enabling them to glide at most. The end goal could be to uncover their origins, the how and why of their existence.

[@chandlerpearce6213]

I just made an encounter with a gynosphinx who has animate statues made from compact sand that are similar to ancient statues of there gods: lion headed, jackal headed, hawk headed, etc people.

[@thevoidcritter]

Elves don't sleep either (even if they trance.) I just rule that for creatures that don't require sleep or any kind of equivalent, a long rest is spent doing any sort of light activity and taking it easy.

[@AJPickett]

That is the primary activity of a Sphinx :D

[@GMspiration]

Ugh... need to do the dishes... so boring... *casually flips on KZbin* new AJ Picket video, F@%K Yeah! *grabs a dish cloth*

[@AJPickett]

You may roll to scrub with advantage.

[@sw33n3yto00]

I have now watched all of your videos and left a like. Need more!!

[@Ratt611]

Great monster as a set piece! Loved the vid!

[@keykeeper8167]

Given my world has a massive god war in its history these creatures were likely created after that war for more or less the same purpose. However if I ever run them I will have to tone down their lair actions because time traveling magic was expressly forbidden by the two beings who created the universe. They specifically built it so time travel can’t happen cause this DM doesn’t want any quantum headaches. Perhaps another way to get on the gynosphinx’s good side without treasure is if you know where an Androsphinx is currently? You may not make friends with the Andro but it’s an option.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

KeyKeeper 816 Built the same thing into the universe i made/am making. I love the terminator universe, but as a writter, my brain doesn't have infinite raam. ⏳😵⌛⌚⏱⏲🕰🌍⚙💣🤪🧠💥

[@thejollypirate5669]

Spectacular explained lore! 👍

[@AJPickett]

Yarr, I thank ye mate.

[@thejollypirate5669]

Arrh ye welcome Matey! 😄

[@stripeybag6977]

How to convince an Androsphinx to let you pass. "B!t@hes man." or "If she breathes she's a THOT." The best part is how lore friendly it would be to say this too and he'll get it.

[@AJPickett]

I'm not sure that would translate in the Thorass dialects that make up the common tongue of Faerun.

[@echedp8903]

The lair action the sphinx shifts itself and up to seven creatures to a different plane makes no mention of them being willing. I would play that as written. You fight a sphinx in it's lair, it can send everyone to hell if it wants. Give your players good warning that they can do this and think through how it could play out.

[@AJPickett]

How would you give your players warning that the sphinx can do this?

[@Dragonspassage]

@@AJPickett you should research a creature in game before you fight it. If the players don't thats their fault

[@thedarkmaster4747]

AJ Pickett have a devil from hell beguile them with the riches of the said sphynx. 😈👻🤑

[@AJPickett]

@@Dragonspassage that's not what I asked you.

[@echedp8903]

@@AJPickett in my current game they are currently simply at odds with a sphinx(one character wants revenge so I'm sure they will fight it at some point). This sphinx is REALLY old to the point where it hasn't gotten closer to death because it can't age, but its mind has gone so it has lost control of time and space, causing dinosaurs to pop up in the area and some other random stuff. So they were well aware it could control time and places just from that. They then asked a lich for help(it's an evil campaign) and he informed them they would be mad to fight a sphinx in its lair because that's where it can summon the powers of the planes and time against them. So, they are well warned. Of course I wouldn't use the plane shift to instant kill anyone. I would plan things out if they do decide to fight the thing in its home.

[@nullvoid4063]

Nailed it as always AJ!

[@AJPickett]

Thanks Null! long time no see :)

[@jeremygriffin620]

Fantastic stuff brother! But I don't recall the reason for the controversy.

[@kevinchristiansen4348]

I love the sphinx. The best riddles of all

[@maggintons]

This is probaly a good way to spook level 20 players who keep winning against everything.

[@briancorvello3620]

Riddle me this, Riddle me that....

[@mattnerdy7236]

Hey AJ, I think you said D&D doesn't state where the Sphinx comes from. I did a lil search, all I could find is they are spiritual guardians. Egyptian sphinx is only male & the greek sphinx is only female. And the sphinx head is either a king or a god. (For D&D) I think they are made by the gods and can be summoned with magic to serve or guard (maybe?). Thanks AJ & have a great day.

[@mikemccoy5092]

3.5 weirdness was awesome

[@briancorvello3620]

2:30 Where'd you get that illustration from?

[@AJPickett]

Pinterest

[@Jader7777]

This is art from Pathfinder, I'm fairly certain it is used in the Pathfinder Bestiary books, but also appears in some adventure books. I have a feeling it is in the Mummy's Mask Adventure Path.

[@chriscalvin5083]

Good video AJ

[@dr.calibrations7984]

"It's not my job to play politics." Thank you A.J. we're here to play games about plucky heros fighting scary monsters not to talk about how X political person is a poopy pants.

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

Politics is a fantasy RPG too. Some people forget it's a game and actually take it seriously, though.

[@Plokman040]

Hmm I just thought of a nice quest for a campaign, the Party run across a Gyno Sphinx (that spelled right?) Who has for years wanted a Daughter to raise, unlike most she wants to raise it she has a more human mind set on it due to some quirk. But she know that most natural born Sphinx are male. She needs the parties help finding a way to circumvent such problem, as even with her wise mind she knows no way yet. Could result in finding a scroll of true Polymorph which would grant her permanent shape change much like a Song Dragon. (or was that mist, you know what I mean)

[@doobiesmoke15]

OMG thank you for this

[@draxthemsklonst]

Cherubs "used to be" sphinxes.

[@dragonballtalk8527]

Isperia is bigger then a building and is a guild boss in.ravinca dnd game setting book from public library

[@stripeybag6977]

No she's a decaying statue underground.

[@dragonballtalk8527]

@@stripeybag6977 I'm looking at the ravinca book the image of isperia is a giant building sized spinx

[@AJPickett]

She's on the 'roids. Swole Sphinx

[@styrax7280]

@@stripeybag6977 dragon ball talk is refering to the guildmaster's guide to Ravinica, which is set before Vraska became the Golgari Guildmaster (and before she killed Isera). @ dragon ball talk Stripey Mag is refering to the MTG Story progressed through the cards, novels and shortstories. The were some major shake-ups to ravinica and the guilds.

[@MsGhoulz]

How's the standard sphinx hunt? Cast spells on prey, or just scratch their butt until they die?

[@AJPickett]

That scratch is more than enough to kill a regular antelope is one swipe, they are more powerful than a tiger.

[@dragonlord498]

riddle me this what walks like a cat, fiercely guards treasure and has seen the rise and fall of empires BUT IS NOT A DRAGON!!

[@whiterabbit75]

Manticore. :P

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

A type of golem, yet of a higher tier, master even, these creatures are very valuable to master wizards,

[@HowtoRPG]

Thanks AJ.

[@thefox347]

Necromancer class video anyone?

[@DkKombo]

I can imagine my drow being stranded on another plane, annoying a sphinx too much after gaining after her (my drow goes between a horndog sadistic pervert to noble and loving patriachal figure) and me rerolling another character. At that point, a piece of the slime that coalesced with another slime starts to gain intelligence thanks to the various fluids interacting with each other and now I have a slime boi. Meanwhile, my drow has to find a way to get back...

[@thedarkmaster4747]

Maybe she could guide him back, telepathically via some means. Giving him clues and tips via the filthiest riddles, sexually tormenting him all the way home.

[@DkKombo]

@@thedarkmaster4747 "You wanna talk dirty? Fine! I'll show you dirty!!" *gets teleported between the earth and water plane right in th I some mud* "Now if you don't want to be pushed through someone's prick you better get out if this plane real quick!"

[@DkKombo]

I should clarify: My drow, after experimentation, produces a slime from his body that inhibits various elements and is able to be actively telepathically and magically manipulated, gaining him lots of abilities and versatility in not just battle but in a lot of things...

[@thedarkmaster4747]

DkXboxer So basically he's maxed out on "soul corruption"?(To be honest, i have characters just as diabolically debauched.) But yeah pretty much like that, more adventures in more places with an immortal guide. Distant, seductive and eternally out of reach - the one "conquest" that's beyond even him. A sort of existential gravity giving contrast and levity to his overwhelming virility.

[@DkKombo]

@@thedarkmaster4747 More like a trickster making sure he learns and utilizes everything he can even if they be odd, with some genuinely goals that happen to fall into the more "noble" category if only to make sure he isn't bothered by twitty little no-neck do-gooders that dont realize the gravity of their actions. I'm still working on it, pretty new to D&D but love the lore. Hes only sexually charged because he was basically forced into sexual servitude by a falling apart family but being a drow he took advantage of this. He genuinely cared about his sister before she was turned into a drider by actually sacrificing herself for him because of his stupidity (hes actually kind of autistic or magically altered or whatever he just thinks different I havent decided yet) and so he vows to never be taken advantage of again and due to this trauma hes always seemingly cocky and confident but secretly cunning and observant. This kind of underlies his whole motivations and in his twisted mind of way trying to prove his way of living is superior, that kindness in utility is better than cruelty in weakness. It's kind of a self insert now that I think about it...but what character isn't? Any advice on how to avoid that? I kind of want to make him more original if possible.

[@keykeeper8167]

You see, if I tried to introduce the rod of seven parts my players would never take it seriously and drown it in Dragon Ball references.

[@SupCom78]

Great vid verry informative.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

Isn’t a Hieracosphinx just a big Gryphon?

[@MRDicristofaro]

no . they look very alike but thats where it ends .

[@AJPickett]

That would be a fairly fatal mistake for a character to make.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

AJ Pickett I’ve always wondered if the animal headed sphinxes shared the intellect of the human headed ones. This pretty much answers that. I’ve only ever used the Andro- and Gyno- variants.

[@bhatfield1417]

Maybe I'm a fool, but this time I feel like the vid lacked a bit of your usual pizzaz

[@AJPickett]

oh? Hmmm, might have been a bit of mid-winter sleepy voice.

[@bhatfield1417]

@@AJPickett It was still fine. Perhaps I just wanna know how you'd use these monsters.

[@jgr7487]

Nat 20s don't apply in non-combat rolls, they just mean a 20 against the DC.

[@Jader7777]

Unless the GM says otherwise.

[@jgr7487]

@@Jader7777 when I DM...

[@trequor]

@@Jader7777 House rules are fine, but you should admit that they are house rules. I think it's good design to have critical success and failure attributed only to hits/misses on attack rolls. Not everything has a 5% chance of total success

[@Dimizar]

Sphinx Lich, make the 3rd roar a death spell instead of lightning damage.

[@AJPickett]

Thunder is sonic damage (I think Thunder is needlessly confusing, to be fair)

[@jacobfreeman5444]

Why would a Sphinx would want to be a lich?

[@thedarkmaster4747]

1:20 Mystified/mystisized? Show me what that word is, or atleast what the route of that word is?

[@AJPickett]

mysticized was what I was trying to say (my brain rolled a 1)

[@draxthemsklonst]

en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/mysticize#English

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

The Dark master I believe he meant to say “Mystifacated”. It’s from the George W. Bush edition of Webster’s dictionary.

[@draxthemsklonst]

@@Im-Not-a-Dog Don't "misunderestimate" AJ. Getting nostalgic over here.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

Not a Dog The guy who got a shoe thrown at him? That bush?

[@jeremiahgriffin9521]

Are there any sphinx/human cross-breeds? Just asking since humans seem to be able to cross-breed with anything.

[@AJPickett]

Not so far as I am aware.

[@jeremiahgriffin9521]

@@AJPickett worth asking, I guess. I'm not aware of any either, but your research is always pretty thorough.

[@johngleeman8347]

I wonder if a lamia or wemic might be able to create a hybrid with a sphinx.

[@AJPickett]

There is no lore to support that in my research so far.

[@adreabrooks11]

I think the biggest issues with that would be logistical. Gynosphinxes are the size of large horses, so insemination attempts would need to be... creative. The male sphinx types are even larger, so... ouch. Then again, there's no reason for them *not* to exist in your campaign - perhaps through magical means of genesis.

[@lucasdurham-styles3169]

ooo! a sphinx video!

[@smile-tl9in]

Why do wotc have a problem with sphinxes now ?

[@angrygardengnome8383]

SJW stuff about race and cultural appropriation most likely.

[@smile-tl9in]

@@angrygardengnome8383 i ask for a real answer. A link. Not an NPC rambling.

[@saeyabor]

The answer is literally "SJW stuff" about how significant gender is to a sphinx's character.

[@angrygardengnome8383]

@@saeyabor I miss when it was only the boomer Christian right who demanded DND modify fantasy creatures to fit their worldview. At least the Satanic Panic crowd sucked enough at culture war to eventually lose interest. They could be placated, and arguably were by changing demons and devils in the lore then (mostly) reverting them later. The SJW moral panic is arguably worse because they are never satisfied. If they get what they want they smell weakness and will only push harder. They have more sympathisers with money and influence than the nutty church crowd and are utterly convinced of their own righteousness. Even if they'd never play DND themselves they will brigade it till it forces their beliefs onto those that do. It sucks.

[@whiterabbit75]

@@saeyabor Not to mention the implied rape when a gynosphinx meets a crioshpinx or heiracosphinx.

[@mrc3885]

Mythologized.

[@erikmartin4996]

Audio?

[@hypatiaatheiria5868]

a species with no females? - not in my game

[@hypatiaatheiria5868]

unless of course they spring out of spilt blood or some other non sexual mechanism

[@AJPickett]

@@Im-Not-a-Dog Lets not make jokes about it please.

[@AJPickett]

They are all the same species, so, not sure why the comment.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

AJ Pickett Taken down.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

But what about Azor though??

[@AJPickett]

Azor, the Lawbringer?

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

AJ Pickett He’s basically the only named Sphinx in D&D.(I’m counting Ravnica as both D&D and MTG.) How does he fit into Sphinx mythology?

[@AJPickett]

@@Im-Not-a-Dog There is a named sphinx on the world of Abeir that lives inside the mind of a Dawn Era fire primordial that lives in the center of the world's version of Waterdeep.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

AJ Pickett Ok. I don’t know much about Abeir. But on that note, is that Sphinx just a mental entity or does it still have a physical form aside from the primordial it’s inhabiting? Either way, the fact that it can control a Primordial speaks volumes as to its relative power level.

[@draxthemsklonst]

@@Im-Not-a-Dog He's probably Equilorian.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

The Sphinx: where Micheal Jackson got the idea for his nose job.

[@trequor]

A long rest doesn't entail sleep

[@AmigoRoberto]

I've yet to run a sphinx in my games. I feel like 5e really did a good job with them because, to me, they actually have that "sacred" feel. I dont want to misrepresent the species. If we believe the stat block a sphinx can find you in the real world. Dont disrespect them. Ps. Your theory about their origins absolutely jives with me. Remnants of the primordial war talked with guarding the weapons from that war. Delicious.

[@landphil7535]

So the females love gold and knowledge of gold? Surprising.

[@draxthemsklonst]

The value of gold: the only metal that does not oxidize/rust and most acids have no effect on it. It's unique.

[@smile-tl9in]

about as much as the males do. Unsurprising.

[@doobiesmoke15]

So what was the problematic issue with sphinxes?

[@greekfood6246]

Beast and rape I'm guessing.

[@kendrickrochelanzot2053]

Riddles, nah idk

[@nomnomgoblin8901]

I think it's the idea of the gynosphinx, or the woman, being greedy and vicious who only wants to eat or get gold. Also the androsphinx being noble and stronger.

[@brettperry6655]

Keep identity politics out of gaming!

[@SophiaAstatine]

@@nomnomgoblin8901 Or that the hiracosphixes reproduce by raping Gynosphinxes.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

*re likes AJ vid* Honestly and earnestly what i would give(besides my one singular personal immortal soul. 🤓📜✒👿) for someone to move the state of youtube 10 atleast years back into the past.

[@justoutofframemoviereviews656]

It likes...riddles?

[@dragonballtalk8527]

Audio a little off lots of hssss.magic the gathering got big giant sphinxs goliath spinx 8/7 I think

[@AJPickett]

good to know, mic was too close to my face.

[@dragonballtalk8527]

@@AJPickett sorry for sounding rude just letting u know I guess

[@AJPickett]

@@dragonballtalk8527 Hey you know I greatly appreciate ALL feedback, it is how I improve the channel.

[@dragonballtalk8527]

@@AJPickett as long as u don't get mad I'm happy

[@Dimizar]

the reason why the lesser sphinx seek out the female sphinx is for their tongue "spell", iykwim.

[@matheusbento363]

yaaz

[@tatsusama3192]

5:00 . . . That's a Mt. Lion not a lion lion! FAKE NEWS

[@AJPickett]

Don't kitty shame.

[@SomeThing-zt2by]

so, learn a dog. nice... super edit: If you saw a cat mwahahaha. Devil: Juggle punk! human: BUT I NEED A MOUSE.

[@shalomcollege6482]

My character was sold into a mercenary army at the age of seven and know it a grown adult(30). The mercenary army is owned by a female Sphinx and her seven daughters who sell their mercenary services to kings, lords and wizards. But after a couple weeks of playing a campaign with this character I was thinking what would happen if a human would marry a sphinx?

[@shalomcollege6482]

@@thurismundbotheric7598 HOHO!

[@AJPickett]

I would not marry a lion, even if it could talk.

[@shalomcollege6482]

@@AJPickett Why? (just curious)

[@tonlito22]

Probably some sort of plainstouched like an assimar I guess.

[@shalomcollege6482]

@@tonlito22 Interesting.

[@jackiesantos2121]

Ariel finest the Sphinx Less Fun really don't care for beans they're really that hard to kill wake up doomguy from Doom help you

[@thedarkmaster4747]

*Doomguy gets stuck in a time loop, and goes insane from an eternity of unsatiated bloodlust*🎸🎵🎶

[@tyrecies]

nice

[@DkKombo]

Man sphinx are op. And I thought my oc drow was op...

[@ironreed2654]

Did...did you edit a bar over a statues genitals?...come on Aj are you the 12 century church now adding fig leafs too statues? Being family friendly is fine but theirs a line...I couldn't even pay attention after seeing that silliness.

[@AJPickett]

WoTC removed the breasts on the Gynosphinx, if you watched the rest of the vid, you will clearly see, I refuse to do that, I put the censor bars on that one image for the very reason you are reacting to.. it IS silly, I AGREE with you.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

I sometimes like to imagine the reverse case. Take mortal kombat 11 as the ultimate example of our current state - where in that place violence is instead censored and sex is instead as explicit as you wouldn't like.

[@ironreed2654]

@@AJPickett Will give it a 2nd chance then, after the Succubus and Harpy videos I was worried you gave into a vocal minority

[@ironreed2654]

@@thedarkmaster4747 I mean porn is both easily available and getting... creative but I get what you mean. Like the Summer Isles in a Song of Ice and Fire.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

Iron Reed It's still taboo in the zeitgeist, as to say - violent horror movies are neigh on wholesome. Injury detail included - fictional be they may. Well not really, you mean where missandei's from? I mean more like the crazy slave pleasure retreats in ASOIAF that needs daenerys like how how slaanesh's internet history bar needs jesus. The whole caligula's island trope dialled up to 11k, but violence is seen as quintessentially spiritually "unclean". They would see a sword the same way we'd see a dildo.

[@floppa2154]

мне понравилось ! накрутка лайка и комментарий , для алгоритмов ютуба =)

[@azuritet3]

Had to stop watching halfway through. Video needs deessing.

[@AJPickett]

Needs what?

[@azuritet3]

@@AJPickett Deessing to remove the painful sharp S sound: a plosive phoneme that seems to bother me more than it bothers other people. I normally use Ears Audio Toolkit on my end to process streaming audio, but for some reason the audio in this video just didn't want to play nice.

[@mikewaterfield3599]

AJ the world has gone insane. It’s why now more than ever we need our gaming escapes. Anyone who thinks D&D isn’t woke enough is insane. Guygax’s theme was never say never. It can be as mundane or crazy as the DM likes.

[@razzelmire2008]

I don’t get it. What changed with the Sphinx besides its abilities and it being stronger than before? I’m not seeing any change made by it due to social pressure?

[@nicolaskupernobrega7123]

@@razzelmire2008 I think the art at around 15:00 is 5th edition. Did you see how they took the boobies away? They took the boobies away, so the world has gone insane. It wasn't throughout any of the genocides, corporate scandals or what have you, but now, now they took our boobies away. Insane.