D&D (2024) PHB 2024 Creature Reveal: Sphinx of Wonder

[pemerton]

Apparently Sphinxes are Celestials now

I like the Sphinxes going from Monstrosity to Celestial as it further build on the idea of various afterlife's and divine domains

Weird. In 4e D&D sphinxes were immortal - so this seems to be a case of "back to the future"!

 

[Minigiant]

Weird. In 4e D&D sphinxes were immortal - so this seems to be a case of "back to the future"!

Immortal was everything native to the Astral Sea in 4e.

So it included devils, inevitables, and sphinxes.

It's kinda sorta back to the future as it ties them to deities again. But Celestials separates out the artificial and the betrayers.

But not being a monstrosity makes sphinxes regal and not unnatural.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I like the innovative D&D iconography of using images of reallife outerspace to represent the Astral Sea and Astral beings generally, including Celestials. The Theros setting did this, and it works well.

I'll also note the Alchemical symbol on the Sphinx's forehead is Air perhaps a reference to its ability to fly.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I’m glad Sphinxes are Celestials. When I first bought the Monster Manual and read the Sphinx stat blocks I found it mind-boggling that they weren’t Celestials. I hope there are more creature type fixes like that. (Guardian Nagas should also be Celestials, IMO, with Spirit Nagas being Fiends.)

I think in 4e Sphinxes were Immortals too, which was the catch all for Devils, Angels, and the like as well. So the change fits the Lore better.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

I'll also note the Alchemical symbol on the Sphinx's forehead is Air perhaps a reference to its ability to fly.

Within D&D, it's (also?) a symbol associated with Mount Celestia.

 

[Yaarel]

I'll also note the Alchemical symbol on the Sphinx's forehead is Air perhaps a reference to its ability to fly.

I noticed that too!

Until now, I hadnt noticed that the sigil/glyph/logo for Mount Celestia was the alchemical one.

These particular alchemical symbols 🜁 🜃 🜂 🜄 (air, earth, fire, water) derive from the triangles of the Star of David ✡ , aka the Seal of Solomon. So I assume they would have to be fairly modern, do you know anything about their history?


[Edit]:
I didnt find detailed reference, but a passing remark from a credible source suggests these alchemical symbols come from 1600s Europe, the Renaissance. So they would be incorporating Christian Cabala as part of their protoscience, which explains the use of the Star of David. So fairly modern.

By the way, the Star of David is a medieval identification: a rabbinic geometric abstraction of the ancient Mnora, the candelabra with seven branches. Here the six points (relating to the six days of the week and to spirituality) revolve around the seventh point at the center (relating to Shabat the day of rest and to the physical world).

 

[Li Shenron]

View attachment 368355

Here's the new stat block layout.

I think the Reaction section has a small improvement by showing "trigger" and "response" separately. It is more readable and less verbose.

I don't think instead that the online display of save bonuses is that useful. What would have been more useful to me, would have been to keep a "Saves" line similar to skills where only those with different bonuses than just ability score bonuses are shown, but actually incorporating any situational modifiers such as Magic Resistance. Keeping such modifiers in a different section can lead a DM not to notice them and just roll normally.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I think the Reaction section has a small improvement by showing "trigger" and "response" separately. It is more readable and less verbose.

I don't think instead that the online display of save bonuses is that useful. What would have been more useful to me, would have been to keep a "Saves" line similar to skills where only those with different bonuses than just ability score bonuses are shown, but actually incorporating any situational modifiers such as Magic Resistance. Keeping such modifiers in a different section can lead a DM not to notice them and just roll normally.

I actually disagree with the saves being seperate, because then you either need to read both lines, or memorize what creatures get bonuses to their saves. I ran into that a few times where I got used to reading just the ability score line for saves, only to realize mid-way through combat that they had a bonus to that one saving throw type.

I think it reads much better to have all of that combined.

 

[Azzy]

I actually disagree with the saves being seperate, because then you either need to read both lines, or memorize what creatures get bonuses to their saves. I ran into that a few times where I got used to reading just the ability score line for saves, only to realize mid-way through combat that they had a bonus to that one saving throw type.

I think it reads much better to have all of that combined.

I'm inclined to agree.

 

[Li Shenron]

I actually disagree with the saves being seperate, because then you either need to read both lines, or memorize what creatures get bonuses to their saves. I ran into that a few times where I got used to reading just the ability score line for saves, only to realize mid-way through combat that they had a bonus to that one saving throw type.

I think it reads much better to have all of that combined.

I am not sure what you mean, because I pretty much said that what I would prefer is NOT to separate the saves base bonuses (i.e. save proficiencies) from other saves modifiers (e.g. "magic resistance") and that both the 2014 and 2024 stat blocks DO require you to read two different places. These were not combined in the 2014 stat block and are still not combined in the 2024 stat block.