In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game Sphinxes are a type of magical beast related to manticores. The four most common subraces of sphinx are the androsphinx, criosphinx, gynosphinx, and hieracosphinx.

Publication history

The sphinx was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

The sphinx was introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-gods & Heroes (1976).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

The sphinx appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), which introduces the four main types: the androsphinx, the criosphinx, the gynosphinx, and the hieracosphinx.

The luposphinx appears in "The Dragon's Bestiary" column in Dragon #119 (March 1987).

Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)

This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the sphinx, in the Dungeons & Dragons Master Rules (1985), in the "Master DM's Book". It was also presented as a player character class in Top Ballista (1989) and later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

The androsphinx, criosphinx, gynosphinx, and hieracosphinx appear first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989), and are reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).

The dracosphinx was introduced for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting in the supplement Old Empires (1990), and later appeared in ''Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two (1995).

The astrosphinx appeared for the Spelljammer campaign setting in the Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix II (1991).

The sphinx is further detailed in Dragon #244 (February 1998), in "The Ecology of the Sphinx."

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

The androsphinx, criosphinx, gynosphinx, and hieracosphinx appear in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

The androsphinx, criosphinx, gynosphinx, and hieracosphinx appear in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).

The canisphinx, the crocosphinx, the saurosphinx, and the threskisphinx appear in Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand (2005).

The loquasphinx appears in the Tome of Magic: Pact, Shadow, and Truename Magic (2006).

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

The sphinx appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008).

Types

• Androsphinxes - wise, good male creatures with the heads of male humans with leonine manes, who can cast spells
• Astrosphinx - Malevolent sphinxes whose heads resemble goat skulls
• Canisphinx - jackal-headed, predatory sphinxes
• Criosphinxes - male ram-headed sphinxes with low intelligence and generally the sole aim of finding a gynosphinx mate
• Dracosphinx -evil, crocodilian sphinxes that lair on river banks (Third Edition version); sphinx with traits of a red dragon (previous editions' version)
• Gynosphinxes - the traditional riddle-loving sphinx with the head of a female human, and the sole female subrace, who has some innate magical powers
• Hieracophinxes - evil, savage and animal-intelligent hawk-headed sphinxes
• Loquasphinx - leonine, knowledge-seeking sphinxes that are particularly interested in Truespeech (the language of Truenames)
• Luposphinx - Wolf-headed, forest-dwelling sphinxes
• Saurosphinx - reptilian-faced, conversational sphinxes
• Threskisphinx - Ibis-headed, sagely sphinxes known for their skill as magical artisans

References