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Elder SphinxCreature 16

Rare​N​Huge​Beast​
Source Pathfinder Bestiary 3
Perception +31 (darkvision, true seeing)
Languages Common, Draconic, Sphinx, Tongues
Skills Athletics +30, Lore +32, Deception +28, Diplomacy +30, Intimidation +28, Occultism +30
Str +8, Dex +5, Con +6, Int +8, Wis +9, Cha +6
AC 38; Fort +28; Reflex +25; Will +31;
HP 300
Speed 40 feet (fly 60 feet)
Claw One Action +32 (+28, +24) to hit (agile) 3d8+16 Slashing
Darkvision

A monster with darkvision can see perfectly well in areas of darkness and dim light, though such vision is in black and white only. Some forms of magical darkness, such as a 4th-level Darkness spell, block normal darkvision. A monster with Greater Darkvision, however, can see through even these forms of magical darkness.

Bardic Lore

Sphinxes are naturally curious, and their love of puzzles and mysteries leads them to gather information on a broad range of topics. Sphinxes have the Bardic Lore bard feat, allowing them to Recall Knowledge on any topic.

At-Will Spells

The monster can cast its at-will spells any number of times without using up spell slots.

Constant Spells

A constant spell affects the monster without the monster needing to cast it, and its duration is unlimited. If a constant spell gets counteracted, the monster can reactivate it by spending the normal spellcasting actions the spell requires.

Guardian Monolith Two Actions

The elder sphinx transforms their body into stone or back to flesh.

In stone form, the sphinx is Paralyzed but has Hardness 14 and gains immunity to bleed, clumsy, disease, drained, enfeebled, fatigued, negative damage, petrified, poison, sickened, and wounded. They don't age or require food, water, or sleep. They can perceive their surroundings and cast their innate spells.

Stone to Flesh turns the elder sphinx from stone form back to flesh, and Flesh to Stone turns it from flesh form to stone form.

Idols of Stone

When the sphinx casts Shape Stone, they can shape the stone into a magical duplicate of themself.

When they cast Clairaudience, Clairvoyance, Locate, or Ventriloquism, they can make the effect come from any duplicate, instead of themself.

The elder sphinx can concentrate for 1 minute to transfer their consciousness to any duplicate; the sphinx is then in their stone form from Guardian Monolith in that statue.The sphinx can have no more than four duplicate statues at a time. Casting shape stone at that point causes the oldest duplicate to crumble to dust.

Pose a Riddle Two Actions (enchantment, incapacitation, linguistic, mental, occult)

Frequency once per 10 minutes

The sphinx recites a riddle and compels up to 10 creatures within 30 feet to answer (DC 37 will save). The GM either runs the riddle out of character by timing the players' attempts, or picks an appropriate associated skill for the riddle, such as Religion for a riddle involving divine mysteries.

The sphinx gains a +2 circumstance bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls against any creature that answers incorrectly even once. This bonus lasts for 1 day.

Critical Success The creature is unaffected, but it can choose to try to help solve the riddle.

Success The creature attempts to answer the riddle, each round spending at least one action attempting a Recall Knowledge check with the chosen skill (or working on the answer, if using an out of game riddle). This lasts for 1 minute, until the creature successfully answers the riddle, or until an enemy takes a hostile action against the creature, whichever comes first.

Failure As success but the creature must spend at least two actions each round attempting to answer.

CriticalFailure As failure, but up to 1 hour.

Pounce One Action

The elder sphinx Strides and makes a Strike at the end of that movement. If they began this action Hidden, they remain hidden until after the attack.

Warding Glyph

Once per day, an elder sphinx can create a magical symbol as though casting a heightened Glyph of Warding. The sphinx usually shapes it to the form of a riddle and sets the password to the answer.

A creature that doesn't speak the password must succeed at a DC 37 will save or be affected by one of the following spells, chosen by the sphinx when creating the symbol:

The sphinx learns the identity of any creature that answers the riddle and tends to be friendly to them.

Occult Innate Spells (DC 37, +29 to hit)

Cantrips (8th Level): Detect Magic, Read Aura
1st Level: Ventriloquism (At Will)
2nd Level: Dispel Magic
3rd Level: Clairaudience (At Will), Locate
4th Level: Clairvoyance (At Will), Hallucinatory Terrain, Read Omens (At Will), Remove Curse (At Will), Shape Stone (See Idols of Stone)
5th Level: Tongues (Constant)
6th Level: True Seeing, True Seeing (Constant)

Rituals

6th Level: Commune
7th Level: Legend Lore

Towering over their kin, elder sphinxes are the pharaonic masters of their kind. They crave solitude in eternal vigil over sacred spaces, where they honor ancient pacts.

Sphinxes are a family of mystical beings that combine leonine, avian, and usually humanoid features. Though the most common sphinxes are famous on their own merits, the family includes other types of sphinxes as well.

Traits

Rare

This rarity indicates that a rules element is very difficult to find in the game world. A rare feat, spell, item or the like is available to players only if the GM decides to include it in the game, typically through discovery during play. Creatures with this trait are rare. They typically can't be summoned. The DC of Recall Knowledge checks related to these creatures is increased by 5.