Sphinx, Criosphinx
Perhaps the least leonine of all sphinxes, the ram-headed criosphinx lacks the intellect of androsphinxes and gynosphinxes, but still outmatches the dim-witted hieracosphinxes. Like hieracosphinxes and androsphinxes, criosphinxes are always male. At the start of a battle, a criosphinx lowers its horns and crashes into foes, clawing enemies it has engaged. It favors charging down on foes from great heights.
Criosphinxes crave wealth over nearly all other things, habitually extorting tolls for safe passage from any who pass their lands. Groups who cannot pay must yield one of their number or a pair of mounts for the criosphinx's meal—single travelers must fight or die. Unlike gynosphinxes, no mere riddle suffices—only the shine of metal or the gleam of jewels can satisfy a criosphinx. Little can convince a criosphinx to part with even a single coin save the lust that its kind bears for the gynosphinx. Criosphinxes crave mating with gynosphinxes above all else, and pay well for the whereabouts of a female, or better yet, a well-crafted riddle that might impress one. For their part, gynosphinxes prefer to have little to do with what they mock as the sheep of sphinxes, though they sometimes lower themselves to a brief assignation in the rare event a criosphinx manages to impress them with wealth or wit.
Some criosphinxes set themselves as soothsayers of the desert, trading upon the storied wisdom of androsphinxes and gynosphinxes to deceive gullible travelers. Like their more blustering brethren, they seek wealth from passersby, but for the purposes of dispersing information rather than in exchange for safe passage. Such reliable information as they possess usually comes from idle conversation with the creatures of the desert, with criosphinxes using their inborn ability to speak with animals. A criosphinx lacking in sound information usually fabricates a pleasing lie.
Criosphinxes detest hieracosphinxes, regarding them as little more than beasts and a disgrace to their noble race. They drive off their falcon-headed cousins with mock-charges and posturing, escalating to full-fledged attacks if ignored. Androsphinxes they view with mixed fear and respect, and gynosphinxes with disdain and lust.
- HP
- 85 (10d10+30)
- AC
- 20, touch 9, flat-footed 20 (+11 natural, -1 size)
- Speed
- 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (poor)
- Init
- +0
- Melee
- 2 claws +15 (1d6+6), gore +16 (2d4+6/19-20)
- Space
- 10 ft.
- Reach
- 5 ft.
- BAB
- +10
- CMB
- +17
- CMD
- 27 (31 vs. trip)
- Fort
- +10
- Ref
- +7
- Will
- +4
Swooping Charge — A charging criosphinx deals 4d4+12 points of damage with its gore attack. A flying criosphinx who drops at least 20 feet in altitude as part of a charge deals 6d4+18 points instead.
Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (gore), Power Attack, Skill Focus (Intimidate), Weapon Focus (gore)
<p class="stat-block-1"> You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a bull rush combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +2 bonus on checks made to bull rush a foe. You also receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to bull rush you.</p>
<p class="stat-block-1"> When using the weapon you selected, your threat range is doubled.</p>
<p class="stat-block-1"> You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.</p>
<p class="stat-block-1"> You get a +3 bonus on all checks involving the chosen skill. If you have 10 or more ranks in that skill, this bonus increases to +6.</p>
<p class="stat-block-1"> You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon.</p>
Bluff +10, Fly +1, Intimidate +16, Perception +10
- Type
- Magical Beast
- Alignment
- N
- Size
- Large
- Environment
- warm deserts or hills
- Organization
- solitary
- Treasure
- standard
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +10
- Languages
- Common, Sphinx; speak with animals
- Source
- Bestiary 3
-
Uses feat: Improved Bull Rush (Feat)House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
-
Uses feat: Improved Critical (Feat)House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
-
Uses feat: Power Attack (Feat)House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
-
Uses feat: Skill Focus (Feat)House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
-
Uses feat: Weapon Focus (Feat)House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
-
Knows spell: Speak With Animals (Spell)House/Core — covered by the site's Section 15.
Loading references...