Ranking Every Sphinx In DnD’s 2024 Monster Manual

Summary

• The old Gynosphinx and Androsphinx are overshadowed by the 2024 Sphinx versions.
• The Sphinxes can be used as enemies, sources of knowledge, or cute allies in D&D campaigns.
• The Sphinx of Secrets adds unique traits like Curse of the Riddle, challenging players with intelligence saving throws.

Who doesn’t love giant cats with wings? Dungeons & Dragons has adapted many creatures from multiple mythologies around the world while also giving them their own spin. One of these creatures is the Sphinx, which used to be exclusively high-level creatures before receiving lower-level versions in the 2024 Monster Manual.

A Sphinx can be a powerful enemy, a source of knowledge, a creature that tests your players’ intelligence, or you can even use a low-leveled one to give your party a cute ally to help them in their journey. Whatever the case may be, get some riddles for children to challenge your party and see which Sphinx works for your campaign.

6

Gynosphinx

Girl Sphinx

The old Gynosphinx remains a solid choice, but the 2024 Sphinx of Lore sadly obscured it, so there’s not much this one can do that other Sphinxes here can’t do as well.

Essentially, the Gynosphinx can attack twice per turn or cast spells, and it can also do one of these outside of its turn through legendary actions. Again, it’s a bad monster, especially considering that their spell list is slightly different than the Sphinx of Lore’s, but that’s about it. However, if you want this fight to be harder, consider using its lair actions.

A Gynosphinx can use Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation, Detect Magic, Identify, Shield, Darkness, Locate Object, Suggestion, Dispel Magic, Remove Curse, Tongues, Banishment, Greater Invisibility, and Legend Lore.

Alternatively, you can use the Sphinx of Judgment from Guildmaster’s Guide To Ravnica, which has the same stats but different spells, or the Enhanced Sphinx from Lost Laboratory of Kwalish, which has the same spells as the Gynosphinx, but with a slightly higher intelligence.

5

Androsphinx

Boy Sphinx

The Androsphinx suffers the same problem as the Gynosphinx, with its features being obscured by the Sphinx of Valor. However, the Androsphinx also saves itself a bit for its spell list, and this one is more substantial than its Sphinx of Valor counterpart.

Its Roar mechanic is fun; it can roar three times a day, and each roar has a stronger effect than the previous one. The first one gives people the frightened condition, the second paralyzes them, and the third one is raw damage.

Similar to the Gynosphinx, you can also make this one deadlier through its lair actions. All the Sphinxes from the 2024 book have lair actions, too, but they’re weaker compared to the Gyno and Androsphinxes’ lair actions, so they still have an edge when fighting in their homes.

4

Sphinx Of Lore

Gynosphinx 2.0

The Sphinx of Lore is the 2024 update to the Gynosphinx. Along with the drop of genders in the name (likely to let you choose the gender of your Sphinx to whichever you want), the Sphinx of Lore can do virtually the same as the Gynosphinx, but with a few extras.

The Sphinx of Lore can do three attacks per turn, use one of their spells, or use Mind-Rending Roar, which causes psychic damage and incapacitates creatures. It also has Legendary Resistance, making spells less effective.

The claw and the teleport legendary actions became one here, allowing you to teleport and attack someone in one go. It also has a legendary action that gives your target exhaustion and makes them older until the exhaustion is fixed. Keep in mind that the exhaustion rules have changed.

3

Sphinx Of Valor

Androsphinx 2.0

And now we see the 2024 update of the Androsphinx, which also dropped the gender in the name. It still has its Roar mechanics, but it can now do two claw attacks and use a roar rather than having to choose between the two options.

Its spell list is smaller, but all the great hits are still here, such as Dispel Magic or Greater Restoration. It also comes with Legendary Resistance and the same legendary actions the Sphinx of Lore has, making them both deadly creatures to fight against.

Overall, the Sphinx of Valor took the greatest tricks from the Androsphinx and simplified the stat block by removing things that were seldom useful or just buffing the monster up, similar to what the Sphinx of Lore did to the Gynosphinx.

2

Sphinx Of Wonder

Baby Sphinx

The Sphinxes of Wonder are by far the weakest of the bunch, but they’re also one of the best additions here. First, they have three damage resistances (necrotic, radiant, and psychic), magic resistance, and an attack with two damage types, meaning that they can be particularly deadly to a low-level group and can even function as the campaign’s very first boss.

However, what makes them fun is the lore, as they’re born whenever someone has a unique idea, and because of their good alignment, they can be interesting allies and even become a “pet” for the whole party, since it is quite charming and also has a reaction to help allies with saving throws or ability checks. You can even turn the party’s bastion into their lair.

You can even ‘evolve’ them into another Sphinx here once the group’s level is high, though we recommend doing something like that in the late game because having a strong Sphinx with the group all the time will throw your game’s balance off.

1

Sphinx Of Secrets

Riddle Me This…

The Sphinx of Secrets, in terms of power, lies below the others (except for Wonder), but it’s still an intriguing addition for having its own traits that are quite unique.

At first, it’s just a monster that can do three claw attacks or cast a few spells – none of them being particularly useful for combat – but it can also replace one of its attacks with something called Curse of the Riddle.

This attack forces the opponent into an intelligence saving throw, one that’s rarely used (and thus a good one to poke your players with), and failing it will curse the character. The character will take psychic damage and have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

If they use their Magic action, too, they’ll have to roll another saving throw, and if they fail, their action will be wasted, making this curse particularly strong against spellcasters that don’t have high intelligence.

The target can use their Study action to attempt to solve the cursed riddle, but since this is an ability check, the target will also have disadvantage to end it. The riddle is more of a mechanical thing than a narrative one, but feel free to get some really hard riddles online and only provide the answer to someone who passes the check just for the roleplay of it.

All Sphinxes here (except for Wonder) are immune to having their thoughts read without permission, and people have disadvantage at Insight checks to determine their true intentions.