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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Sphinx (PC Race) [PEACH]



Sir_Popard
2020-02-23, 10:06 PM
So I’ve made multiple attempts to create a playable Sphinx race for D&D (once in 3.5, and once before in 5e). This is probably the most concise version I’ve drafted so far with the fewest concessions to flavor.

SPHINX TRAITS
Your sphinx character has the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence or Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Strength increases by 1.
Age. Although sphinxes reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the sphingian understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. A sphinx typically claims adulthood around the age of 60 and can live to be 650 years old.
Alignment. Sphinx are inclined toward lawful neutrality.
Size. Sphinxes run between 4 and 6 feet from nose to rump, not including their tail. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Celestial. Your creature type is celestial, rather than humanoid.
Glide. Using your feathered wings, you can slow your fall, and glide short distances. When falling you can use your reaction to spread your wings, stiffen your feathers, and slow your descent. While doing so, you continue to fall gently at a speed of 60 feet per round, taking no fall damage when you land. If you would fall at least 10 feet in this way, you may fly up to your movement speed in one direction you choose, although you cannot choose to move upwards, landing in the space you finish your movement. You cannot glide while wearing heavy armor, or if you are encumbered.
Darkvision. Thanks to your magical blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Claws. Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed of 20 feet. In addition, your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you make unarmed strike with your claws, you deal slashing damage equal to ld6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Furthermore, your claws have the light property.
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming Resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Enigmatic. You have advantage on Saving Throws against being charmed or frightened, and you have Resistance against psychic damage.
Feline Build. You are limited in the type of magic items and equipment you can use. As you have no hands, you cannot use items that require hands (such as wielding a manufactured weapon or shield). You can hold items in your mouth well enough to aim a wand or carry a Tiny object. You can wear armor if it is tailored to fit your nonhumanoid form. You can wear and benefit from magic rings, belts, goggles, gloves, boots, bracers, amulets, cloaks, and similar items, which magically adjust themselves to your size and shape when you attune to them (or when you don them, if they don’t require attunement). Sphinx spellcasters often create variants on magic items designed to be worn as earrings.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sphinx.

Notes:

To give full credit where it’s due:

The Glide trait is borrowed from the Deck of Many’ Humblewood sourcebook. Full-fledged flight seems to be a real dealbreaker for game balance and this seemed a good compromise.

The Claws traits borrows elements of the Tabaxi Cat's Claws trait.

The Feline Build trait is borrowed from Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos for Fifth Edition. I’m torn on whether I want to stick with this or an alternate version where they still can’t use weapons but only have disadvantage using tools they’re not proficient with. Mundane cats can be strangely... handy.

sandmote
2020-02-24, 11:52 AM
I don't recall any abilities that target monstrocities but not humanoids, so I'm not sure Hybrid Nature does anything mechanical.

I'd maybe also specify how rare sphinx earrings are if they're separate items (in relation to the regular item they replace). Although I'd probably just rewrite it as "rings magically reform into earrings when you attune to or attempt to don them." For tool use, I'd base it on whether or not you're allowing sphinx artificers.

Otherwise, this looks good. Extremely specialized and difficult to weigh, but overall I thing its power is just below that of dwarves and elves.

Sir_Popard
2020-02-26, 10:40 PM
I don't recall any abilities that target monstrocities but not humanoids, so I'm not sure Hybrid Nature does anything mechanical.

You're probably right. I imagine that's why one of the races WotC initially applied this to in Unearthed Arcana simply gained the fey creature type. Sphinxes are usually celestials in 5e; I wonder if I should just make these lesser sphinxes celestials as well? That would have a definite mechanical effect and be more in line with the races origin... What do you think?


I'd maybe also specify how rare sphinx earrings are if they're separate items (in relation to the regular item they replace). Although I'd probably just rewrite it as "rings magically reform into earrings when you attune to or attempt to don them." For tool use, I'd base it on whether or not you're allowing sphinx artificers.

To be fair, I yoinked that from Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos, but I'll dig deeper and see if they embellish that point any further. If not, I'll just extrapolate something that clarifies the point.

I'm increasingly tempted to let them have limited manual dexterity (along with the aforementioned disadvantage using any tools they're not proficient with). It just feels like an over-reach in balancing them out.


Otherwise, this looks good. Extremely specialized and difficult to weigh, but overall I thing its power is just below that of dwarves and elves.

Thank you, for the compliment and the feedback.

Damon_Tor
2020-02-27, 06:31 AM
Use the wording from the Manta Glide ability of the Simic Hybrid: it's much neater.

I'm really having trouble with the no hands issue. So it's got a wand in it's mouth to handle the material components of the spell, but doesn't that mess with the vocal components? And frankly, I'd have a really hard time with a character that carried things in his mouth all the time. It just seems too silly to me.

Suggestion:
Mage Hand Mastery You know the Mage Hand cantrip. It has an unlimited duration for you and you can treat your Mage Hand as a free hand.

Sir_Popard
2020-02-27, 07:37 PM
So I've tweaked a few things:

SPHINX TRAITS
Your sphinx character has the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence or Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Strength increases by 1.
Age. Although sphinxes reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the sphingian understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. A sphinx typically claims adulthood around the age of 60 and can live to be 650 years old.
Alignment. Sphinx are inclined toward lawful neutrality.
Size. Sphinxes run between 4 and 6 feet from nose to rump, not including their tail. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Celestial. Your creature type is celestial, rather than humanoid.
Glide. Using your feathered wings, you can slow your fall and glide short distances. When you fall and aren't incapacitated, you continue to fall gently at a speed of 60 feet per round, taking no fall damage when you land. If you would fall at least 10 feet in this way, you may fly up to your movement speed in one direction you choose, although you cannot choose to move upwards, landing in the space you finish your movement.
Darkvision. Thanks to your monstrous blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Claws. Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed of 20 feet. In addition, your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you make unarmed strike with your claws, you deal slashing damage equal to ld6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Furthermore, your claws have the light property.
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming Resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Enigmatic. You have advantage on Saving Throws against being charmed or frightened, and you have Resistance against psychic damage.
Feline Build. As a quadruped with limited manual dexterity, you are unable to wield weapons or wear shields. Your paws cause you to have disadvantage with tools made for humanoids that you are not proficient with. You can wear armor if it is tailored to fit your non-humanoid form (see Barding). You can wear and benefit from magic rings, belts, goggles, gloves, boots, bracers, amulets, cloaks, and similar items, which magically adjust themselves to your size and shape when you attune to them (or when you don them, if they don’t require attunement).
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sphinx.

- - - - - - - -


Use the wording from the Manta Glide ability of the Simic Hybrid: it's much neater.

I'm really having trouble with the no hands issue. So it's got a wand in it's mouth to handle the material components of the spell, but doesn't that mess with the vocal components? And frankly, I'd have a really hard time with a character that carried things in his mouth all the time. It just seems too silly to me.

Suggestion:
Mage Hand Mastery You know the Mage Hand cantrip. It has an unlimited duration for you and you can treat your Mage Hand as a free hand.

The wording of Manta Glide is more concise but the effect is a bit different. But I've taken your words into consideration and tried to merge/condense the language of the trait.

Just to clarify, I’ve just posited sphinxes as a player race so silliness isn’t really a problem for me. But, as mentioned, I’ve struggled with the full extent of their lack of hands. Giving them a heavily modified cantrip doesn’t feel like a step in the right direction. But I think I've found something of a balance. I stripped away some of the fiddlier elements from Cthulhu Mythos and lightened up on what they're capable of doing with their paws.

Thank you for the feedback. You helped me find a direction to move in.