Otherworldly Patron
At 1st level, a warlock chooses an otherworldly patron, and the Sphinx is a new option for that feature.
The Sphinx
You have made your pact with a sphinx, a creature as powerful as it is inscrutable. Unflinching guardians of divine treasures, from temples to enchanted artifacts, as well as living repositories of lore and ancient knowledge, sphinxes desire only to fulfill their divinely appointed missions. Bound eternally to a single place of stewardship, some sphinxes choose to cede fractions of power to mortals, empowering warlocks to act as their agents in the world abroad. Sphinxes mighty enough to forge such pacts include the ancient sphinx Firaleene, as well as Isperia, supreme judge of Azorius.
Expanded Spell List
The Sphinx lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
Sphinx Expanded Spells
| Spell Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 1st | command, detect evil and good |
| 2nd | detect thoughts, see invisibility |
| 3rd | clairvoyance, enhance ability |
| 4th | divination, greater invisibility |
| 5th | flame strike, legend lore |
Roar of Censure
Starting when you choose this patron at 1st level, you can manifest your patron's prideful roar as a reaction when you take damage from a creature within 30 feet of you. The creature must make a Strength saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. On a failed save, it takes thunder damage equal to your warlock level and is knocked prone and pushed up to 30 feet directly away from you. On a success, it takes half as much damage and suffers no other effect. This effect is audible within 100 feet.
You can use this feature once and regain the use of it after finishing a short or long rest.
Knowledge of the Ancients
Also at 1st level, you are blessed with a portion of the Sphinx's eternal wisdom. You learn Sphinx and one other language of your choice. You also gain proficiency in your choice of two of the following skills: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion.
Chronic Slipstream
At 6th level, the Sphinx teaches you how to step through time just ahead of others around you. When you make an initiative check, you can add a bonus to the check equal to your Charisma modifier.
Credits
Created by Bunnygeon Master using GM Binder.
Thanks to the Discord of Many Things for feedback and design help, including but not limited to Caim, Izzy, Genuine Believerer, Janahwhamme, Not the Smoooze, Marceline, and SgtBriar.
Consecrated Sphinx by Lius Lasahido and Sphinx of the Guildpact by Milivoj Ćeran (© Wizards of the Coast.)
Inscrutability
Beginning at 10th level, you can shield your mind and self, becoming as indiscernible as the mysterious sphinx. You are immune to any effect that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts, and you can't be targeted by any divination magic or perceived through magical scrying sensors unless you allow it. Wisdom (Insight) checks made to ascertain your intent or sincerity have disadvantage.
Glimpse of Eternity
Also at 10th level, you learn to parse portentous visions of the future in imitation of your patron. You can't be surprised.
Roar of Time
By 14th level, you can use an action to channel a small portion of the Sphinx's mastery over time and space with a reality-twisting roar. Each creature within a 30-foot cone originating from yourself that can hear you must make a Constitution saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 6d8 thunder damage, ages 2d10 years, and suffers 2 levels of exhaustion. On a success, it takes half as much damage and suffers no other effect. This action is audible out to 500 feet.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Eldritch Invocations
At 2nd level, a warlock gains the Eldritch Invocation feature. The following invocations have been added as options for the Sphinx patron. Your DM can lift this restriction to better suit the campaign if these invocations are also appropriate for a different Otherworldly Patron.
If an eldritch invocation has a prerequisite, you must meet it to learn the invocation. You can learn the invocation at the same time that you meet its prerequisite. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.
Book of Prophecy
Prerequisite: The Sphinx patron, Pact of the Tome feature
Your Book of Shadows serves as a powerful conduit for the divinatory powers of the Sphinx. When you cast a divination spell of 5th level or lower while your Book of Shadows is on your person, you can do so without expending a spell slot.
Once you use this invocation, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Fleeting Eternity
Prerequisite: 17th level, the Sphinx patron
You can expend the use of your 9th-level Mystic Arcanum to cast time stop.
Guardian Angel
Prerequisite: The Chivalric Order patron or the Sphinx patron, Pact of the Chain feature
While you have a shoulder angel* as your familiar, it gains additional hit points equal to your warlock level, and you gain the ability to cast the resistance and spare the dying cantrips.
*The statistics of the shoulder angel can be found at the end of the Chivalric Order patron document.
Your Pact Boon
It may be valuable to consider how your choice of Otherworldly Patron influences your pact boon. The following are ideas for the nature of each boon as a warlock of the Sphinx:
Pact of the Chain. Your familiar may bear the same inscrutable gaze your patron holds. Many warlocks that deal with sphinxes keep cats in homage to their leonine patrons. Certain others choose for shoulder angels as their familiars due to the sphinx's celestial connection.
Pact of the Blade. As mighty as they are wise, sphinxes are keen to bestow only the finest arms as pact boons. Some encourage warlocks to adopt their own feral fighting technique by gifting claws intead of blades.
Pact of the Tome. Ancient as they are, sphinxes are living libraries, and their Books of Shadow are rife with lost secrets and literature of antiquity.
Lion's Claws
Prerequisite: The Sphinx patron, Pact of the Blade feature
You can summon a pair of clawed gauntlets using your Pact of the Blade feature. While wearing these gauntlets on your hands, you can treat them as melee pact weapons that inflict 1d8 slashing damage on a hit and have the finesse property. Also, you can use Charisma instead of Strength when you make an Athletics check to attempt or contest a grapple or a shove.
Pseudosphinx
Prerequisite: The Sphinx patron, Pact of the Chain feature
While you have a cat as your familiar, it gains additional hit points equal to your warlock level. Your cat can speak any languages you can, and its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores each become 15. When it would be reduced to 0 hit points, you can use a reaction to allow your cat to slip through time and be reduced to 1 hit point instead.
Once you take this reaction, you must finish a short or long rest before you can do so again.
Visions of Old
Prerequisite: 7th level, the Sphinx patron
You experience the cumulative 25 percent chance of getting a random reading when casting divination when you cast the spell three or more times before finishing a long rest, instead of two or more times.
