Otherworldy Patron: The Esoteric Sphinx
Your patron is an immortal and ancient beast, a mighty sphinx. These aloof and stone faced creatures are usually tasked with guarding dangerous and impressive treasure an secrets, often with mystifying riddles or savage fury. The most ancient and intelligent of these creatures are known as Esoteric Sphinx, and often grant magic to scholarly individuals or entertaining treasure hunters. Choose or roll on the table below to determine how your pact came to be.
| d4 | Pact Origin |
|---|---|
| 1 | You solved a sphinx's riddle, and it granted you one of it's feathers as a reward. |
| 2 | You failed the sphinx's riddle, and were punished with servitude. |
| 3 | You were pulled through time by the sphinx, away from your destined death. You do not know why. |
| 4 | You are the heir to an artifact guarded by the sphinx, and must pass it's tests to claim it. |
Esoteric Sphinx Expanded Spells
| Spell level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | command, identify |
| 2nd | augury, zone of truth |
| 3rd | clairvoyance, slow |
| 4th | divination, guardian of faith |
| 5th | commune, legend lore |
Ancient Predictions
Starting at 1st level, your patron bestows upon you the knowledge of it's timeless existence. You gain proficiency in history, and you gain a bonus to any history check or any ability check related to solving a puzzle. This bonus is equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).
Additionally, you can use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier for determining your armor class.
Befuddling Riddle
Also at 1st level, your learn to recite the ancient riddles inscribed upon your patrons tablets. As a bonus action, you can speak a riddle to a creature that you can see and that can hear you within 60 feet. The target must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failure, it takes psychic damage equal to 1d4 + your Charisma modifier at the start of it's turns, and it must subtract 1d4 from all attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws it makes. This lasts for 1 minute or until the creature succeeds on an Intelligence saving throw at the end of it's turns, ending the effect on a success.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses on a long rest.
Additionally, the damage of this ability increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th, 11th and 17th level in this class.
Temporal Displacement
Starting at 6th level, your patron allows you to stride freely through the corridors of time. You gain a bonus to any initiative roll equal to your Charisma modifier and when you roll initiative, you can immediately teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Additionally, whenever you roll initiative, you regain one expended use of your Befuddling Riddle feature.
Inscrutable Existence
Starting at 10th level, your patron's mysterious magic has thoroughly suffused your body. You gain the following benefits:
- You have resistance to psychic damage, your thoughts can't be read and any insight check made against you has disadvantage.
- You only age 1 year for every 10 years that pass, and are immune to being magically aged.
- Immediately before or after you cast a warlock spell, you can teleport up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
Roar of the Sphinx
At 14th level, you gain the ability to channel your patrons immutable fury. As an action, you can teleport up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You then unleash a mind shattering roar. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw. On a failure, they take 5d10 thunder damage and are stunned for 1 minute. On a success, they take half as much damage and are frightened of you until the end of your next turn. A creature who fails the saving throw can repeat the saving throw at the end of it's turns, ending the effect on a success. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.