Coastal Sphinx (3.5e Race)

Author: Leziad (talk) Contributors: Eiji-kun Date Created: 18th February 2016 Status: Finished Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Coastal Sphinx

Found primarily on the harsh cliffs of the azure coast, coastal sphinx are a related specie to the typical Sphinx, including the typical variance between sexes and form. Coastal sphinxes have weakened inherent abilities and physical strength compared to their cousin, but have powerful claws allowing them top climbs the harsh cliff that usually host their home. The coastal sphinx prefer to live in caves found on cliffside near the sea or the beaches, but sometime a adventurous individual will be found adventuring or living inland.

Otherwise they are extremely similar to the regular sphinxes both in culture and manner.

Racial Traits

• +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence or +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Coastal Sphinxes possesses strong bodies and strong minds.
• Magical Beast: Coastal sphinxes are magical beasts, being very close to most type of Sphinx 
• Large (long): As a Large (long) creature, a coastal sphinx takes a -1 size penalty to Armor Class, a -1 size penalty on attack rolls, a +4 size bonus on special attack (bull rushes, grapples, overruns, and trips) checks, and a -4 size penalty on Hide, but it uses larger weapons than humans use, and its lifting and carrying limits are three times those of a Medium character. They have a space of 10 feet and a reach of 5 feet.
• Coastal Sphinx base land speed is 40 feet. They also have a climb speed of 20 ft. 
• Low-Light Vision: A coastal sphinx can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. 
• Bloodline: A coastal sphinx gains a different benefit depending on the type of sphinx it is, as chosen below;

Androsphinx: You gain a 1st level divine spell slot which you may prepare and cast divine spells from as a cleric of your level, using your highest mental ability score for casting. If you have a have a high enough mental ability score to obtain bonus spell slots, you gain them as normal. This counts as clerical casting for pre-requisities, but cannot advance from prestige classes which advance spellcasting, and is a separate pool from any clerical casting you possess.

Criosphinx: You gain speak with animals as a constant, supernatural ability. In addition you count all your charges as being mounted (such as dealing double damage with a lance).

Gynosphinx: You gain comprehend languages, detect magic, and read magic as spell-like abilities at will. You gain a +4 bonus on any skill or ability check made to solve a riddle or mystery.

Hieracosphinx: You gain pounce, and can shriek as a supernatural ability. The shrill shriek deafens non-sphinxes or half-sphinxes within a 60-foot-radius spread for 2d4 rounds (Fortitude negates). Once a creature successfully saves against this effect, it is immune to the creature's shriek for 24 hours. Using this ability is a standard action. The save DC is Constitution-based. 

• Bestial Hide (Ex): A coastal sphinx have a Natural Armor of +4, however when wearing armor halves this base natural armor (but not any enhancement to it) or your armor bonus (whichever is lower). 
• Insightful (Ex): A coastal sphinx may use the highest between her Intelligence and Wisdom for skill checks related to both. 
• Monstrous Form (Ex): The coastal sphinx is not of human form, and armor costs treat them as a non-humanoid creature. In addition while their claws can hold items, they cannot wield weapons properly and take a -4 penalty for improvised use (and an additional -4 penalty if an improvised weapon). 
• Natural Weapons (Ex): A coastal sphinx gain two claws dealing 1d8 damage as primary natural weapon. Those with the Hieracosphinx bloodline gain a bite secondary natural attack while those with the Criosphinx bloodline gain a gore attack as a secondary natural weapon, both dealing 1d10 damage. 
• Stability (Ex): As a quadruped, the coastal sphinx gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground). 
• Wings (Ex): A coastal sphinx has wings, but they start out weak. She has a fly speed of 30 ft (poor maneuverability), but can only fly up to their Con modifier rounds at a time (minimum 1), and must rest twice as long as they flew before attempting to fly again. At 3 HD, she gain a fly speed of 30 ft. At 6 HD, her fly speed increases become 60 ft (Average).
• Automatic Languages: Common, Sphinx
• Bonus Languages: Any non-secret
• Favored Class: Any
• Level Adjustment: +1
• Effective Character Level: 2

No Level Adjustment Version

For a LA 0 version version simply reduce the +4 bonus to Strength to +2 only gain a +2 bonus to a single ability score. She also do not gain the Insightful special ability and her Wings racial trait change to the following:

Wing (Ex): A coastal sphinx has wings, but they start out very weak. At first they can only be used to glide at a speed of 30 ft (poor maneuverability), dropping 5 ft for every 15 ft they travel. At 3 HD, they gain a fly speed of 30 ft (poor maneuverability), but can only fly up to their Con modifier rounds at a time (minimum 1), and must rest twice as long as they flew before attempting to fly again. At 6 HD, they gain a fly speed of 30 ft. At 9 HD, their fly speed increases to average maneuverability. At 12 HD, their fly speed increases to 60 ft a round.

Vital Statistics

Table: Coastal Sphinx Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
16 years	+1d4	+1d6	+1d8

Table: Coastal Sphinx Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
200 years	400 years	800 years	+4d100 years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Coastal Sphinx Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4' 11"	+2d12	150 lb.	× (2d6) lb.
Female	4' 11"	+2d12	150 lb.	× (2d12) lb.

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