D&D (2024) PHB 2024 Creature Reveal: Sphinx of Wonder

[Azzy]

View attachment 368355

Here's the new stat block layout.

Interesting. It packs a little more info than the old stat block.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I’m glad Sphinxes are Celestials. When I first bought the Monster Manual and read the Sphinx stat blocks I found it mind-boggling that they weren’t Celestials. I hope there are more creature type fixes like that. (Guardian Nagas should also be Celestials, IMO, with Spirit Nagas being Fiends.)

 

[Azzy]

And the majority of that damage is Radiant to boot.

But honestly, it looks like the damage range maps to what we saw in the MotM book, which was expected to happen. Even with that forewarning, I still suspect a lot of people are going to be shocked when the MM comes out and everyone switches over to the new monsters next year.

Pshaw! 5e is Easy Mode.

 

[dave2008]

The Monster Manual is still a year away. I am holding out hope the designers will assign a "level" to each statblock. To refer to level is far simpler for newbie DMs, and the designers do care about making the job of the DM as simple and as easy to understand as possible.

When the monster statblock has a level, the level should appear in the heading at the top of the statblock.

It is not happening. They have told us several times CR is here to stay.

 

[dave2008]

12 damage at CR1, yowza!!!

The DPR of a CR 1 monster in the 2014 DMG is 9-14, so this shouldn't be that much of a shock.

 

[Weiley31]

12 damage at CR1, yowza!!!

And the majority of that damage is Radiant to boot.

But honestly, it looks like the damage range maps to what we saw in the MotM book, which was expected to happen. Even with that forewarning, I still suspect a lot of people are going to be shocked when the MM comes out and everyone switches over to the new monsters next year.

Imagine the day when people go "Yeah, Kobold Press monsters are cool, but pale in comparison to the ones in the 2025 Monster Manual."

 

[John R Davis]

Why has initiative got a value in brackets? Can you take 10 on it??!

 

[Azzy]

Why has initiative got a value in brackets? Can you take 10 on it??!

I'm assuming that it's a static average initiative score (looks like 10 + Dex modifier) for use if you don't want to roll initiative for monsters. Not really something that I think I'd use, but it's there like average hp and average damage.

 

[John Lloyd1]

I'm assuming that it's a static average initiative score (looks like 10 + Dex modifier) for use if you don't want to roll initiative for monsters. Not really something that I think I'd use, but it's there like average hp and average damage.

I picked using an adding 10 to the initiate bonus from Sly Flourish. It works quite well, especially for multiple monsters. There is enough randomness is the initiative system with the players rolling.

 

[Stormonu]

12 damage at CR1, yowza!!!

Forget housecat vs. commoner ....