Riddling Sphinx: Difference between revisions
m
→Tabletop Games
m (→Tabletop Games) |
|||
Line 31:
** The gynosphinx is not present in the 4th Edition, but there are sphinxes with magical powers that make games of riddles more dangerous. A normal sphinx (presented as a guardian of tombs and sacred areas) is bound to ask a riddle and let intruders pass if they can answer it. However, if they answer wrong, the sphinx becomes stronger. In game terms, it gains a temporary bonus to its attack rolls, defenses, one action point, and a second use of a powerful ability it can use to heal itself.
** The sphinx mystery is an even deadlier creature that is much like the gynosphinx (often challenging prey with riddles for fun instead of attacking outright). One powerful supernatural ability she has (called "Riddle Me This", appropriately) is a mild curse that causes mental damage to a victim if he doesn't at least try to answer her riddle once per round, and does not end until he tries to answer it. If the victim gets help from an ally, the spell is broken, [[No Fair Cheating| but he takes damage one last time.]] The Game Master doesn't even need an actual riddle; the victim needs to make a History Skill check to solve the riddle. While a wrong answer ''will'' end the curse, it also gives the sphinx mystery the ability to reuse a very powerful physical attack called Corrective Mauling; given what the usual penalty for a wrong answer is, this clearly gives her an advantage. Also, a sphinx mystery is under no real obligation to let a victim go if he answers correctly; Riddle Me This is an At Will ability that it can even use while fighting, so in theory, it could ask riddles over and over again during combat. However, the source does say that it might not attack at all if a potential victim simply plays along and answers them.
** In the ''[[Spelljammer]]'' setting, an astrosphinx is a malevolent and insane type of sphinx who asks riddles to anything it sees (even unintelligent animals and plants) killing anyone who refuses to answer or answers wrong. The riddles it poses [[Rigged Riddle|seem to make no sense]] whatsoever (like "What is the speed of blue?" "How loud is down?" "What do a kobold and the Spelljammer have in common besides triangles?") and they have been known to [[Omnicidal Maniac|destroy all life on entire planets this way]]. Legend states that it is possible to answer one of these riddles correctly by giving equally-absurd answers, but the chance is slim (1% chance of success). Supposedly, if the astrosphinx's riddle is answered correctly, it will [[No Body Left Behind|immolate itself in an explosion of burning lightning]] and leave behind a clue to the whereabouts of the Spelljammer itself.
* The ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh (Tabletop Game)|Yu-Gi-Oh]]'' card [http://yugipedia.com/wiki/Ordeal_of_a_Traveler Ordeal of a Traveler] forces your opponent's monsters to win a guessing game if they want to attack you; the art depicts a traveler being questioned by a sphinx.
** The sphinx depicted is [https://yugipedia.com/wiki/Guardian_Sphinx Guardian Sphinx], which has a slightly similar "return monsters to the hand" effect; in the video game ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2008]]'', the player has to solve Duel Puzzles with the Sphinx as their opponent.
| |||