Note: This creature was originally published in the 3E Monster Manual.
| ST: 19 | HP: 19 | Speed: 6.00 |
| DX: 11 | Will: 15 | Move: 6 |
| IQ: 14 | Per: 15 | Weight: 800 lbs. |
| HT: 11 | FP: 11 | SM: +2 (4 hexes, 3 × 2) |
| Dodge: 9 | Parry: 10 (see notes) | DR: 5* |
Claws (14): 2d cutting. Reach C, 1.
Traits: Flight (Air Move 9; Winged; Handling Penalty -1); Infravision; Magery 3 (Racially innate spells only); Night Vision 5; Quadruped; Sharp Claws.
Skills: Acting-14; Brawling-14; Diplomacy-14; Disguise/TL3-13; Fast-Talk-17; Intimidation-17.
Spells: Ancient History-16; Detect Magic-16; Dispel Magic-16; Gift of Letters-15; Gift of Tongues-15; Invisible Wizard Eye-16; Invisible Wizard Ear-16; Remove Curse-16; See Invisible-16; Seeker-16.
Class: Faerie.
Combat Effectiveness Rating: 39 (OR 19 and PR 20).
Notes: Once per week, the Gynosphinx, by performing a 10 minutes ritual, can inscribe a magical rune that is triggered whenever a creature does one or more of the following, as she selects: looks at the rune; reads the rune; touches the rune; passes over the rune; or passes through a portal bearing the rune. Regardless of the trigger method or methods chosen, a creature more than 20-yard from a rune can’t trigger it (even if it meets one or more of the triggering conditions, such as reading the rune). It prefers resorting to dodge against armed attacks.
Once the rune is inscribed, the triggering conditions cannot be changed. In this case, “reading” the rune means any attempt to study it, identify it, or fathom its meaning. Throwing a cover over a rune to render it inoperative triggers it if the symbol reacts to touch. She can’t use a rune offensively; for instance, a touch-triggered rune remains untriggered if an item bearing it is used to touch a creature. Likewise, a rune cannot be placed on a weapon and set to activate when the weapon strikes a foe.
She can also set special triggering limitations of her own. These can be as simple or elaborate as she desires. Special conditions for triggering a rune can be based on a creature’s name, identity, or other observable actions or qualities. When scribing a rune, she can specify a password or phrase that prevents a creature using it from triggering the effect. Anyone using the password remains immune to that particular rune’s effects so long as the creature remains within 60 feet of the rune. If the creature leaves the radius and returns later, it must use the password again.
She also can attune any number of creatures to the rune, but doing this can extend the ritual time. Attuning one or two creatures takes negligible time, and attuning a small group (as many as ten creatures) extends the ritual time to 1 hour. Attuning a large group (as many as twenty-five creatures) takes 24 hours. Attuning larger groups takes proportionately longer. Any creature attuned to a rune cannot trigger it and is immune to its effects, even if within its radius when triggered. She is automatically considered attuned to her own runes, and thus always ignore the effects and cannot inadvertently trigger them.
A rune can be removed by a successful Dispel Magic spell. Destruction of the surface where a symbol of death is inscribed destroys the symbol but also triggers it.
She can cast each version of these runes once per week and the rune lasts a maximum of one week.
Here are the available rune types:
Rune of Death: Roll vs HT-2 of suffer a Heart Attack.
Rune of Fear: Fright Check at -3.
Rune of Insanity: Roll vs Will-3 or suffer the Hallucinating condition for minutes equal to the margin of failure.
Rune of Pain: Roll vs HT-3 or suffer the Agony condition for minutes equal to the margin of failure.
Rune of Persuasion: Roll vs Will-3 or suffer the effects of a Loyalty spell (M136) as if casted by the Gynopshinx.
Rune of Sleep: Roll vs Will-4 or suffer the Sleep condition for minutes equal to the margin of failure.
Rune of Stunning: Roll vs Will-3 or suffer the Paralysis condition for minutes equal to the margin of failure.
Variants
Adventure Ideas
This Web site is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC. This Web site may use the trademarks and other intellectual property of Wizards of the Coast LLC, which is permitted under Wizards' Fan Site Policy. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® and D&D® are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast and D&D® core rules, game mechanics, characters and their distinctive likenesses are the property of the Wizards of the Coast. For more information about Wizards of the Coast or any of Wizards' trademarks or other intellectual property, please visit their website at www.wizards.com.