Things You Need to Know About the DD2 Sphinx
The Sphinx is one of Dragon’s Dogma 2’s rarest beasts. As an amalgamation of a lion, a bird, and a woman, it likes to challenge humans to a game of riddles. Here are some things you need to know before attempting this game of wits:
- You can kill the Sphinx immediately after encountering her, but the chests, aka rewards, won’t open. You’re free to do whatever you want in the game, but if you kill the Sphinx or let her fly away before you attempt to solve the riddles, the treasure chests will forever remain sealed, and you won’t be able to get what’s inside.
- Make sure to place a Portcrystal near the Sphinx. Since she’s in the mountains, it’s not the easiest place to get to. If you have a Portcrystal in your inventory, place it near her to quickly travel with a Ferrystone whenever you want to.
- The Sphinx won’t hesitate to show her claws if she’s provoked. When attacked, she’ll unleash a storm of mayhem to confuse her enemies before unleashing a barrage of fiery attacks. Should you get her health down in battle, she’ll fly away unless you complete the job quickly.
- You only get one shot at solving the riddle, so don’t hesitate to save at an Inn first. The Sphinx isn’t keen on giving players a second attempt. If your answer is incorrect, you won’t be able to guess again. With that being the case, your best bet is to save at an Inn before seeing the Sphinx. That way, you can try answering the riddle again if anything goes wrong.
- You can hear the Sphinx’s riddle as many times as you’d like. She’s happy to repeat her riddles. If you don’t have the item she wants, you can’t give her an answer.
- You don’t have to deliver anything, especially if you don’t have it yet. The Sphinx won’t punish you should you decide that you don’t actually want to try and solve the riddle for now.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 Sphinx Location
Pack your bags because getting to the Sphinx will be an arduous journey. Since her location lies way off the beaten path from the main story, prepare to encounter dens of monsters and trek through mountains.
To find the Sphinx’s first location, go to the Mountain Shrine northwest of the Misty Marshes. It’s near Checkpoint Rest Town, so feel free to drop by there to save. From there, follow the road going north until you reach the Ancient Battleground and a few caverns. Once you’re past the Ancient Battleground, you’ll encounter an NPC named Oskar. He has a side quest called Tolled to Rest. Solving the Sphinx’s riddles perse is not required, but you can tackle this objective along the way. Think of it as hitting two birds with one stone.
You’ll have to go to another location after solving the Sphinx’s first five riddles correctly. Go to the Frontier Shrine. This is found along a river that runs west of Checkpoint Rest Town and into Battahl. You must jump over a fallen column in a narrow passageway to locate her.
DD2 Sphinx Riddles and Solutions Guide
Dragon’s Dogma 2: A Game of Wits All Solutions
There are five riddles you can solve in the Mountain Shrine:
- Riddle of Eyes
- Riddle of Madness
- Riddle of Wisdom
- Riddle of Conviction
- Riddle of Rumination
Then, once you complete the first five riddles, the Sphinx will move to the Frontier Shrine. You can follow our guide on how to get there, but if you want to take the fastest route, you can ride on the Sphinx’s back. As soon as she finishes talking after completing the Riddle of Rumination, jump and press the Grab button. Move around her until you reach her nape. The only caveat is that you won’t have time to open the fifth chest, but you can always return to it later.
After reaching the Frontier Shrine, you’ll need to solve the following riddles:
- Riddle of Reunion
- Riddle of Futility
- Riddle of Recollection
- Riddle of Differentiation
- Riddle of Contest
You can find all the ways to complete this below.
How to Complete the Riddle of the Eyes
Riddle: “Our eyes are our allies, yet oft do they betray, for eyes tell lies, so I advise, and thence do lead astray. Yet how will your eyes advise you? Venture through yonder door and retrieve that which is of greatest value.”
Reward: Wakestone
The first trial involves recognizing that not everything is as it appears. The Sphinx will open a cracked doorway for you, leading into a vast tunnel system crawling with hobgoblins and an ogre. Look above the entrance to see a chest with a Sealing Phial, which you’ll need to present to the Sphinx.
How to Complete the Riddle of Madness
Riddle: “Love is as twin to madness, they say. They are bound fast, as night is to day. So bring forth your most beloved to me that I might gauge the depth of your insanity.”
Reward: 1 Portcrystal
This riddle tests your definition of a ‘beloved.’ You must bring the person with whom you have the highest affinity value. Carry whoever that person is in your arms and use a Ferrystone to teleport back into the Mountain Shrine (if you use a Portcrystal there beforehand). Then, place that NPC into the pedestal and tell the Sphinx they’re your beloved. You can also use your main pawn as another alternative.
How to Complete the Riddle of Wisdom
Riddle: “The parent knows the child, yet the reverse is far from true. The child knows not the parent; such is the parent’s due. I am a lost child, for kinship do I yearn. So bring to me my parent, that I may learn.”
Reward: 1,200 RC
You must fetch a specific pawn to complete this challenge. It’ll either be the SphinxMother, SphinxFather, or SphinxParent pawn. Recruit any one of these in Havre Village at the Riftstone of Fellowship. You’ll need to have them added to your party. Once that’s done, teleport to the Mountain Shrine and bring that pawn to the dais. Note that the pawn must come from Capcom, not other players.
How to Complete the Riddle of Conviction
Riddle: “Life is an enigma—a lender of mortal debt. Yet lighter pack makes fleeter foot and challenge nimbly met. So grant to me what you most prize, and hence elude your ponderous demise.”
Reward: 1 Portcrystal
The Riddle of Conviction suggests that you must give up your most valuable item, but really, any item will work. Once you relinquish the item, you will not only get it back but also duplicate it. With that in mind, we recommend offering any high-value or unique item that’s hard to find, like a Portcrystal.
How to Complete the Riddle of Rumination
Riddle: “You know of Seeker’s Tokens, I trust? Those keepsakes of a fondly remembered journey? Yet where it was that you found your first? Retrace your steps, if you can—you might make a new discovery.”
Reward: 3 Ferrystone
You must go where you found your first Seeker’s Token for this riddle. Once you go there, instead of finding a Seeker’s Token, you’ll get a Finder’s Token. Bring it back to the Sphinx to complete the riddle. It can be tricky to find the location since you might no longer remember where you found your first Seeker’s Token, so the Sphinx will give you seven in-game days to accomplish this.
How to Complete the Riddle of Reunion
Riddle: N/A
Reward: 100,000 gold
After reaching the second location, the Sphinx will reward you immediately, so it’s not exactly a riddle. Loot the chest behind her to complete it. From here, the riddles will appear in a random order. Once you’ve reached the final riddle, be ready to switch to an Archer or a pawn who can switch to a bow before attempting to solve it.
How to Solve the Riddle of Futility
Riddle: “Here I have an amphora destined for Ser Maurits in Bakbattahl. Deliver it to him, but beware; it’s rather fragile.”
Reward: Eternal Bond Ring
For this riddle, the Sphinx will give you a vase to give to a specific NPC marked on your map. You must go to the city of Bakbattahl. The challenge will fail if you break the vase. Since the amphora is fragile, you must avoid getting attacked, or it’ll get destroyed immediately. And if it breaks, the Sphinx will fly away, and you’ll fail the remaining riddles.
The best way to overcome this riddle is to bring the NPC—Maurits—to the vase instead of carrying the vase to him. Simply fast travel to Bakbattahl and find Maurits, carrying him on your shoulders, and go back to the shrine. Drop him next to the amphora to complete the challenge.
How to Solve the Riddle of Recollection
Riddle: “My memory fails me, you see. Remind me, and make it plain. Let yonder statues be your means. For every question aptly answered, bring one here before me.”
Reward: 1 Unmaking Arrow
Pick up the statues on your left and place them before her. Each statue represents the number of riddles you’ve solved. So, for example, if this is your ninth riddle, you must place eight statues.
How to Solve the Riddle of Differentiation
Riddle: “I seek this man. If men are so distinct, I’m sure you’ll meet him in a trice.”
Reward: Whimsical Daydream
You’ll be shown an image of an NPC you must find and bring back to the Sphinx. However, the catch is that two NPCs—Vergil and Dante—look almost identical. To avoid confusion, take a screenshot of the NPC she’s shown you to compare it to the correct person. One is in Bakbattahl, while the other is in Checkpoint Rest Town. Bring the right person to her to complete the riddle.
And yes, the Dante and Vergil NPCs are a Devil May Cry reference.
How to Solve the Riddle of Contest
Riddle: N/A
Reward: Ring of Ambition
For this riddle, you’ll be equipped with a ring that lowers your damage (Ring of Derision). The Sphinx will then spawn a combatant who you’ll have to defeat. Instead of fighting them, we found that the best way to complete this challenge was by grabbing the enemy and throwing them off the cliff.
Getting the Last Treasure Chest from the Dragons Dogma Sphinx
After completing all the riddles, you’ll notice that one big treasure chest remains locked, and the key is dangling around the Sphinx’s neck. Before she flies away, you must attack her and retrieve the key. Only target her back legs and where her tail is. Targeting anywhere else will cause her to fly away.
The Sphinx will give you the key and disappear after dealing enough damage. If you don’t want to waste time, you can use the Unmaking Arrow to kill her instantly. The reward you’ll get in the final chest is an Eternal Wakestone.