Copyright 2008 Wizards of the Coast

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Stirges have been in the game at least since the days of Basic. Here, they are both in the Monster Manual and in the Vault.

The Lore

Stirges are another example of dangerous fantasy wildlife in the implied Fourth Edition setting. Looking like a cross between a large bat and a mosquito, these things feed on blood and will attack any nearby creature in search of it when hungry. While a mosquito can be dangerous because it transmits diseases, a stirge is large enough for the blood loss it causes to be worrying. A flock of them could exsanguinate an adult human in minutes.

Like bats, they nest in dark places and tend to hunt at night. They’re a common enough threat that anti-stirge measures are a part of every culture. Ship crews, for example, spread unpleasant-smelling unguents in their cargo holds to prevent stirges from nesting there. Sheperds and ranchers absolutely hate them and have their own set of measures.

Any dark dungeon might be home to a flock of stirges, making them one of the many dangers adventurers must always be wary of. A large enough flock can threaten even seasoned veterans!

Since they’re considered vermin by the people of the world, they also have all the same sinister associations worms and rats and such get. Particularly gross necromancers love filling the body cavities of a large, bloated zombie with a flock of stirges, which burst out when their carrier is slain. Optionally the stirges might be zombies as well.

The Numbers

Stirges are Small Natural Beasts, which does mean they might get as big as three feet across (halfling-sized!). They have darkvision, a flight speed of 6 with Hover, and a pathetic ground speed of 2. Their main attack is always a “bite” with their blood-sucking proboscis-beak thing, but the exact mechanics of that vary per stat block.

Stirge (Both)

The basic model is a Level 1 Lurker with 22 HP and the common traits above. The bite is its only attack. It does damage and grabs the target (escape DC 12). While the target is grabbed, it takes 5 ongoing damage from the blood-sucking. While the stirge is grabeed, it gains +5 to AC and Reflex.

The MM version has an extremely weak bite even for a level 1 monster (1d4 damage), but the MV updates that to be in line with the new math (1d4+5).

While a single stirge is not a big threat to a full party, it’s terrifying to a civilian! Non-combatants are likely minions, and if not they’re unlikely to have much more than 10 or 15 HP. A stirge like the above could be nesting in any given dark hole near the poor schmuck’s farm, and could kill them in one bite and maybe a round or two of blood-sucking. The civilian is also more likely to meet the stirge than a goblin or the like, and of course it will never be just one stirge.

Stirge Suckerling (MV)

A young stirge that’s already quite hungry. It’s a Level 5 Minion Lurker, which means it comes in hordes.

Their only attack is the usual bite, which does a bit of damage and initiates a grab (escape DC 15). While the grab persists, the suckerling can only make bite attacks against the grabbed target, but those hit automatically. The target also takes ongoing damage equal to the number of suckerlings attached to it, so be sure to make them gang up on the squishies. Now there’s a nice mental image for you.

Death Husk Stirge (MV)

An undead stirge used as filling for a Bloated Zombie Surprise. It’s a Small Natural Animate (undead), and a Level 6 Skirmisher with 71 HP. It has darkvision, an immunity to poison, and 10 resistance to necrotic damage. It has the usual stirge ground speed of 2 and flight speed of 6, but if it’s hit by radiant damage it loses the ability to fly for a turn (and falls if it was in the air).

Death husk stirges won’t stick to you, but they’ll still suck your blood. The Rotted Blood attack (close blast 3 vs. Fortitude) allows them to spit the blood stored inside their purulent intestines, dealing necrotic damage and blinding those it hits for a turn. Undead in the blast can shift 2 squares as a free action. This is an encounter power, but hitting someone with the basic bite attack allows the stirge to recharge it.

As a move action, they can use Nimble Wing to fly 4 squares without provoking opportunity attacks. When they hit 0 HP, they burst and those purulent intestines produce a cloud of Necrotic Miasma (close burst 2 vs. Fortitude), which deals a bit of necrotic damage and weakens for a turn.

Dire Stirge (Both)

Indeed, like every bit of natural fauna in the setting, stirges have a dire version. They’re larger, but not quite large enough to go up a size category. They are however a lot meaner, being level 7 Lurkers with 60 HP.

Aside from the usual increased numbers due to being higher level, dire stirges do 10 ongoing damage while attached and have an escape DC of 16. They are otherwise mechanically identical to the level 1 variety.

Stirge Suckerling Swarm (MV)

For when you have so many suckerlings in play it becomes impractical to track them individually. This swarm is a Level 10 Brute with 128 HP, and counts as a Medium Natural Beast. It has a ground speed of 2 and a flight speed of 6.

This has the usual swarm traits. Its aura (1) makes anyone caught inside begin taking 5 ongoing damage (save ends). If the victim is already taking untyped ongoing damage, that damage increases by 5, with no stated limit. It’s a nice way to model an incresing number of tiny stirges attaching themselves to the victim.

Its Swarm of Suckerlings basic attack deals good damage and ongoing 5 damage (save ends), so it can step up the aura’s timetable a bit.

When an adjacent enemy moves away from the swarm, it can use Hungry Flight as an immediate reaction, flying up to its speed so it’s adjacent to the target again. This does not provoke opportunity attacks!

Stirge Swarm (Monster Manual)

What you get when those suckerlings grow up. This swarm is a Medium, Level 12 Brute with 141 HP. Being a MM monster, it’s a bit simpler. Aside from the usual swarm traits, it has a basic attack that deals ongoing damage (save ends), and an aura that allows it to make basic attacks against anyone caught inside as free actions.

You’re probably better off leveling up the suckerling swarm.

Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

You can’t really tame stirges, since they’ll attack anything that has blood, but sometimes kobolds and goblins use captured stirges as traps. Trigger the trap, release the swarm! They can also be encountered as indiscriminate opportunists, or in coincidental cooperation with things they won’t feed on.

The sample encounters provide two such examples of this: the first is 2 dire stirges and 3 bloodweb spider swarms, the second 3 stirge swarms and a flesh golem.

The “Large zombie minion full of undead stirges” setup has been hinted at above, as well. For Maximum Carnage you could add the undead traits to a stirge swarm stat block to get a swarm of death husk stirges.

I usually wouldn’t be very enthusiastic about stirges, but now I kinda want to use the Zombie Surprise at least once.