AC 13 (10 while attached)
HP 2 (1d4; bloodied 1)
Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft.
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 13
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages —
ACTIONS
Proboscis. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 1 piercing damage, and the stirge attaches to the target. A creature can use an action to detach it, and it can detach itself as a bonus action.
Blood Drain. The stirge drains blood from the creature it is attached to. The creature loses 4 (1d8) hit points. After the stirge has drained 8 hit points, it detaches itself and can’t use Blood Drain again until it finishes a rest.
Combat
A flock of stirges doesn’t focus on a single target, but spreads out to attack all nearby creatures. A stirge retreats only when sated with blood.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or Nature check, characters can learn the following:
DC 10 A stirge looks something like a four-winged bat crossed with a giant mosquito. Stirges latch onto their victims and drain their blood using their long proboscises.
DC 15 In small numbers, stirges don’t pose much of a threat. There’s a reason, however, that a flock of stirges is referred to as a plague.
Although some regard them as birds of ill omen, stirges more closely resemble a horrific mix of mosquito and bat. With its four membranous wings, a stirge can hover in place like a hummingbird as it stabs its hapless victims with its long proboscis. Once a stirge has clamped onto a victim, it drains the creature’s blood until sated.
Strength in Numbers. A single stirge is easily dispatched, but a flock—sometimes referred to as a plague—can drain a victim dry before it has a chance to resist.
1–2 As travelers approach, they take wing and attack
3 Swarming a large, panicked animal
4 Drowsy and sated with blood; they attack only if approached
1–2 An animal or humanoid corpse drained of blood
3 A distant humming sound
4 What looks like a cloud of bats darkening the sky. DC 13 Perception check: they have too many wings
Stirges are a common swamp hazard, but they can also be found in deserts and caverns.
CR 0–2 1d8 stirges
Beasts are natural animals whose existence and abilities are nonmagical. A bear and a tyrannosaurus rex are both beasts.