Goliath Stirge

Goliath Stirge (CR 15)

Neutral - Small - Vermin

Lore:	Know (Nature)
30		45
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

25

Perception:
35	+25
Passive	Active

Ambush:

10+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses

Movement Types:

Defense

AC

37

Man Def

37

Monster Health
429	214	29
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+12
Refl:	+17
Will:	+12

Strong Against:

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Small
5 ft.		5 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+22

Man Off

+27

Action

0

Points

• Maneuver Offense Notes: lots of legs

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Bloody Bite +22 (0/19-20 x2)
  as undefined damage type
  plus Drain Blood (after successful Attach)

Full Attack (Melee):

• 1x Blood Gluttony +22 (3d8+16/19-20 x2)
  as undefined damage type
  plus Drain Blood (after successful Attach)

Standard Attack (Ranged):

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

18

STR

21

DEX

17

CON

5

INT

5

WIS

3

CHA

Skills:

• Movement: 25
• Perception: 25
• Stealth: 25
• Survival: 25
• All other skills: 20 (no ranks)

Languages: D'ziriak (low brood)

Feats:

Special Abilities

Attach (Ex)

As a swift action, the stirge makes a touch attack against a target ( to-hit vs Touch AC), . If it hits, it enters the target's space, and gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and a +2 bonus to AC against that target until it is removed. Neither Stirge nor victim is considered to be squeezing. Removing the stirge requires either a successful Maneuver Offense check or an Escape Artist check vs the Stirge's Maneuver Defense of . Any adjacent ally may also make one of these checks as a standard action to remove an attached stirge. If an adjacent creature is the one who succeeds in removing the stirge, the victim takes points of physical slashing damage as the stirge's claws are dragged from its flesh with no to-hit roll needed, as the stubborn creature is torn off its victim. Note that missed attacks against an attached stirge do not harm the victim to whom the stirge is attached. Up to 4 goliath stirges can attach to a single sized-small or sized-medium creature. There is no practical limit to the number of goliath stirges which can attach to a sized-large or larger creature, although DM's are encouraged to be reasonable.

Drain Blood (Ex)

Once attached, as a standard action, the goliath stirge can make a bite attack roll (with a +1 bonus to hit, since they're attached). If they hit, they deal normal bite damage, and drain points of CON from the victim. Hit or miss, they usually then upgrade to a full attack action and use Blood Gluttony to bite again. If they also hit with Blood Gluttony, they drain points of Con again. Once a stirge has drained 10 points of CON, from one or multiple victims, it will detach and attempt to escape the battle to digest its meal in peace. A stirge which successfully escapes a battle in this way is not considered 'defeated' and does not award treasure or xp. Creatures which are drained to 1 constitution by Drain Blood are slain, although given the amount of damage a Goliath Stirge inflicts on a victim, they may die anyway before they reach that point.

Goliath Stirge

A gigantic breed of stirge, these massive mosquito-like things can reach four feet in length. They are deadly menaces to any warm-blooded creature they come in contact with. Goliath Stirges are winged predators which roam in packs and sometimes even massive swarms, seeking out prey. Like all stirges, goliath stirges subsist on blood, and seek it out with gleeful abandon. Goliath stirges require a great deal of blood to survive, and so the packs are highly nomadic, wandering great distances to find new prey. They locate their prey by the smell of their blood. Once located, they descend and feast with hedonic abandon.

Combat Tactics

Goliath stirges are simple combatants. They need to attach to their prey in order to feed, so that is their priority. They are good fliers, and have a decent stealth skill, so they will often attempt to ambush prey. During a surprise round, they will use a charge maneuver to attach (dealing no damage, but getting in position to do so). Once attached, they attack with bites and gluttony in a frankly horrifying display of spattering fluids, hideous noises, and chomping, crunching sounds that is most unpleasant to be near.

Being largely unintelligent, goliath stirges will usually target the nearest creature to them, though they will avoid anyone wearing heavy armor, seeing them as inedible.

Stirges only retreat when full.

Out of Combat

The single most amazing thing about Goliath Stirges is the fact that they are intelligent! They can speak D'ziriak, badly, and it is not uncommon to see these stirges striking up simple bargains with other monsters, accepting shelter and food in exchange for killing abd eating every thing EXCEPT their hosts.

In the simple minds of the stirges, this is a great deal, and if things get lean and hungry, well.... They can always conveniently forget about that deal....

Rewards

XP: 51,200

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 32,125 gp.

Weight: 150 lbs.     Volume: 6 cu. ft.

• Stirge fluids and probosci are extremely valuable to the right buyers.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)