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
• Keen Scent 120 ft.

Movement Types:

• Walk 20 ft.
• Greater Climb 20 ft.
• Greater Flight 60 ft.

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: -2ts of legs

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Bloody Bite +22 (4d8+22/19-20 x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)

Full Attack (Melee):

• 1x Bloody Bite +22 (3d8+16/19-20 x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)
  plus: Drain Blood (after successful Attach)
• 1x Blood Gluttony +22 (3d8+16/19-20 x2)
  as flensing (physical, rare)
  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) Swift Action

As a swift action, the stirge may make a melee touch attack against a target, at 1d20 + 26 vs. AC (always hits on a 17+ on the die). If they hit, the goliath stirge enters the target's space, and gains a +1 bonus to all further attack rolls against that target and a +2 bonus to AC against all attacks 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 (both requiring a standard action) versus the Stirge's Maneuver Defense of 37. Any adjacent ally may also make one of these checks, also 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 3d8+16 points of slashing (physical, common) damage as the stirge's claws are dragged from its flesh (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 that can attach to a sized-large or larger creature, although GM's are encouraged to be reasonable.

Drain Blood (Ex) Full Attack Action, after Attached

Once attached, as a full attack action, the goliath stirge can make a bite attack roll (with a +1 bonus to hit, since they're attached) to drain 1d4+1 points of CON in addition to the bite damage, and then use Blood Gluttony to bite again. If they also hit with Blood Gluttony, they drain 1d4+1 points of CON again. Once a goliath 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 goliath stirge that successfully escapes a battle in this way is not considered 'defeated' and does not award treasure or xp. Creatures that are drained down to 1 Constitution by Drain Blood die instantly, 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 fly up and attach as a swift action (dealing no damage, but getting in position to do so). Once attached, they make full attacks 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. If not surprised, they will generally do the same trick, charging in and attaching. While they are attached to a victim, they have enough reach to make a bloody bite attack against any adjacent foe, such as someone trying to pull them off their victim, and they will gleefully do so. Their Blood Gluttony attack, however, is always made against their Attached victim.

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

Stirges only retreat when full, IE, they have drained ten or more points of Con damage. Once they hit ten points of drained Con, they will typically take a withdrawal action, or simply Rn away using flight to gain altitude or otherwise beak off pursuit. If a Goliath Stirge manages to escape with ten points of Con, it is not counted as defeated and does not award experience points or treasure.

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 and 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)