Stirge
Tiny Beast, unaligned
25 XP
Actions
Blood Drain
Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage, and the stirge attaches to the target. While attached, the stirge doesn't attack. Instead, at the start of each of the stirge's turns, the target loses 5 (1d4 + 3) hit points due to blood loss.
The stirge can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. It does so after it drains 10 hit points of blood from the target or the target dies. A creature, including the target, can use its action to detach the stirge.
Quick Reference
Running This Encounter
Stirges are best used as swarm encounters or surprise hazards rather than standalone threats. Have them emerge from darkness, corpses, or confined spaces to maximize their hit-and-run potential. Use their tiny size to describe them crawling through crevices and attacking from unexpected angles. Even a single stirge can be memorable if it latches onto a PC during a tense moment.
Combat Tactics
Stirges prioritize attaching to exposed flesh, using their proboscis to drain blood. Once attached, they have advantage on melee attacks and deal automatic piercing damage each turn. They prefer hit-and-run tactics, retreating to shadows or high perches when threatened.
Environment & Setting
Ideal in damp caves, abandoned buildings, forest caves, or plague-ridden dungeons where they nest in corpses and organic matter. Sewers, crypts, and swamps provide perfect hunting grounds where stirges can ambush unsuspecting adventurers.