Stirge, Dire

Family: Stirge

Medium beast, unaligned

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	18 (+4)	12 (+1)	2 (-4)	12 (+1)	6 (-2)

Saving Throws: Dex +6
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +6
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages –
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Special Qualities

• Spider Climb. The dire stirge can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down or along ceilings, without need of an ability check.

Actions

• Blood Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage, and the dire stirge attaches to its target. While attached, the dire stirge does not attack, but at the start of each of its turns, the target automatically loses 9 (1d10 + 4) hp due to blood loss. The dire stirge can detach from a target by spending 5 feet of its movement. It does this after draining 30 HP of blood from a creature or if the creature dies. A creature, including the target, can spend its action to pull the dire stirge off them.

About

Dire stirges are much larger and formidable versions of the more common mosquito-like bats. Though far rarer, they too tend to live near large, stagnant water sources, are often encountered in swampy regions or dank underground caverns, and their relatively sword-like proboscis grievously impales foes and quickly drains their blood. The audible buzzing sound they make as they fly is much more pronounced than those of their smaller cousins.