Since stirges are so much like mosquitoes, couldn't you have them have a possibility of spreading diseases, to make them more challenging or something?

Question for debate:

Several stirges are attached to a PC. The PC only had 10hp (let's assume they're low-level). The PC is knocked unconscious by the Blood Drain by the stirges. None of the stirges have drained 10hp worth of blood, and their target isn't dead yet. So, whilst the stirges continue to drain a 0hp target, how do you rule it? Is the damage critical as per unconsciousness (i.e. does it count as a melee attack) and force saving throw fails? Do they have to drain the target to -10hp to instakill them? Can a target regain hp whilst a stirge is attached?

What are everyone's thoughts? When I first ran it, I treated each blood drain effect as a failed death save on the unconscious PC. Unsurprisingly, the PC died very quickly whilst other stirges were hounding the party, and death by blood loss isn't exactly something you can recover from with CPR. However, I'm looking at them now for a future encounter (new campaign), and think actually they'd more likely follow the negative max hp rules and - hear me out - suffocation. Not that a PC would actually be suffocating in this instance, but I'd rule it as the same mechanic. How could they regain hp whilst a creature is still attached to them sucking their blood? They can't. "They are dying, and can't regain hit points or be stabilized until they can breathe again the stirge is removed."

there technically D&D's own vampire bats 

Quote from Namklak >>

House rule: for every round a stirge is attached, the victim must make a DC 10 with intelligence modifier, or the victim is too panicked to remove the stirge himself.

 I like that, but I think it should be wisdom, which is usually used to control your emotions (like Wis saves against being frightened)

I really like that is tells you in the attack how many Hit Points it’s looking to steal, before flying off.

Quote from dinnydorf >>

Question for debate:

Several stirges are attached to a PC. The PC only had 10hp (let's assume they're low-level). The PC is knocked unconscious by the Blood Drain by the stirges. None of the stirges have drained 10hp worth of blood, and their target isn't dead yet. So, whilst the stirges continue to drain a 0hp target, how do you rule it? Is the damage critical as per unconsciousness (i.e. does it count as a melee attack) and force saving throw fails? Do they have to drain the target to -10hp to instakill them? Can a target regain hp whilst a stirge is attached?

What are everyone's thoughts? When I first ran it, I treated each blood drain effect as a failed death save on the unconscious PC. Unsurprisingly, the PC died very quickly whilst other stirges were hounding the party, and death by blood loss isn't exactly something you can recover from with CPR. However, I'm looking at them now for a future encounter (new campaign), and think actually they'd more likely follow the negative max hp rules and - hear me out - suffocation. Not that a PC would actually be suffocating in this instance, but I'd rule it as the same mechanic. How could they regain hp whilst a creature is still attached to them sucking their blood? They can't. "They are dying, and can't regain hit points or be stabilized until they can breathe again the stirge is removed."

RAW:  It’s “taking damage”, so it counts as one failed save, but since there is no attack roll, it cannot count as a critical hit.  Same rule as if a downed PC had been hit with a Fireball funnily enough.  Similarly, it has no more special effects on the character’s ability to heal than a fireball does.

I certainly can see what you would want to homerule that, since that ruling means if a player goes down with 3 or more Stirges already attached, they do just instantly die when their turn rolls around, which is a rough way to go.

If we are being creative with conditions, I think you could do something interesting with exhaustion.

Yep

Quote from Jared9870 >>

So out of curiosity when a stirge attaches itself to a player/victim the stirge basically auto hits with the blood drain ability not requiring a roll against their ac but since the stirge is on the victim and so close would the player be able to hit the stirge automatically or should you still have them roll

 Yep

Secretly the best Beastmaster companion.

A stirge which is attached to a PC could be hard to hit because the PC does not want to hurt himself with an attack against the stirge (because it is so near) or the sturge is on a body part which is hard to reach(f.e. the back).

In Dragon of Icespire peak apparently there is only one of these in Axeholm. Can someone recommend a more challenging size for a party of two wizards and a rogue, all level 5?

Quote from NeverGiveTheDMIdeas >>

In Dragon of Icespire peak apparently there is only one of these in Axeholm. Can someone recommend a more challenging size for a party of two wizards and a rogue, all level 5?

 6 or 7 is a decent number for a party of that size.  They can actually get pretty nasty when they gang up on one person.

That being said, Stirges are rarely meant to be a serious threat, more like an environmental hazard you can stumble into.

Think of them as slightly larger demonic mosquitoes. They swarm around you and constantly sting you leaving itchy lumps. On all open flesh. 

The description does say you can spend an action to remove it.
But as always it is up to the DM and I would rule that if the player wants to hit it to inflict damage the monster would be Restrained and they will have advantage on roll to hits

If the creature can see it, they auto hit.

I just realised that the stirge detaches itself after it deals 10 damage. But it can always fly around for more food, right? So, if it's a ranger's companion, does that mean you can tell it to stay on? 

I really hope it does. Or we could just homebrew and increase the amount of hit points lost by proficiency bonus so that it scales with levelling? Beastmaster Ranger is difficult to play already :/

Combat Narration / Description:    You see a (large, small) (swarm / group) of tiny flying creatures, similar in shape, size,  and appearance to a bat, with the most striking differences being the presence of a short, thin, snake like tail, and a protruding needle like proboscis emerging from the beast's face.  They make almost no noise when in flight.  A closer inspection (Perception) reveals leathery wings and a fur tufted body and head that varies in color from shiny black to the color of dried blood, with black beady eyes, and four to six tiny legs that end in sharp pincer like claws. It is clear that the extended proboscis is used as a natural weapon. 

Combat Tactic Employed:  Hit & Fly - From 20' above the target: fly to target (1/2 move), attack: on hit - attach & drain, on miss - fly back 20ft up (1/2 move).   

Target Selection: Indiscriminate - random / closest.  (See note below regarding group attack targeting.)

Damage Tracking Tip:  Don't roll for damage, just default to 2 rounds to get to 10 hp then all you have to track is the rounds attached, not the points.  Alternatively use a d3 to see how many rounds the Stirge will need to attach to get to 10hp damage.  The initial damage resulting from the attach should not count as part of the Blood Drain.

Attacking a Strige engaged in Blood Drain:  A stirge that is engaged in Blood Drain is effectively self restrained - it cannot move from its current position, and can do little to defend itself as it has no natural ability apart from movement, which it has sacrificed. Apply the 'Restrained" condition to attacks made against it. 

Realism Alternative Rule for attacking a Blood Draining Stirge:  On a d8 roll of 1 the Stirge is located on the characters back, so is out of reach and cannot be grabbed.

Grabbing & crushing a Stirge:  Attempting to grab a Stirge engaged in Blood Drain is effectively a Grapple attack (with advantage.)  Unarmed strikes deal 1+d4 dmg, so any character that successfully grapples (grabs) a Strige will automatically do enough damage to kill it.

Minimizing potential lethality of multiple simultaneous blood drains:  Stirge's will not 'share' the blood of a victim (group attack on a single target) unless there are no other targets available.  This reduces the potential lethality of the stirge's special attack, which can be incredibly deadly to low level characters.  (For example, each active blood drain on an incapacitated character would result in an instantaneous failed death save, so three stirges attached to one character that goes unconscious will kill it in one round.)  Note that even high level characters can be quickly killed by a swarm of blood thirsty stirges if no other targets are available.

Upping the Challenge:  Infected Stirges  1 in 3 (d3 random) of the Stirges are infected with a disease that is communicable by way of Blood Drain.  Each successful round of Blood Drain  causes the sewer plague disease (Save v Con DC12).  Alternatively, the infected Stirge causes a blood drained character to be poisoned (Save v Con DC12).

Very Cool

mordi

Stirges are the BEST animal for the druid spell "Conjure Animals". Don't believe me? Try it out yourself, you won't be disappointed.