Stirge

Infobox D&D creature


caption=Stirges, from the cover of "Ghost of Lion Castle".
name=Stirge
alignment=
type=Magical beast
subtype=
source=
first=
mythical=Strix
based=
wizards_image_URL=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM35_gallery/MM35_PG237.jpg
OGL_stats_URL=http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/monstersS.html#stirge

In the "Dungeons & Dragons" fantasy role-playing game, the stirge is a mosquito-like magical beast and a classic D&D monster.

Publication history

Originally presented as a more bird-like creature, the stirge may be derived from the Roman "striga", a vampiric owl-like night bird.Fact|date=July 2008

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

The stirge was introduced to the game in its first supplement, "Greyhawk" (1975). [Gygax, Gary and Robert Kuntz. "" (TSR, 1975)] It is described as a large, bird-like monster with a long proboscis which sucks blood from living creatures.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

The stirge appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), [Gygax, Gary. "Monster Manual" (TSR, 1977)] where it is said to be found in dark, tangled forests or in subterranean lairs, and lays in wait for warm-blooded creatures.

The stirge was detailed in "Dragon" #83 (March 1984), in the "Ecology of the Stirge". [Greenwood, Ed. "The Ecology of the Stirge" Dragon #83 (TSR, 1984)]

Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)

This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the stirge, in the "Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set" (1977, 1981, 1983). [Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974] , edited by J. Eric Holmes. "Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set" (TSR, 1977)] [Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974] , edited by Tom Moldvay. "Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set" (TSR, 1981)] [Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974] , edited by Frank Mentzer. "Dungeons & Dragons Set 1: Basic Rules" (TSR, 1983)] The stirge was also later featured in the "Dungeons & Dragons Game" set (1991), the "Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia" (1991), [Schend, Steven E., Jon Pickens, and Dori Warty (Editors). "Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia" (TSR, 1991)] the "Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game" set (1994), and the "Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game" set (1999).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

The stirge appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989), [Cook, David, et al. "Monstrous Compendium Volume Two" (TSR, 1989)] and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993). [Stewart, Doug, ed. "Monstrous Manual" (TSR, 1994)]

The stirge was again detailed in "Dragon" #239 (September 1997), in the "Ecology of the Stirge", which also introduced the desert stirge and the jungle stirge. [Richardson, Tim. "The Ecology of the Stirge" Dragon #239 (TSR, 1997)]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

The stirge appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000). [Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. "Monster Manual" (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)]

The "Tome and Blood" supplement introduced the stirge familiar for use as a wizard's familiar.

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

The stirge appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003). The stirge familiar also appears in the revised Dungeon Master's Guide.

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

The stirge appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008). [Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. "Monster Manual" (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)]

Description

Ecology

The stirge needs blood to survive. It finds victims, and then desperately latches onto them with its legs and pincers before finding a weak spot and driving its deadly proboscis in. It sucks out the blood, causing a long, painful, irritating death. If the victim dies before the Stirge's hunger is quenched, it detaches and finds a new victim. Though they grip onto their victims very excruciatingly, a good blow to one can detach it.

Environment

Typical physical characteristics

A stirge resembles a giant mosquito about the size of a housecat, being one foot long and half a foot wide and tall. It has a set of four, leathery, bat-like wings with a span of two feet. It has a long, sharp proboscis, a short tail, barbed legs, and a row of short, curly hairs along the spine. Stirge coloration ranges from brown to rust-red, with the proboscis being pale pink.

Alignment

Stirges are neutral.

ociety

Stirges typically organize into colonies of two to four creatures, flocks of five to eight, or "storms" of up to fourteen creatures.

References

External links

*cite web
last =Wiese
first =Robert
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Elite Opponents: Weird and "Wonderful" Stirges
work =
publisher =Wizards of the Coast
date =2006-04-13
url =http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/eo/20070413a
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-04-16