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.[citation needed]
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The stirge was introduced to the game in its first supplement, Greyhawk (1975).[1] 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),[2] 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".[3]
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). The stirge was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (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),[4] and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).[5]
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.[6]
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
The stirge appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).[7]
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).
==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. EnvironmentTypical physical characteristicsA 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. AlignmentStirges are neutral. |
Society
Stirges typically organize into colonies of two to four creatures, flocks of five to eight, or "storms" of up to fourteen creatures.
References
- ^ Gygax, Gary and Robert Kuntz. Supplement I: Greyhawk (TSR, 1975)
- ^ Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977)
- ^ Greenwood, Ed. "The Ecology of the Stirge" Dragon #83 (TSR, 1984)
- ^ Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (TSR, 1989)
- ^ Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1994)
- ^ Richardson, Tim. "The Ecology of the Stirge" Dragon #239 (TSR, 1997)
- ^ Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
External links
- Wiese, Robert (2006-04-13). "Elite Opponents: Weird and "Wonderful" Stirges". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help)