During daylight hours, characters are most-likely to encounter stirges while the foul little beasties are sleeping, since the monster’s darkvision trait suggests a nocturnal nature.

Like bats, stirges sleep upside down, hanging from the upper reaches of wherever they roost. In Lost Mine of Phandelver, that would likely be a mine, cave, or ruin. Or perhaps the attic or barn of an abandoned homestead somewhere along the Triboar Trail. Any character who has a passive Perception score of 10 should be able to spot or smell their guano if within 15 feet of the sleeping stirges, with an additional DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check necessary to spot the colony.

Spotting something and understanding what you’re looking at are two different things. Perhaps a DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check is necessary to notice that it’s a thirst of stirges, rather than a colony of bats. Or, only a character proficient in Intelligence (Nature) can spot the difference, providing a character with that skill proficiency the chance to shine.

Or, what about stumbling across a victim of a stirge attack at an abandoned campsite, their corpse completely drained of blood? What might that look like?

The clearing is eerily still, a cold campfire pit at its center. Scattered around it are the remains of a small camp – an overturned cooking pot, torn bedrolls, and abandoned packs. The faint smell of smoke lingers, but there’s no other sign of life.

In the center lies a body, pale and gaunt, with skin drawn tight over its bones. The clothes are simple, worn by travel – an old cloak, sturdy boots, and a knife at its belt. The figure is sprawled awkwardly, as if in mid-struggle. Nearby, a few items are abandoned – dried herbs, an open pack with half-eaten rations, and a broken water skin. The remnants of a trail lead off into the woods, but it fades quickly, as if those who left it vanished in a hurry.

Perhaps a wound (or wounds) inflicted by the stirge’s proboscis are mistaken for rapier wounds if the corpse is examined. This would be an opportunity to provide a character with proficiency in Intelligence (Nature) or Intelligence (Medicine) a chance to shine with a successful DC 11 check.

Correctly identifying the corpse as the victim of a stirge attack gives the party something to think about when it’s time to take a long rest out in the wilderness. And, making a discovery of this nature at a hastily abandoned campsite – littered with gear -also gives the Dungeon Master an easy loot drop to delight their players with.

Tomorrow, let’s take a long rest and get into what a nighttime encounter with stirges could look like.

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