Common(er) defenses for common creatures

Psion · Jan 10, 2007

I was reading some encounter tables in a little third party product, and thought to myself: how could humans survive if <insert creature> are so common? (In this case, the creature was the stirge.)

Well, it occurs to me that while not everyone is an adventurer, humans can be pretty savvy and spread their wisdom. I picture a farmer telling his son "Mind ye to take a hare with you when you go out to the shed... have the hare go in first and shut the door. Peak through the shutters and make sure no stirges descend upon it... they're thick this season."

Any other ideas like this? I'm thinking of using little tidbits like this for bits of color and internal logic purposes.

howandwhy99 · Jan 10, 2007

My thinking was commoners, warriors, and other NPC classes (0-level character previously) simply worked together to fight these dangers. Not that they sought them out, but that they formed mobs or trained militias to drive off wandering beasts. Otherwise bears, wolves, or worse would have overcome rural medieval lands long ago.

Arashi Ravenblade · Jan 10, 2007

I prefer to think that most monsters just dont have the numbers (Or the desire to even enter our territory) to overwhelm a common human community. That and they have natural predators that keep them in line in their own environment.

Gentlegamer · Jan 10, 2007

RE: stirges

Possible explanation - stirges are common enough to be hunted for food with frequency

Psion · Jan 10, 2007

Gentlegamer said:
RE: stirges

Possible explanation - stirges are common enough to be hunted for food with frequency

Stirges are sort of dangerous to be a food source.

Trapping them seems more appropriate. Perhaps a local general store might carry "stirge traps".

painandgreed · Jan 10, 2007

Fortified villages with watches. Homes are built like small forts with thick doors that can be barred and windows too small for an orc to climb though. Sheds and the like are secured and built to make sure nothing like a stirge can get inside. In the mornings, the watch or militia probably make rounds and check out anything that is not locked up. Most people, especially children don't go far from the village, probably not out of sight of it. If they do and run into something, best strategy is to move silenty, hide, or run. If they survive the encounter, they inform the local lord who does his fuedal duty and rides out (or hires adventurers0 to dispatch the threat.

Slife · Jan 10, 2007

Psion said:
Stirges are sort of dangerous to be a food source.

Trapping them seems more appropriate. Perhaps a local general store might carry "stirge traps".

Like this one?

Psion · Jan 10, 2007

Slife said:
Like this one?

BlackMoria · Jan 10, 2007

Stirge control would be a number of measures.

Access control - like insects and catepillars, there might some natural or artificial substance the stirges find noxious or irrestible. Noxious substances would be put around buildings and out in the field for farm animals (the stirges are a great danger to livestock than humans). These substances might need to be burnt or need to be fresh....whatever you think is appropriate for your campaign.

Attractants would be used to draw stirges into netting traps or poisoned blood containers for them to feed.

Abatement program - certain times of the year (like maybe during stirge mating season), groups go out during times the stirges are gathering and are vulnerable and do a stirge cull, killing off the stirges when they are distracted by mating behavior and less aggressive.

Villages would know about nearby stirge nesting areas or nesting behavior. Abandoned buildings may be knocked down or burnt to deny nesting sites. Sheds and barns may need to be properly shut and open cracks and other opening may need to be netted or filled with noxious pitch to deter stirge entry. Known stirge nesting area would be fired or destroyed in some fashion.

It is even possible that certain domesticated animals would be trained to hunt and kill stirges - just like the 'rat terriers' of RL. I can see maybe certain cat breeds being bred as stirge killers.

Any civilization will used a combination of all these methods to limit the predation of stirges or whatever low intelligent monster that poses a threat.

A note: If you do come up with measures for stirge control and abatement, expect the characters to know these measures and use them against your stirge encounters.

Pbartender · Jan 10, 2007

BlackMoria said:
It is even possible that certain domesticated animals would be trained to hunt and kill stirges - just like the 'rat terriers' of RL. I can see maybe certain cat breeds being bred as stirge killers.

It'd be a good gig for falconers.