Running an encounter with Stirges...

[Asmo]

Ok, I´m gonna have some stirges attack my players and I want to know if I understand the grapple rules correctly:

1. Round 1 - stirges wins initiative and attacks -thus provoking a AOO from the defender.

If the AOO deals damage the grapple attempt fails. If the AOO fails to deal damage or the attack misses,the stirges makes an touch attack vs. the defenders Touch AC.

If the attack fails, the grapple attempt fails. If they hit they grab the defender.
The stirges and the defender makes opposed grapple checks as a free action, and if the stirges makes the grapple check both are grappling.
Does this mean that the stirges must make a succsessful Touch attack AND a succsessful grapple check to succeed?
( I don´t know what the "deal damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike" means, but I guess that it isn´t working in this case with the stirges?)

2.Round 2. assuming that the stirges made the Touch attack and won the grapple check they start their turn with their blood drain - MM p. 237 "when it begins its turn attached to its victim"
The next step,- 4 from PHB 156 - does it apply to the stirges? If they start their round with draining the defender, do they have to make a new grapple check next round if they not drained their full quota on their first round?

MM says that "an attached stirge can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached stirge through grappling, the opponent must achive a pin against the stirge."

If I understand this correctly, the defender can -after being drained - make a grapple check against the stirge instead of attacking it. If he wins he pins the stirge - holding it immobile for one round. Can the defender next round on his initiative remove the stirge from the body as a free action? And the stirge can make an opposed grapple check even if it´s immobilized?

If the defender chooses the " struck with a weapon" option:how does it work?
Can the defender attack the stirges with a knife etc, with a normal attack roll or are there some penalities?
If one of the defenders friends attacks the stirge, do he make a normal attack roll or does the stirges have some degree of cover?

Asmo

 

[the Jester]

Stirges don't have to grapple in order to attach, they just make an attack. It requires a pin to remove a stirge, though.

 

[Vurt]

Also, if the stirges win initiative and go while their target is still flat-footed, they only provoke AoO if their target has Combat Reflexes.

Cheers,
Vurt

 

[pvandyck]

Stirges don't invoke an AOO from grappling - their intial attack isn't a grapple. They will invoke and AOO because they are a Tiny creature, and to attack, they need to enter the opponent's square.

I ran a combat with these not too long ago. The technique was to have several of them basically swarm the victim. No-one has enough Combat Reflexes to prevent a few of them getting through when 8 of them attack.

pvandyck

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

IRC, the Stirge gains cover as it is attached. DM's can have 1 Stirge attach out of reach of humanoid creatures, stuck onto the back between the shoulder baldes.. provides humorous roleplaying potential!

The Stirge does not have to do anything execpt win opposed grapple checks to avoid pinning (and removal) while they merrily drain the life from thier victim.

 

[Asmo]

IRC, the Stirge gains cover as it is attached. DM's can have 1 Stirge attach out of reach of humanoid creatures, stuck onto the back between the shoulder baldes.. provides humorous roleplaying potential!

Would you allow a player to cast himself flat on the back, trying to crush the stirge with his body? And how would a ruling for that look like? I have a player that I´m sure gonna try this kind of movement.

Asmo

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Sure..

Splat the Stirge:
Standard action, Draw AoAO: Yes.
Throw yourself prone, putting the brunt of your weight directly on the nasty clinging Stirge that is attached to your body. You deal 1D6 + Str mod + [2 for each size category larger than Medium]. You are denied Dex to AC until the begining of your next turn.
If the Stirge is slain in this manner, a portion of its probiscus breaks off inside your skin. Proper cleaning or the application of a Cure Light Wounds is required to avoid the resulting infection.
Special: You can throw yourself against a wall, dealing an additional 1D6 of damage by moving at least 20' and a successful melee attack vs DC 10.

Also usable against grappling opponents you have Pinned, but requires a successfull grapple check to move them.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Would you allow a player to cast himself flat on the back, trying to crush the stirge with his body? And how would a ruling for that look like? I have a player that I´m sure gonna try this kind of movement.

Yes, I would, and in doing so I would use the grapple rules. He does damage equal to an unarmed strike on a successful grapple check against the stirge.

 

[Infiniti2000]

IRC, the Stirge gains cover as it is attached.

You remember incorrectly. Stirges gain no cover. They are merely grappled.

DM's can have 1 Stirge attach out of reach of humanoid creatures, stuck onto the back between the shoulder baldes.. provides humorous roleplaying potential!

It's really a bad idea to introduce called shots into the game. This might be funny if you describe it this way, but certainly don't penalize the player for it.

 

[pbd]

Also at about 1 foot long, with a 2 foot wingspan, there isn't going to be a space on the back that the stirge can be in and not be reached. I'm not very flexible, but I can reach pretty much everywhere on my back and can certainly grab somehting a foot long hanging onto it. The exception might be if the victim was wearing armor that restircted his movement (maybe breastplate or better), but in this case since most armors of breastplate or better cover the back pretty well, the armor would make it nearly impossible for the stirge to latch on tot he back in the first place. Actually, the stirge would probably have trouble with chain...