Bloodsucking creatures and Reality in D&D
by RobinThere is one important rule to keep in mind using bloodsucking creatures like;
Leeches, Giant leeches, Stirges, Lamprey, Giant Mosquitoes, and even Vampires and Nosferatu amongst some rarer others
They never suck more blood from the victim ((N)PC than they have hit points themselves.
Then they release, disperse, digest and /or reproduce somewhere else in a 'safe' location.
These creatures will see veins with blood coarsing through it from 120' distance by their ultraviolet vision, and hence they will negate any armor (unless fully covered=AV6+, then it ignores you as it might smell your blood, it can't see its intended target veins, or dripping blood)
They will smell blood creatures (not from insects, lowlife, undead, nor creatures with a natural Armor Value of 6 or higher=> or if not using Armor Value rules an Armor Class of 2 or lower) or loose blood (on the ground or in a sack) from a distance of 500! in a windless environment in less than 4 rounds. Any wind will push this with the windspeed further away in the direction of the wind, stretching the area permeated with the scent linear(dimiishing the sideway expansion by the same percentage).
The creatures will allways prefere 'exposed' veins above others, so it will not only ignore Armor, it will know the weak locations of familiar targets and attack there also ignoring dexterity effects on armor class.
Such a creature will be difficult to be removed or attacked by the target (-4 to hit, and any miss is a hit on oneself 25% chance), but if the target remains unmoving, the bloodsucking creature may be attacked by others at a +4 to hit.
They will make one attack unless driven off and the former wound is covered.
They will be able to be lured with exposed or loose blood. 1cn of blood equals 1 hp food for the creature.
each hp the creature ingested is enough to feed it for 1 HD for a week at most. This means a Stirge of 1 HD can feed itself for 1 week per hp, and a Giant leech of 6HD needs a minimum intake of 6 blood from any target to be able to do the same.
The blood can also be naturally used to heal any wounds the creature has at 1hp/day /HD of the creature. A wounded creature thus resores easily, yet it will need food sooner.
These creatures mostly will prefer unmoving(ie sleeping) creatures above moving creatures due the risk of self wounding.
Often females need a full dosage of blood to reproduce/lay eggs.
A typical Stirge has 1 HD=1d8 hp lets say 6 hp, allways negates any armor of AV6 or lower, thus preferring to attack neck and shouders, and will not suck more than 6 hp.
A typical Giant Leech (Monster Manual Chapter 3 page 65 )of 6 HD =6d8 hp, lets say 25 hp, will attack exposed skin or through any armor of less than AV4 (damaging the armor in the process and lowering its effects by 1 for each attack) thus preferring to attack legs, crotch and belly, and will not suck more than 25 hp. (this is contradictionary to the Rules Cyclopedia information that it has to be killed to be removed. it will also release if exposed to fire or acid, or if carefully sliced off=succesful Healing skill required)
A typical Nosferatu has 7 to 9 HD lets take 8 HD =8d8hp so lets say 50 hp This creature is intelligent, and requires only 8hp (demi)human(oid) blood per week maximum to sustain itself. it will prefer to suck from Neck, wrist, armpits, crotch, ankles, kneepits. As being intelligent it will release at will and use its other attack forms to defend or defeat (it will feast on fallen ones after there is no more fight).
Most of these creatures (except the Vampire and Nosferatu) have an anti coagulant in their saliva, causing any wound to continue bleeding foor 1 hp/round thereafter unless stopped by any curing spell/potion/treatment/wound binding(these do need a succesful Healing skill though in addition)
As these creatures drink blood, they often also carry blood diseases/poisons, which they themselves are immune against. And thus have a chance to infect surviving targets with this disease.For examples of infection/diseases see Infectium Morbis et Rigidum (Diseases and Afflictions) page 18 and for incubation periods on page 4
A Stirge makes a wound of at least 3 inches deep and only 1 inch diameter where its proboscis beak penetrated the skin/clothing has a 10% of carrying a disease and transferring it to the target unless a save vs poison at -4 is made (due the depth of the wound). such an infection has a incubation period of depending on the onset/incubation period of the disease (mostly 2 days. a Cure Disease spell or treatment(ie herbs, drinks, ointment) will prevent the disease from becoming active or remove it afterwards
A Lamprey or Giant leach will leave an undeep but superficial skin wound of several inches diameter and a few millimeters deep. it has a 20% of carrying a disease and transferring it to the target unless a save vs poison is made (due the depth of the wound)
A Vampire/Nosferatu bites with two deep but small fangs has a 5% of carrying a disease and transferring it to the target unless a save vs poison at -2 is made (due the depth of the wound).
Other similar creatures will resemble these.
As common leeches (Monster Manual Chapter 3 page 65 )of only 1-3 inch have these same abilities , they however
suck away 4 times normal amounts of blood and take more time (4 hp/hp 1 Turn or more). They attack only in wet surrounding or underwater, and they do NOT need to make hit rolls. They have an painsensitive reducing salive and/or slime due which the target will not notice. The attack in greater numbers on each single target and fall off when saturated. The wound will continue to bleed for 10-Con adjustment rounds for 1 hp but will not become infected due the antibiotics in the saliva. You have to search for these creatures and remove them individually with a succesful healing skill and 3 rounds of time. (any failure is not removed at all= try again) salt, ash, or other dehydrating substances cause them to release their hold quickly, as will an open flame. An attached leech which is slain continues to draw blood at the normal rate for an additional 1d4 rounds.
Maggots will act similar yet only eat dead flesh, and actually can be helpfull in healing processes on old wounds (depending on temperature 4 hours if warm/humid, 8 hours if war/dry, 1 day if temperate, 2 days if cold )with the use of a succesful healing skill