The Stirge Mask

The Plague Doctor in my campaign had gained control of a local lord and turned his demesne into a giant blood transfusion experiment.

He was able to harvest massive amounts of blood because he had obtained an item legendary in Plague Doctor lore.

Modeling the Latest in Plague Doctor Fashion

The Stirge Mask

Function

This mask looks like a plague doctor mask with a long proboscis. It allows the wearer to control stirges. The stirges can be commanded to suck blood and to excrete any blood they have not yet digested from their proboscides (I look up the plural forms then used the most pretentious one).

The stirge mask can only be used by characters that can use magic. Good characters cannot use the stirge mask. Good characters that try to use the stirge mask must save vs. spells. If they succeed the are unable to use the mask. If they fail, they can use the mask, but they are now evil.

Function in Mass Combat

The Stirge Mask can control up to 100 stirge + 10 Stirge for every 2 levels of the wearer if the wearer is a Plague Doctor. The wearer cannot move or attack on a turn on which the stirge move or attack.

The Subjective Experience of Using the Stirge Mask

When a character dons the stirge mask, they feel an immediate connection with any stirges within 300' (including up and down). They can smell the blood that those stirges can smell and they desire it. They feel the stirges not as individuals creatures, but as a united entity lusting for blood. 

They control the stirges mentally, as if the stirges were limbs. There are no command words or things to be puzzled out. The wearer is instantly plugged into the consciousnesses of nearby stirges. The wearer controls the stirge not with commands but by willing the stirges with the same type of thoughts that the wearer would use to control their own hands. It feels weird at first.