Flumph: *Uncontrollable Chuckling* That’s a Funny Name

Trust a Flumph.

X the Mystic’s 1st Rule of Dungeon Survival

I want to know how this monster came to exist. Was someone on the staff super drunk and/or stoned? Or did they just put a paper and crayons in front of their kids and say “Draw me a new monster or daddy can’t pay for food this month.”

Either way, I’m mildly grateful. But only milldly.

Lore: The Only Parasite That’ll Betray Their Host

While a Flumph resembles a floating, glowing jellyfish, they’re actually highly intelligent, possessing knowledge of ancient religion, philosophy, mathematics, and other such subjects. Their psychic abilities make them keen to the emotions of others. While they are drawn to positivity, they flee from evil.

They feed off of mental energy. Their often found feeding off of monsters like mind flayers, aboleths, githyanki, and githzerai. As passive parasites, they’re often unnoticed by those they feed on. However, the good nature flumphs are often frightened by the negative thoughts they consume. Thus, when a positive source of food appears, they’ll share the information in hopes of getting assistance in destroying them, even if it means finding a new source to feed on.

Flumphs live in cloisters with each other. They won’t designate their leader. Each one contributes in their own way and communicates harmoniously, making it easy to make do without one.

The lore here is pretty fun! You can very easily write a compelling questline with this. Maybe the party could stumble into a cloister while struggling against some kind of threat. Or perhaps the Flumph could seek them out for help, marking the beginning of this quest. Hell, you could do the opposite if you’re running an evil campaign!

Which is where you’re really gonna get utility out of this thing, let’s be real.

Design: Why’d You Give a Jellyfish Eyes? And a Mouth? Is that a mouth? I think it’s a mouth. We’ll call it a mouth.

I’m honestly not sure what to think about this design. Like… it’s certainly unique. A floating jellyfish with eyeballs? Yeah, that’s certainly something new.

But it doesn’t do a whole lot for me in terms of a story. Tell me: what part of this says “psychic parasite” to you? It looks like a filler monster you’d find in a seaside setting. Not something you’d find in the Underdark.

Like… maybe if it were a floating brain or something like that. But a jellyfish? I don’t really get it. That’s not even a parasitic creature!

At least, I don’t think it is. Hold on… *goes to Google* No, I’m right. Kind of.

Stats: If You’re Fighting One of These, You’re a Bad Man

Wow. Challenge level 1/8. I think that’s a new one!

This thing is basically a joke. Sure, you can’t read its mind. But when it literally has to make a save to avoid being incapacitated when they’re knocked prone? You’re dealing with a gag.

Also, if you hit it with psychic? You win. Its HP is so low that you won’t even need to roll.

Its attacks are slightly more threatening. Its damage isn’t super menacing, but the extra potential acid damage can help. Unfortunately, the DC is so low that the player would more than likely succeed.

But what about its unique attack, Stench Spray? Well… it can poison the victim. And… yeah, that’s it. Helpful for a quick getaway! Not so much for a compelling fight.

Which, again: you’re really not meant to fight this thing. Unless you’re a bad man.

Placement

The flumph is a monster that gets less fun the further down the page you get. It has a fun name and decent lore! And its design, while not very effective, is certainly unique. But you can’t really make a fun combat encounter out of it.

With all that in mind, let’s put the Flumph on the Best of the Bestiary!

1. Beholder
2. Death Tyrant
3. Dragon Turtle
4. Green Dragons
5. Red Dragons
6. Blue Dragons
7. Black Dragons
8. White Dragons
9. Silver Dragons
10. Couatl
11. Behir
12. Aboleth
13. Bronze Dragons
14. Brass Dragons
15. Copper Dragons
16. Gold Dragons
17. Chuul
18. Chimera
19. Death Knight
20. Bone Devil
21. Dracolich
22. Faerie Dragon
23. Ankheg
24. Empyrean
25. Drow (all four of ’em)
26. Shadow Demon
27. Marilith
28. Drider
29. Aarackockra
30. Azer
31. Demilich
32. Spectator
33. Cambion
34. Animated Armor
35. Banshee
36. Basilisk
37. Yochlol
38. Bulette
39. Cloaker
40. Darkmantle
41. Doppelganger
42. Ettin
43. Pit Fiend
44. Erinyes
45. Chain Devil
46. Bearded Devil
47. Barbed Devil
48. Spined Devil
49. Ice Devil
50. Nalfeshnee
51. Glabrezu
52. Chasme
53. Barlgura
54. Horned Devil
55. Balor
56. Shadow Dragon
57. Vrock
58. Dretch
59. Goristro
60. Hezrou
61. Manes
62. Duergar
63. Quasit
64. Dryad
65. Flumph <———————-
66. Planetar
67. Imp
68. Flameskull
69. Displacer Beast
70. Carrion Crawler
71. Rug of Smothering
72. Bugbear Chief
73. Bugbear
74. Vine Blight
75. Twig Blight
76. Needle Blight
77. Bullywug
78. Ettercap
79. Cockatrice
80. Lemure
81. Solar
82. Deva
83. Cyclops
84. Centaur
85. Fire Elemental
86. Water Elemental
87. Air Elemental
88. Dinosaurs (All six of them)
89. Earth Elemental
90. Flying Sword
91. Crawling Claw