Flumph

Flumphs were mysterious and benevolent creatures that drifted through the Underdark. "Trust a flumph."

- X the Mystic's 1 rule of dungeon survival

Description
A flumph's body was shaped like a flat saucer with a diameter of, slightly larger than a human from shoulder to shoulder, and between thick at their center, about as thick as a human arm. The thickness tapered to about at the edge of the saucer. Their bodies were hollow, with a small circular hole at the center of their topside. They had a pair of eyestalks on either side of the central hole, as well as numerous tentacles and small spikes that grew from the underside.

Flumphs floated about above the ground by means of an innate anti-gravity field, and moved by using air jets as propulsion. The air circulated through the flumph's body by entering in the central upper cavity and exiting from small holes in its underside and from apertures along the rim of its body. In fact, they were named after the characteristic whistling sound made by these jets, which could only be heard in quiet areas and produced a gentle breeze. Their more peripheral tentacles were very dextrous and were capable of manipulating small objects.

Common flumphs were white, while monastic flumphs were pale yellow or green, with tentacles ending in darker shades. Flumphs also glowed faintly in different colors depending on their mood.

Personality
Flumphs were wise and possessed advanced knowledge of philosophy and other subjects. They fed on psionic energy and were therefore more likely to be found near strong sources, such as aboleth, gith, and mind flayer settlements. However, due to their strong telepathic nature, flumphs were very sensitive to evil thoughts and felt the need to share them as quickly as possible with any good-aligned creatures they found, in order to wash these thoughts away.

It was also common for flumphs exposed to evil thoughts to spontaneously glow red in anger. This reaction was considered a sign to adventurers that evil monsters lurked nearby.

Combat
Normally, a flumph's reaction when facing an evil creature was to flee. However, flumphs' tendrils were acidic and could be used as defensive weapons if necessary. They also had the ability to shoot a sticky, foul-smelling fluid whose odor lasted for several hours and was potent enough to sicken nearby creatures as well. The fluid could be removed from a victim by spending at least an hour bathing in water, alcohol, or vinegar.

As a result of its anatomy and flight mechanics, a flumph became almost completely helpless if turned upside down. They could right themselves up only with great effort.

They were capable of overhearing any telepathic conversation held within a range of, but were immune to attempts at reading their thoughts or their emotions against their will.

Society
Most typical flumphs led nomadic and monastic lifestyles. Their society was organized in harmonious cooperative groups called "cloisters", in which all flumphs shared knowledge and contributed according to their own skills. Ordinary members of the cloister were called "monks". A typical cloister could be up to 32 monks strong and was led by an "abbot", who was aided by a group of "priors" that comprised about one sixth of the monk population. It was common for monastic flumphs to be capable of casting cleric spells, but the benevolent deities they worshiped were unknown to humanoids.

Cloisters were also known for sometimes recruiting isolated mindwitnesses into their communities. Once a mindwitness was taken in service of the flumphs, it would change its world view accordingly and was no longer an evil creature.

Relationships
Flumphs were largely ignored by mind flayers, who had no interest in them. For that reason, it was relatively common to find cloisters of flumphs near mind flayer settlements. On the other hand, githyanki abhorred flumphs violently, and attacked them on sight.

Flumph flesh was considered unpalatable to most races, but they were occasionally hunted for food by ogres and goblinoids.

Ecology
Flumphs reproduced about once every two years by a budding process, in which between one and eight tiny younglings sprouted from the adult's underside. The young flumphs became fully independent after three months, upon reaching a diameter of about. They then grew to fully adult size after one month. Their lifespan was about 20 years.

Besides psionic energy, flumphs also fed on small vermin such as rats, lizards, and frogs. They hunted by floating about higher and then jumping on top of their prey, immobilizing them and absorbing their nutrients with their tentacles.

Uses
Some flumph internal organs could be harvested for practical applications. Their brains, when powdered, could be used in the crafting of potions of levitation, with a yield of three potions per brain. The inner layers of their tentacles could also be harvested to make oil of acid resistance, with every twenty tentacles yielding one serving of oil.

The glands that produced their defensive foul-smelling fluid could be used as a material component for the stinking cloud spell. However, the characteristic smell produced by a spell cast using that component was likely to attract the attention of every flumph within a radius.

History
The origin of the flumphs was ultimately a mystery. It was speculated that flumphs were genetically related to grells or belabras, due to some physiological similarities such as their hovering and the presence of tentacles. Given the probable genetic ties to the grells, most sages agreed that flumphs originated in a different world and traveled as clandestine passengers in grell spelljammer ships.

During the late 1480s DR, flumphs were greatly disturbed by the demonic madness that permeated the Underdark. Some offered assistance to anyone who opposed the derro cultists under Gracklstugh, while a cloister of flumphs from the Wormwrithings maintained that kindness was the only appropriate response during those evil times.

By the, a cloister of flumphs inhabited the Seadeeps level of Undermountain, feeding off the psionic energy of the nearby illithid and githyanki settlements.

Notable Flumphs

 * Laal, an erudite female flumph who contacted a group of adventurers to seek justice for the murder of her mate, Xol;
 * Xol, an adventurous male flumph who was murdered by the Cult of the Crushing Wave in an expedition to Mulmaster's sewers.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Out of the Abyss • Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage • The Orrery of the Wanderer
 * Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
 * Video Games
 * Descent to Undermountain
 * Board Games
 * Betrayal at Baldur's Gate • Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Begins
 * Card Games
 * Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
 * Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
 * Foulness Beneath Mulmaster
 * Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
 * Foulness Beneath Mulmaster