I come not to bury the Flumph, but to praise it.

Last week on Instagram I ran March Madness brackets for D&D players called Monster Madness. Thousands of D&D fans voted for their favorites all week long. One winner I didn’t expect was the Flumph. Flumph lovers rose up to give it more individual votes than any monster up to that point in the competition, and it took out the Modron. Voters even started a hashtag for #teamflumph to rally around this strange, obscure creature. Unfortunately, its success was short-lived; the humble Flumph lost to the sinister Drow, and it’s fans changed the hashtag to #ripflumph.

So, in the spirit of #teamflumph, I offer four fabulous Flumph facts:

1)      Flumphs are aberrations. In D&D terms this means they are alien beings, from a different planet out in the universe. In a fantasy world where most strange threats come from other planes (the 9 hells, elemental planes, the shadowfell…) it’s almost refreshing to encounter something as familiar as aliens from outer space. The Flumph is not unique however. Beholders, Aboleths, and Slaads also come the black ink of space. Flumphs however, are only lawful good aberrations, which is why their appearance is usually a welcome one.

2)      They are related to the Grell. While there is some debate about this, most people agree it’s true. There are a lot of similarities: both are aliens, they float around like jellyfish, and they attack with their dangling tentacles.

3)      You can trust them. Beyond their lawful good status, there are other reasons for the adventurer to trust a Flumph. They often live in the underdark near communities of Illithids and Aboleths and can be great sources of aid and information. Then there is the legendary advice of X the Mystic. Not much is known about X other than his comprehensive “Rules of Dungeon Survival.” The list of rules is comprised of 24 short, helpful pieces of advice, including rule number one, “Trust a Flumph.”

4)      They have color-change emotions. The Flumph wears its heart on its sleeve. Much like a chameleon, it changes its overall color in accordance with its emotions. Soft pink means it is amused, deep blue is sadness, green expresses curiosity, and crimson is anger.

I hope you enjoyed this Flumph-filled post. If you were part of #teamflumph, I post it to ease your pain over its loss in the monster madness competition. 

Ok, that’s it for this week. See you next week and until then, may the dice be ever in your favor, 

Jason