The Flumph (and other "dumb" monster) Discussion Thread

[LOTRfan]

Okay, so there have been a lot of monsters described as downright silly in earlier editions of Dungeons and Dragons. We have all seen the weird pictures, read the ridiculous descriptions, and heard about the lame monsters of early (and even a few in recent) editions of D&D.

Most of the comments about them are, as to be expected, negative. The "dumb monsters" article and its sequel, the descriptions told by forum members, and even some jokes in the OOTS web comics.

This thread, however, has been made to talk about the good aspects of creatures such as the Wolf-in-Sheep's-Clothing, the Flumph, the Duckbunny, and the Lurker-Above.

Have you ever used any of these creatures in your campaign? Have any interesting stories to tell? Just want to defend the monsters that PCs have loved to hate for the past (nearly) forty years? Please share.

[Dubious Pie]

Awakened Duckbunny (3.5e conversion) BBEG for a... humorous campaign. It was awesome. My players still talk about that campaign 3 years later.

[Tokuhara]

We once had a campaign where an Awakened Catobleepas was the BBEG. We died (as would be expected...)

My fave was a campaign where WE turned out to be the BBEGs. That didn't confuse me at all...

[dsmiles]

Being the old and crusty guy that I am, I have used some of the "dumb monsters." I once made a dungeon where more than one room had a Lurker Above, and also more than one room had a Trapper (or whatever the floor version was called). I never saw so many uses of the spider-climb spell.

[SurlySeraph]

Flumphs allow you to create terrifying/ confusing/ awesome societies of Lawful Good aberrations. Throw in a deity like Kysul, some relevant artwork, and you get the best Upper Plane ever.

[The Tygre]

This may be of interest to you when it comes out.

[LOTRfan]

Flumphs allow you to create terrifying/ confusing/ awesome societies of Lawful Good aberrations. Throw in a deity like Kysul, some relevant artwork, and you get the best Upper Plane ever.

There definitely aren't enough Good Aberrations out there. This is just another reason to love the Flumphs.

Being the old and crusty guy that I am, I have used some of the "dumb monsters." I once made a dungeon where more than one room had a Lurker Above, and also more than one room had a Trapper (or whatever the floor version was called). I never saw so many uses of the spider-climb spell.

I always used the Lurker-aboves with the lurker-belows, along with the wall digester monsters. I admit, I got the room of death idea from the dumb monsters article.

[dsmiles]

This may be of interest to you when it comes out.

DO WANT! obligatory white text

[Lateral]

This may be of interest to you when it comes out.

HELL YES EPIC WIN!

[LOTRfan]

This may be of interest to you when it comes out.

Lovable Losers FTW!

[nedz]

Lurker Above was an old AD&D Staple which I used to use occasionaly. Its just a varient of the Mimic really. Very similar, in some ways, to the Darkmantle.

As to Flumphs: I once gave someone one of these as a familiar
I seem to recall "Flipping the Flumph" was a popular prank at one point.

[dsmiles]

Lurker Above was an old AD&D Staple which I used to use occasionaly. Its just a varient of the Mimic really. Very similar, in some ways, to the Darkmantle.

As to Flumphs: I once gave someone one of these as a familiar
I seem to recall "Flipping the Flumph" was a popular prank at one point.

Actually, I believe that the Darkmantle was supposed to be the evolution of the Piercer.

[LOTRfan]

Yeah, just looked it up. The Darkmantle is in fact a creature descended from piercers.

Lurker-Above is awesome. Nothing says "I want to kill you" like when the ceilings are starting to attack.

Also: What size are flumphs? I've seen variants of small and tiny.

[Rappy]

This may be of interest to you when it comes out.

There's something about that cover that bothers me...otherwise, yes, this is a product I've been waiting for since back when its cover had a blindheim, not a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing, on it.

As for the title topic: seeing as I made a whole thread about a book cataloguing a lot of old-school monsters, including the "stupid" ones, yeah, I've used and played with them. It's fun to combat expectations or make more "eloquent ecologies" for 'dumb' monsters.

[panaikhan]

I can't remember the name of the monster, but it was undead, and it made itself smaller as it floated towards it's target to fool them into thinking it was retreating.

But anyway - I liked them, and used them in a couple of places (on new players, obviously).
Another one I had fun with was the Gambadoo (?) the skull on a stretchy rubber 'foot'

[jmbrown]

As "dumb" as these monsters were in description and mechanics, they had importance in making D&D feel like more than a generic fantasy that everyone complains about. Did Tolkien have monstrous floors? Did Moorcock have animated clothing? Did Vance have carnivorous treasure chests?

I miss the unique fantasy aspect of D&D. I miss when the "rule of cool" didn't mean "It must have spikes, piecemeal armor, and cleavage."

I miss the weirdness of D&D where a battle looked like this vice this.

[Beelzebub1111]

The Flumph is the BEST monster. Sometimes the stupid terrible monsters are the best ones to add to a campaign. Of course...wolf-spider demons are the absolute worst of every monster ever conceived ever.

[Eldan]

Of course...wolf-spider demons are the absolute worst of every monster ever conceived ever.

Dude, don't insult Miska, he's awesome.

Anyway, D&D can use more weird monsters, and the wolf in sheep's clothign totally makes sense from an ecological standpoint.

Of course, to eat adventurers, it should display gold instead of a rabbit, but that's what Mimics are for.

[Beelzebub1111]

Dude, don't insult Miska, he's awesome.

Anyway, D&D can use more weird monsters, and the wolf in sheep's clothign totally makes sense from an ecological standpoint.

Of course, to eat adventurers, it should display gold instead of a rabbit, but that's what Mimics are for.

There's no end to them, though. Even if when you get the BEST ending to the rod of seven parts the wolfspiders STILL bug you forever.

[Eldan]

Ah. I must admit, I haven't read the adventure.

And Miska personally bugs you for all eternity? That should be a short eternity for most people.

[Beelzebub1111]

Ah. I must admit, I haven't read the adventure.

And Miska personally bugs you for all eternity? That should be a short eternity for most people.

No, in the best ending you kill him forever, but the Queen of Chaos bugs you for eternity sending wolf spiders after you for revenge...for killing the guy that was clearly using her to his own advantage.

[jmbrown]

No, in the best ending you kill him forever, but the Queen of Chaos bugs you for eternity sending wolf spiders after you for revenge...for killing the guy that was clearly using her to his own advantage.

Hence Queen of Chaos. Consider the wolf spiders a blessing. She could have just smote you.

[LOTRfan]

As "dumb" as these monsters were in description and mechanics, they had importance in making D&D feel like more than a generic fantasy that everyone complains about. Did Tolkien have monstrous floors? Did Moorcock have animated clothing? Did Vance have carnivorous treasure chests?

I miss the unique fantasy aspect of D&D. I miss when the "rule of cool" didn't mean "It must have spikes, piecemeal armor, and cleavage."

I miss the weirdness of D&D where a battle looked like this vice this.

I agree, and that is why I made the thread.

Wait, weren't Wolf-spiders magical beasts? Granted, I don't know much about Miska, but does he have a spider wolf-like form like Baphomet's minotaur-like body, or is he an actual wolf-spider who staked out his own corner of the Abyss?

I love Wolves-in-Sheeps-Clothing. I made them the alpha predators in a specific part of the campaign. One of my players' characters loved small, furry animals. Good times.

[Darrin]

Also: What size are flumphs? I've seen variants of small and tiny.

According to Dungeon #118, they are tiny aberrations. 2 racial HD, LA +2, and I think their favored class is Paladin (begging the question, what does their mount look like?).

[Squally!]

According to Dungeon #118, they are tiny aberrations. 2 racial HD, LA +2, and I think their favored class is Paladin (begging the question, what does their mount look like?).

A flumph rides a higher level flumph into battle!

[LOTRfan]

Yeah, and Tome of Horrors says they are small. Which one overrules the other?

Flumphs were the only Lawful Good creatures to appear in the original Fiend Folio. It seems that Dungeon Magazine changed their alignment from "Awlays Lawful Good" to "Usually Lawful Good." Not that its such a big deal.

Flumphs riding Flumphs into battle... interesting. If mounts need to be one size category larger than the rider, maybe the tiny Flumphs use the small ones in that regard.

[Squally!]

clearly they just left out the note that says the small sized flumphs are mounts, and the tiny sized ones are the actual combatants!

[Zhalath]

That Pathfinder link reminds me of Disenchanters. I always thought those things were awesome, and wish I could somehow acquire one as a mount and stick it to high level pure fighters relying on WBL to survive.

[zyborg]

My fave was a campaign where WE turned out to be the BBEGs. That didn't confuse me at all...

Er, how'd that work?

[Barlen]

My personal favorite that I could never bring myself to use is the clothes golem.

When the pile of laundry on the floor gets up and attacks you, you can be sure the DM wants you dead.