Homebrew Flumph Species Details

Flumphs are flying telepaths, allowing them to move about safely, often avoiding notice of other creatures. Their ability scores make for excellent clerics and wizards, but rogues might also benefit from the flumph’s traits. Flumphs are good-natured, and like to be around good people with good thoughts for them to feed upon. They generally avoid creatures with disturbing thoughts, and they actively seek the downfall of those creatures. These motivations make them a good member of a good-aligned party, but parties with evil characters or anti-heroes might be a problem for a flumph.

Flumphs are among the weirder creatures in the game. Most of their abilities are tied up in telepathy, which makes them a bit complex to design. Flumphs are aberrations, costing 0.5 BP but offering no specific traits. The description of flumphs emphasizes their intelligence and wisdom, so we’ll grant them a +1 to Intelligence and a +1 to Wisdom for 2 BP. From the stat block, we get small size for -1 BP, 5 ft. walking speed for -2.5 BP, 30 ft. fly speed for 4 BP, vulnerability to psychic damage for -1 BP, Darkvision for 2 BP, no ability to speak for -1 BP, but flumphs can still understand Common for 0 BP. We’ll keep the flumph’s tendrils at 1d4 piercing and 1d4 acid damage for 2 BP, but we’ll remove the ongoing damage component. We’ll grant 30 ft. telepathy for 2 BP. Flumphs have no hands for -2 BP. Because they qualify, we’ll add natural weapon finesse for 0 BP. At 5 BP, it’s time to tackle the flumph’s other abilities. Advanced Telepathy is extremely situational, so we’ll call it 0.5 BP. Prone Deficiency can be an absolutely lethal handicap, but since the DC to avoid it is so low we’ll call it -1 BP. Telepathic Shroud is strong, but technically situational. Still, immunity to an entire school of magic is extremely potent. We’ll keep the ability as written for 3 BP. Finally, we need to do something with Stench Spray. I have to assume that the DC is tied to the flumph’s Constitution modifier, and players will see that this is an extremely effect crowd-control effect. The Poisoned condition applies Disadvantage on attacks and ability checks, severely hindering those affected. Even at one use per day, this is still very powerful. If we allow a free saving throw every round and grant advantage for washing with water or something, I think we can bring this down to 2 BP. At 9 BP, the flumph is within our target range of 8-10 BP. If you want to strengthen the flumph, allow it to use Stench Spray after a short rest or allow it to be used as a bonus action. If you want to weaken the flumph, remove Stench Spray.

Flumph Traits

Darkvision.

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Advanced Telepathy.

You can communicate telepathically with any creature that knows a language within 30 ft. You can perceive the content of any telepathic communication used within 30 feet of you, and you can't be surprised by creatures with any form of telepathy.

Exposed Mind.

You are vulnerable to Psychic Damage.

Flight.

You have a flying speed of 30 feet, and can hover. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor

No Hands.

You are unable to wield weapons or wear shields, and cannot use items which require manipulation, including spellcasting foci, wands, tools, etc.

Prone Deficiency.

If you are knocked prone, roll a die. On an odd result, you land upside-down and are incapacitated. At the end of each of your turns, you can make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, righting yourself and ending the incapacitated condition if it succeeds.

Stench Spray.

You can use your action to spray a foul-smelling liquid. Each creature in a 15-foot cone must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, or be poisoned for 1d4 rounds. Creatures are poisoned while within 5 feet of the coated creature. The coated creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. After you use this ability, you can't use it again until you complete a long rest.

Telepathic Shroud.

You are immune to any effect that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts, as well as all divination spells.

Tendrils.

Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 piercing and 1d4 acid damage on a hit. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolIs of your unarmed strikes. Your unarmed strikes count as a weapon with the Finesse property for all effects which require it, such as Sneak Attack.

Ability Score Increase.

+1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom.