A small band of adventurers, tired, thirsty, and hungry from their
previous adventures, comes to still another unfamiliar door. The thief
quickly informs them: “I hear the splashing of water.” After a few
moments of quiet discussion, the party decides to enter. The only thing
they see is a gently gurgling fountain.

Having run out of water a long time ago, they cast spells to determine
the quality of the water: it appears to be safe. Finally, after more
conversation, the thief walks up and takes a sip, rises, grimaces, and
falls over dead! The party picks up its fallen comrade and leaves
quickly.

A pool with a
grim fountain

The above scene should evoke memories and smiles from some of
the more masochistic DMs in the world; yet, not every fountain need be
poisonous. In my campaign, fountains which are magical in nature can
cause discussion between players for hours (real time) or great feats of
bravado (the gods protect the bold!) when encountered. However, it
becomes tiresome to compose new fountains from scratch, so I created
these tables, from which one can develop a number of fountains with
ease.

Magic fountains do not emit magical auras nor will they detect as
magical, poisonous, evil, etc. (except perhaps by limited wishes) It does
not matter how small a sip is taken; the full rolled effect will affect the
drinker. After the rolled number of drinks are taken, the remaining
water will become ordinary, as will any amount later removed from the
fountain, even if there is an effect left. Reason: The magic is in the
fountain, not in the water.

To use the tables below, roll as indicated from Tables I to V, rolling
on subtables as necessary. Table I limits the amount of magic in a given
fountain by limiting the number of drinks which have effect. Tables II
and III measure the potency and alignment of the magic. When rolling
for the effects, roll for all benefits (if any) first, then for all detriments.
The effects listed on the left side of a slash (/) are benefits, on the right
are detriments. Unless otherwise stated, all rolls are made with percentile
dice.

TABLE I--Number of drinks per fountain:

roll	01-60	61-80	81-92	93-99	00
number	1	2	3	4	5

TABLE II--Number of effects per drink:

roll	01-60	61-85	86-99	00
number	1	2	3	4

TABLE III--Number of beneficial/detrimental effects per drink:
                                            Effects Per Drink

roll	1	2	3	4
01-10	1/0	2/0	3/0	4/0
11-30	1/0	2/0	2/1	3/1
31-60	1/0	1/1	2/1	2/2
61-90	0/1	0/2	1/2	1/3
9 1 - 0 0	0 / 1	0/2	0/3	0/4

TABLE IV--Effects summary table:

roll	type
01-30	general (table IVa)
31-55	characteristic (table IVb)
56-75	magical (table IVc)
76-85	monetary (table IVd)
86-95	special (table IVe)
96-00	experience (table IVf)

 

TABLE IVa--General effects subtable:

roll	effect
01-04	bravery/cowardice
05-08	clairaudience*
09-12	clairvoyance*
13-16	commune*
17-19	detection (table IVai)*
20-23	ESP*
24-26	flight/encumberance
27-30	halve/double damage taken
31-34	haste/slow
35-38	healing/harming (table IVaii)
39-41	resistance/poison (table IVaiii)
42-44	infravision/blindnes
45-48	invisibility/glow in dark
49-52	invulnerability/death
53-56	knowledge/forgetfulness (table IVaiv)
57-60	love/hatred
61-64	paralysis**
65-68	polymorph (table IVav)**
69-72	quest (table IVavi) **
73-76	sleep**
77-80	speaking (table IVavii)*
81-84	stone**
85-88	stun (table IVaii)**
89-92	teleportation***
93-95	true sight/blindness
96-98	immunity/disease (table IVaviii)
99-00	two effects (roll twice ignoring 99-00)

*If detriment, power gives information.
**If benefit, power gives protection from rolled occurence.
***If benefit, power will teleport drinker home (with full shares). If
detriment, power will act as a random teleporter.
 
 

TABLE IVai--Detection sub-subtable:

roll	detects
01-20	magic
21-35	traps
36-50	evil
51-65	good
66-75	invisible
76-85	disease
86-95	poison
96-00	phase

TABLE IVaii--Healing/harming-stunning sub-subtable:

roll	01-50	51-75	76-90	91-99	00
dice	1	2	3	4	5

TABLE IVaiii--Poison saving throw adjustment sub-subtable
(+/-):

roll	01-40	41-70	71-90	91-99	00
adjust.	1	2	3	4	5

If detriment, drink is poisonous.
Adjustment indicates strength of poison.

TABLE IVaiv--Knowledge sub-subtable:

roll	knowledge
01-30	find/lose way out of dungeon
31-55	gain/lose one weapon proficiency
56-75	know next effect of fountain/lose one spell level*
76-90	gain/lose expertise in one weapon (+/-1)
91-00	gain knowledge of nearest treasure/amnesia

*if applicable

TABLE IVav--Polymorph sub-subtable: (detriment only)

roll	polymorph into
01-30	animal
31-50	1st level monster
51-65	2nd level monster
66-80	3rd level monster
81-87	4th level monster
88-93	look-alike of party member
94-00	partially polymorphed (roll again ignoring 94-00)

TABLE IVavi--Guest sub-subtable:

roll	drinker seeks
01-36	largest monster on level, in order to kill him
31-55	a DM chosen magic item on level
56-75	a DM chosen non-player character
76-90	a non-player character stronger than the drinker, in order to get into a fight with him
91-00	random (something foolish)

TABLE IVavii--Speaking sub-subtable:
 

roll	speak
01-20	with plants
21-45	with animals
46-69	with monster*
70-80	with dead
81-90	dragon*
91-00	alignment language*

*random or chosen by DM.
 

TABLE IVaviii--Disease sub-subtable: (detriment only)

roll	disease
01-30	grippe
31-55	dysentery
56-70	cholera
71-77	yellow fever
78-85	typhus
86-92	typhoid fever
93-96	smallpox
97-99	spotted fever
00	tuberculosis

TABLE IVb--Characteristic effects subtable: (also roll on Table IVbi)

roll	affects
01-06	strength
07-12	intelligence
13-18	wisdom
19-24	constitution
25-30	dexterity
31-36	charisma
37-42	size
43-48	speed
49-54	beauty
55-60	gender*
61-66	handedness*
67-73	prime requisite
74-80	highest
81-87	lowest
88-98	affects closest to median
99-00	affects two (roll twice)

*If benefit, no effect.
 

TABLE IVbi--Number of points changed (+/-) sub-subtable:
                                    Range of Points

roll	1-10 or 1-12	3-18 or 1-20	1-100
01-50	1	1	1
51-60	1	2	2
61-70	2	2	3
71-80	2	2	4
81-90	2	2	5
91-95	2	3	7
96-99	3	3	9
00	3	4	10

TABLE IVc--Magical effects subtable:

roll	effect
01-15	1st level spell*
16-30	2nd level spell*
31-40	3rd level spell*
41-47	4th level spell*
48-53	5th level spell*
54-60	6th level spell*
61-70	enchant next weapon touched (table IVci)
71-77	1 extra spell level**
78-83	2 extra spell levels**
84-88	3 extra spell levels**
89-92	4 extra spell levels**
93-99	enchant next object touched (table IVci)
00	two effects (roll twice ignoring 00)

*Roll a random spell until an applicable benefit/detriment appears.
**If drinker cannot use spells, no effect.
 

TABLE IVci--Magical enchantation sub-subtable:

roll	01-70	71-95	96-99	00
+ / -	1	2	3	4

TABLE IVd--Monetary effects subtable: (also roll on Table IVdi)

roll	effect
01-30	gold
31-65	gems
66-80	jewelry
81-90	platinum
91-99	double/halve treasure*
00	roll on IVf*

*do not roll on Table IVdi
 

TABLE IVdi--Monetary gain/loss sub-subtable:

roll	gold	gems	jewelry	platinum
01-50	50	1	1	10
51-65	100	2	1	10
66-75	175	2	2	25
76-85	250	3	2	25
86-95	400	3	2	50
96-99	500	3	3	50
00	1000	4	3	100

TABLE IVe--Special effects subtable:

roll	effect
01-25	resistance/susceptibility (Table IVei)
26-45	+/-1 on saving throw (Table IVeii)
46-50	+/-2 on saving throw (Table IVeii)
51	+/-3 on saving throw (Table IVeii)
52-62	friendship/hatred (Table IVeiii)
63-70	mental block (Table IVevi)
71-75	switch two characteristics*
76-84	indifference/greed (Table IVev)
85-91	determine/inability to determine direction
92-94	blessing/curse from the gods (or DM)
95-97	flesh tastes bad/good to monsters
98-00	sexually aggressive/timid

*roll twice on Table IVb ignoring 88-00. If benefit, and rolls become
detrimental, no effect
 

TABLE IVei--Resistance/susceptibility sub-subtable: (also roll on Table IVaiii)

roll	occurrence
01-20	lesser undead*
21-35	greater undead*
36-45	poison
46-52	disintegration
53-61	druidic spells
62-69	clerical spells
70-76	electricity
77-84	crushing blows
85-93	acid
94-00	possession

*If benefit, drinker is resistant to energy drains and paralyzation. If
detriment, drinker takes double drain and has no save vs. paralyzation
by undead. Drinker will not be initially aware of such detriment until
attacked by an undead.

TABLE IVeii--Saving throw determination sub-subtable:

roll	save vs.
01-10	cold
11-20	fire
21-35	death
36-47	magic spells
48-60	wands
61-70	staves
71-75	dragon breath
76-82	stoning
83-99	lightning
00	all saving throws

TABLE IVeiii--Friendship/hatred sub-subtable:

roll	likes/hates
01-10	elves
11-20	dwarves
21-27	humans
28-36	dragons
37-42	demons
43-48	magic-users
49-54	clerics
55-59	halflings
60-66	all other races
67-71	undead
72-77	devils
78-83	efreeti
84-90	treants
91-95	unicorns
00	anything

TABLE IVeiv--Mental block sub-subtable and explanation:

roll	block
01-15	umber hulks/pits
16-28	beholders/traps
29-39	nymphs/clerics
40-50	liches/druids
51-60	space distortion/random monster class
61-69	medusae, basilisks, etc./friends
70-78	phantasmals and illusions/armor
79-86	symbols/hometown
87-95	psionic attackers/dungeon exit
96-00	any two above/one above plus one on Table IVeiii

Explanation: Mental blocks are placed in the mind in such a way
that the drinker will not realize that the said thing is there. That is,
phantasmals will not harm, and neither will gazes. However, monsters
mentally blocked away can still attack (exception: psionic attackers)
and traps will still be sprung, in fact all the time because the drinker does
not realize they are there.

TABLE IVev--Indifference/greed sub-subtable:

roll	indifferent/greedy towards
01-40	money
41-55	magical items
56-67	gems
68-75	weaponry (even if he can’t use it!)
76-82	junk and broken artifacts
83-95	armor or protection
96-00	random or chosen by DM (for example, feathers, pine cones, bags, blades of grass, etc.)

Note: Indifference does not mean that the drinker will no longer
use them, merely that he doesn’t care about their upkeep or quantity.

TABLEIVf--Experience effects subtable:

roll	effect
01-50	d6 times 100 experience points*
51-70	d12 times 100 experience points*
71-79	d20 times 200 experience points
80-87	3d10 times 500 experience points
88-91	d10 times 1000 experience points
92-95	+5% experience bonus
96-98	+10% experience bonus**
99	+1 level***
00	roll again and double effect

*do not roll on Table V—effect is permanent.
**this effect cannot be permanent (Ignore 96-00 on Table V)
***If beneficial, it may not be permanent, but if the drinker actually
earns that level within the duration he does not lose it again. If detrimental,
it can be permanent and a +20% is added to the Table V roll
(treat 101+ as 100).

TABLE V--Duration of effects:
                                        Previous subtable rolled on

roll	IVa	IVb	IVC	IVd	IVe	IVf
01-40	1W	1W	1W	n/a	IW	1W
41-55	1W	1M	1W	n/a	2W	1W
56-65	1M	1M	2W	n/a	1M	1w
66-75	2M	1Y	1M	n/a	2M	1M
76-85	P	P	1M	n/a	4M	3M
86-95	P	P	P	n/a	P	P
96-00	P	P	P	n/a	P	P

W = week
M = month
Y = year
P = permanently
n/a = not applicable

Some may complain that Tables IVd and IVf are too generous;
however, I consider them to be adequate for a player who defies
chance and calls on the gods to protect him. However, I do add a
duration table at the end which can be adjusted to suit different
campaigns.

If your players decide they won’t risk the fountains, merely reward
the few that do and there will soon be a line outside the fountain’s door.
Or, perhaps even crueler, require that the fountain must be drunk from
before any other door will open, or get the party lost and quietly inform
them that the characters are dying of thirst. It also helps to put a few
normal fountains in the dungeon as well.

Variations: Have the fountains alignment-oriented such that only
certain alignments will gain benefits and others detriments (have the
alignment change from time to time also). Have various high-level
monsters guarding them (e.g. water weirds, water elementals) so that
the party will conclude that the fountain is very beneficial. Have one
large fountain that only allows one magical drink per mission, but will
do so indefinitely. These tables can also apply to pillars, arches, and
other artifacts, thus making the character an unwilling victim when he
comes into proximity with or touches such an object.