F is for the Fount of All Wisdom

Continuing the A to Z April Blogging Challenge with another tidbit for use in your OGL d20 System RPG sessions. All text in this post is Open Gaming Content and is published under this license. If you wish to reuse this material, please give credit and copyright acknowledgement to NUELOW Games and Steve Miller.

The Fount of All Wisdom (By Steve Miller)

On a windswept plateau, high in the mountains that marked the northeastern border of the falled kingdom of Reylar stands a decaying, sprawling complex of temples. These buildings are so ancient that not even Reylar's earliest historians knew who built them or the names of the gods who smile down at explorers from wallcarving and giant statues. The only facts known is that Reylar's first Warrior-King rose to power with wealth and magical artifacts gained from the catacombs and hidden temples in the maze-like tunnels beneath the structures, and that for centuries that followed, adventurers who braved the wilderness and scaled the forbidding mountains also returned with great wealth.

Although the main treasure troves of the ruins have long since been emptied, occasional small rewards can be had by those who explore them, mostly in the form of gear recovered from the bodies of less skilled explorers. Such trinkets are not why modern adventurers and explorers make the long and deadly journey to reach the ruins--the come in search of the legendary Fount of All Wisdom,.Reportedly located deep within the tunnel complex below the ruins, those who drink from it gain wisdom possessed by the gods themselves. But gaining such insight carries with it possible price--the weak-minded are unable to handle divine wisdom and they are driven hoplessly mad.

OGL d20 System Rules
The Fount of Wisdom consists of a large marble basin and three life-sized, highly detailed statues of human females--one representing a young girl, one representing a full-grown woman, and one representing an old woman--pouring neverending streams of crystal clear water from tilted goblets in their hands.

Each character can drink four times from the fount in a lifetime--once from each individual stream and once from the basin. The proper order to drink is from the basin, from the young girl, from the full-grown woman, and finally the old woman. Drinking out of order counts as one of the four time, but it gives no benefit other than slaking a character's thirst. When used in the proper sequence, characters can gain random benefits (or drawbacks) as described on the following tables. Each table is keyed to a d6 roll. Benefits and drawbacks are permanent, unless otherwise noted, and they stack with other results from using the fount.

Effects of the Basin
1. No effect.
2. Survival becomes a permanent class skill.
3. Listen becomes a permanent class skill.
4. Sense Motive becomes a permanent class skill.
5. +1 to Wisdom attribute.
6. +1 to Strength or Constitution attribute; player's choice.

Effects of the Young Girl
1. Character becomes 2d6 years younger, with any appropriate age-based attribute adjustments 
     occurring instantly.
2. Roll again on Effects of Basin table. If result has already occurred, no effect.
3. +2 permanent bonus to Listen skill checks.
4. +2 permanent bonus to Sense Movie skill checks.
5. +2 permanent bonus to Handle Animal skill checks.
6. +1 to Wisdom attribute.

Effects of the Grown Woman
1.Character loses 1d3 Charisma attribute points, round up.
2. Roll again on the Effects of the Basin table. If the result has already occurred, no effect.
3. +1 permanent bonus to Listen checks.
4. +1 permanent bonus to Sense Motive checks.
5. +2 permanent bonus to Spot checks.
6. +2 to Wisdom attribute.

Effects of the Old Woman
1. The character is subject to a permanent confusion spell effect. Only a healing artifact or a god itself can
     restore the character to normal.
2. Roll on the Effects of the Grown Woman table, If the result has already occurred, no effect.
3. Roll on the Effects of the Basin table. If the result has already occurred, no effect.
4. Whenever the character rolls a successful critical attack, he must roll a Will save (DC30) or fall victim to the effects of the hideous laughter spell (as if cast by a 20th level caster),.
5. The character instantly ages 2d6 years, with any modifiers to attributes applied immediately.
6. +4 to Wisdom attribute.