Dungeon Dressing: Fountains
While often crafted to represent beautiful people, ferocious beasts, heroes or deities, fountains also serve a vital function by providing fresh drinking water. Fountains in a dungeon or cavern setting may be artistic creations of the current or past occupants, altars to deities (fair or foul) or something else entirely.
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Major Features
Water forcefully sprays from the mouth of a carved granite minotaur positioned in the centre of a pool. The minotaur holds a trident above its head.
A red liquid seeps from the eyes of a marble female elf bust and slowly drips into a surrounding pool.
A fast-moving stream of water falls from a waist-high trough in the chamber’s wall.
Alternating coloured stone flowers intertwine to decorate a three-tiered basin fountain. The stones are beautifully carved.
A single flagstone path leads past a large double-basin water feature. Mist from the bubbling fountain slickens the surrounding stones.
Water tumbles from a hole chiselled in the cavern wall and onto the floor, creating a narrow rut in the stone.
Five lion heads spout water from their mouths into a rectangular sink. Each face has a different expression.
Ten levels of miniature steps surround a tall fountain. Water tumbles down the steps.
In the centre of a deep pool stands a tall pillar; water cascades down the pillar’s sides.
In seemingly random patterns, cylinders of liquid shoot back and forth across the room and over a central walkway. The mechanism for powering the jets is hidden and must be found to be disabled.
Water projects vertically and forcefully from holes in the floor. The floor is slick.
Three spouts protrude from a wall; water dribbles from all three but is more forceful from the left-hand spout.
Water falls from a hole in the ceiling into a round hole in the floor.
Stagnant water fills a basin and seems to have been undisturbed for some considerable time.
Crude piping, including a tap valve, runs along one wall at human waist height.
Six bowls, hanging from chains at various heights, collect and distribute water.
The fountain comprises a shard of black rock. Water oozes down its flanks.
Great stone archways hold the ceiling aloft above this ornate fountain.
A wide, shallow pool fills the room, its surface mirror-like and calm. Two matching statue-fountains stand in the pool, but neither is spewing forth water.
Inlaid on the inside of the fountain’s basin, a mural depicts a battle scene.
Minor Features & Dressing
Fresh bloodstains smear the fountain’s basin and lead into an adjacent room.
Gurgling water can be heard through the thick layers of glistening spider webs covering the fountain.
The beauty of an ornate canopied fountain contrasts with the piles of guano covering the floor.
Giant cockroaches scurry over the basin.
Frost creeps up the stone basin. A thin layer of ice reflects from the surface.
A rusty battleaxe leans against the fountain’s basin.
The remains of several portions of trail rations lie scattered about the area—as if explorers stopped here for a meal.
Water pouring from a corroded copper bowl has turned the fountain’s water a greenish hue.
A thick web of roots hangs down from the ceiling and covers the top of the fountain.
A crude carving of a gigantic water snake decorates the fountain’s basin lip.
Before reaching the brackish waters, the characters may spot a hastily written, smudged message “drink…turn back” on the fountain’s basin.
Thick moisture hangs in the air, making the stone floor within 15 feet of the fountain slick with wet algae.
Yellow mould creeps from a crack where the floor meets the fountain’s basin.
Clearly used as a toilet by some large creature, the fountain’s basin reeks of faeces and urine.
Water drips into the pool from the ceiling, mimicking the sound of light rain.
A small, sodden book floats in the fountain.
Two makeshift ladders lie across the fountain’s basin.
A small sack containing bandages and a poultice lies half-open near the fountain.
The fountain’s water escapes the basin through a hole near the wall, soaking the floor. The basin was clearly deliberately broken.
Clearly visible in the water, two large eels swim in the fountain’s pool.
Credit
This is a short system-neutral extract from GM’s Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing. The book is available in 5e, System Neutral and Pathfinder 1 editions. The OSR edition will be available in early 2023.
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