how might i solve this puzzle?

[00durrin]

i normally wouldn't ask...but i'm so horribly stumped...it goes like this:
in the basement of a gift shop in an amusement park type place there is a fountain. it was guarded by a wall of force (or something similar) whose password i got from a riddle (it was "darkness").
the only thing giving off light in the whole room is the fountain (it looks like a bird bath and is made out of some kind of magical diamond). as a matter of fact the only thing in the whole room is the fountain (and the water that is in it)
everytime anyone tries to stick their face or anything else in the fountain it magically drains the water (no clue where the water goes, but not down a hole, just drains into thin air)
the only exception is if you try and put water into the fountain, then there is some sort of force field that prevents water from going in, and any water is kept out completely.

any ideas on what to do with this thing? i'm just looking for brainstorming ideas here. i've had a party member randomly put his hand in the fountain and check outside to see if anything happens and it doesn't seem to be a trigger for anything else. so the puzzle seems to be how to get water out of the thing, or how to get water into it. *shrug*

the party is made of all melee, so spells and such are to no avail. we have to assume it doesn't take magic to get it out (or in). ask questions if need be...otherwise just give suggestions.

 

[Drawmack]

sounds to me like the dm is teaching you guys a lesson on well rounded parties.

I would suggest asking around and doing some plain old investigative work, it might be a scrying pool.

 

[Shadow64]

or - it could also just be something to make the group go nuts.

 

[der_kluge]

Hmm, well I was going to suggest casting dimensional anchor on it, but that's out.

Our DM gave us a box, that when we tried to open it, it vanished, only to appear again a day later. We had to use dimensional anchor on it before we opened it. Inventive use of a spell we'd other never use, at the very least.

No idea on the fountain. Can you toss things into it?

What happens if you drain it, and then put something into it like a dagger. Does it fill back up eventually, or does it forever stay empty so long as a foreign object is in the fountain?

 

[Angcuru]

get a REAAALYY big ladel and dip it in. tada!

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Continue the "darkness" theme. Cast a darkness type spell on it and try to get the water.

Or summon a celestial bird to take a bath in it and see what happens.

 

[Aluvial]

Have you totally immersed yourself in it yet?

 

[Angcuru]

use a simple translocation spell.

 

[Oni]

bird bath size right?

tried tipping it over, dunno how productive that would be, but hey.

 

[Angcuru]

try using a hollow reed as a straw.