Stone Tell (spell)

Stone tell empowers the caster to speak with any stone object or surface, to learn what it has seen or witnessed throughout its long existence. It's presumed the stone has a perfect memory, one that reaches back millions of years.

Stone Tell

Range	touch
Duration	3 rounds per level
Area of Effect	10 ft. diameter surface
Casting Time	3 rounds
Saving Throw	none
Level	cleric (6th)

The caster may speak to the stone and learn what it knows for the duration of the spell. This conversation may be carried forward day-by-day, increasing the caster's knowledge for as many times as the caster wishes to converse.

The stone won't put forward knowledge that is not questioned, but will reveal conversations or events that took place within its line-of-sight or range of hearing (120 ft.). It has no reason to refuse to give knowledge, so it will tell its story freely and without excepting important elements.

Sources

Stones that have been carved and made into central figures for cultural movements, such as monuments and monoliths, will undoubtedly have more to tell than ordinary rock faces in the wilderness. It may be presumed that important stones will have told their stories many times to casters capable of stone tell — so the knowledge gained should by no means be considered a secret by the caster. The game world would have books dedicated to the stories that any number of stones might have told.

Stones will remember their lives before they were carved; they will remember the name of the carver and the circumstances in which they took shape. Carved stones lost in the wilderness will remember how they got there, and what became of the civilisation that created them. Any worked stone will remember when it became part of a house, or what's taken place nearby, where that stone was a part of the interior or exterior wall (or perhaps both). Stones in castles, stones on roads, stones that have been hurled in sieges will know a little something ... though some will have literally passing knowledge of very little ... just a litany of people going about their business, working, travelling and so on.

Gems are stones, and being valuable, are often continuously in the company of important persons. The gemstone in a crown will have been present for hundreds, perhaps thousands of important events throughout history, "in the thick of things." The value of the spell relies greatly upon which stone is asked for the knowledge it has to give.

The spell has no effect on building materials like brick, concrete or ceramic, as these things are not "stone."