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Lysander
2009-06-21, 01:09 PM
A little project of mine is thinking up new types of charged magical items, as alternatives to wands and staves. So far I've written up the Sigil Card (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115602) and a Stylus (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115217). Here's a third idea for a magical cup:

Grail
A Grail is a magical cup that contains fifty charges of a single spell. To use a grail one must first fill it with with fresh water, which spends a charge. Once filled the water will start boiling at room temperature and evaporate in twelve seconds if not used. Other fluids such as salt water, blood, or wine will not do anything special if placed in a grail.

If the spell is one that targets an item or location, the water must be poured on the the target. If the spell is one that targets a creature, the creature must drink the water. This makes it very difficult to use a grail with a harmful effect on a creature, unless they're helpless or through trickery.

A grail will only spend a charge if it contains water, not if it is immersed in water. This allows it to be taken underwater and removed without spending charges, as long as it is not taken out full. Grails can be filled from a body of water, or have water poured into it from another container. Any germs or poisons in fresh water are purified when used in a grail.

Examples of use

Drinking a Grail of Invisibility to sneak past guards

Drinking a Grail of Dimension Door while thinking of where to go

Drinking a Grail of Summon Monster I to call a creature to your aid

Pouring a Grail of Silent Image on the ground while concentrating on what illusion to create

Pouring a Grail of Wall of Ice on the ground to create a barrier

Pouring a Grail of Dominate Person in a bound enemy's mouth

Tricking an enemy into thinking a Grail of Sleep is a Grail of Bull's Strength

Pouring a Grail of Magic Weapon on a sword

Djinn_in_Tonic
2009-06-21, 01:14 PM
I like the idea, but would prefer it be limited to spells that can affect an individual. I dislike the idea of pouring the water on a location to create an image spell, for example, but approve of the idea of pouring holy liquid into the mouth of a corpse to resurrect it, or drinking from a purified vessel to grant yourself eagle's splendor. I also think this would help differentiate it from Wands and the like.

I also think it should have to be a willing target...and possibly a divine spell. Something that purifies everything put into it doesn't seem like an item that could inflict, say, finger of death, poison, or dominate monster.

strawberryman
2009-06-21, 01:15 PM
These are pretty interesting, and this could provide as yet another way to kill unsuspecting nobles. Switch their glass with an exact duplicate with some harmful/killing spell, switch it back after.

Calmar
2009-06-21, 02:32 PM
I like this! :smallsmile:

As Djinn_In_Tonic said, I'd limit the spells available to a grail to divine spells with personal and touch range. Fluff-wise that fits the best to the concept of grail, IMO.

How common are grails? If I'd use them in my game (which I definitely consider), I'd make them very rare, something between magic item and artifact, probably.

DracoDei
2009-06-21, 03:23 PM
I am not sure about the personal or touch range thing... it seems to me that Consectrate might be in-theme for a grail... and Wall of Thorns has a very fairy-tale feel to it in that form.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-06-21, 03:29 PM
If we're heading in the personal-range willing-target-only direction, I'd suggest a different method for the grail's function--whenever you pour water in it, it transmutes the water into a potion or an oil. That allows for built-in limitations for what spells can be put into one, and gives a pre-existing mechanic for the "pour contents onto target" use.

You might even model it after a staff instead of a wand, and let each grail have two or three different liquids it acts on, each of which produces a different potion (filling it with water might create a potion of cure light wounds while blood might create an oil of magic weapon).

TooManySecrets
2009-06-21, 05:52 PM
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2200/cursedgrail.png
Cursed Grail of Disintegration

Mando Knight
2009-06-21, 06:12 PM
If we're heading in the personal-range willing-target-only direction, I'd suggest a different method for the grail's function--whenever you pour water in it, it transmutes the water into a potion or an oil. That allows for built-in limitations for what spells can be put into one, and gives a pre-existing mechanic for the "pour contents onto target" use.

You might even model it after a staff instead of a wand, and let each grail have two or three different liquids it acts on, each of which produces a different potion (filling it with water might create a potion of cure light wounds while blood might create an oil of magic weapon).

This is what I'd do. A portable potion maker.

Lysander
2009-06-21, 09:59 PM
This is what I'd do. A portable potion maker.

Effectively that's what it does. I don't think it's thematic though for someone to be able to make a potion in the Grail and then pour it into a bottle for later use.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-06-21, 10:30 PM
Effectively that's what it does. I don't think it's thematic though for someone to be able to make a potion in the Grail and then pour it into a bottle for later use.

You can still keep the 2-round limit; you'd just phrase it as "the [liquid] is transmuted into a particular potion or oil" rather than "drinking or pouring the [liquid] has a spell effect," because the former already has defined rules attached that (A) clarify what effects can be used and (B) interact with other thematically-appropriate abilities.