Necromantic Artifact (D&D 3.x)

[Mordaenor]

Okay... so I need some brainstorming idea. I have a Lich. A Powerful Lich. And like all Liches, he has a Phylactery. But his Phylactery, is not your everyday Phylactery. No, its a Major Artifact. So I need some ideas for cool powers that this artifact might have.

Here's some details:
The Lich isn't scrambling to retrieve it, he doesn't have to. The major drawback to using it, is that you eventually become under the direct mental control of the Lich, so in some ways its in his best interests to have it fall into someone else's hands.

Destroying it is mighty difficuly, as with all Artifacts. (I'm thinking something like "washed in a spring of Naturally Occuring Holy Water")

The phylactery takes the form of a chalice (The Unholy Grail) and its abilities tend to revolve around drinking from it.

Necromancy is the Lich's speciality.

So, I'd welcome any interesting ideas for beefing up and fleshing this thing out.

[Hunter548]

Here's an idea:

Drinking from the chalice grants the drinker temporary undead immunities, with none of the draw backs of being turnable, dieing at 0 HP, et cetera. Pouring water from the chalice into the mouth of a dead body animates it, under the control of the bearer of the chalice, to a limit of... 40 HD of undead. User of the chalice decides what type of undead the corpse animates as.

[Psyren]

Here's an idea:

Drinking from the chalice grants the drinker temporary undead immunities, with none of the draw backs of being turnable, dieing at 0 HP, et cetera. Pouring water from the chalice into the mouth of a dead body animates it, under the control of the bearer of the chalice, to a limit of... 40 HD of undead. User of the chalice decides what type of undead the corpse animates as.

Also, you keep your Con score

[Fouredged Sword]

At the cost of your SOUL!!!

(the user gets a necrotic cyst under the lich's control from drinking)