What's a cool power for a magical chalice?

[Chaosvii7]

I'm designing a set of items for my roleplaying group that are powerful artifacts. The artifacts draw various inspirations, but the biggest one is that each item is representative of a suit of the Major Arcana: There's a ring, a club, a sword, and a chalice. The first three are all statted out and have interesting abilities, but the Chalice is causing me some problems.

Right now, I have it so that it's powered by blood. This is the big drawback - to use any of the powers of the chalice, you must give either your or somebody else's blood. To compensate, the first time you activate the item you get a free familiar that can drain his blood for the purposes of activating the abilities of the chalice. It's got a selection of spells it can cast(limited per day), but I need either one or two okay powers or one substantial power that I can give this item to make it really pop, because right now it's just looking as a dump for spare spellcasting and I want it to have it's own niche as an item.

I'd be willing to listen to all suggestions, but in particular I'm looking for something that really plays to the theme of blood, hearts, cups, and/or dark magic.

[GorinichSerpant]

What are the effects of the other three artifacts? Just so I can get a picture of what your going for here.

Off the top of my head I can think of the following ideas. It could make liquids in it safe to drink, as that would be a logical spell to add on any sort of cup. It go with it's "evil" theme, it could turn water to poison, or make it taste like blood. You could have both, with some way to adjust which mode it is in. It could turn liquids into potions or amplify the potions effects. If the Chalice has a mind-control spell in it, make it only work if get your target to drink from the Chalice. Any spells it grants should be activated by drinking from the Chalice. Maybe if you place your ear next to it you feel a faint thumping of a heartbeat, for a nice creepy bit of fluff. Under the dark magic theme, it could be used to offer some demon or devil a drink, there by making it owe you favors.

Also what's the point of having it require blood if it provides you with said blood? It's like if a genie interpreted your wish in way that was bad for you then and then said "just kidding, I knew what you meant" and did it the way you actually wanted. Totally disappointing.

[(Un)Inspired]

He who drinks from the chalice shall live forever. However, the chalice is cursed. Whenever someone brings it to their lips, all the liquid dribbles out onto their shirt and chin.

[Totema]

He who drinks from the chalice shall live forever. However, the chalice is cursed. Whenever someone brings it to their lips, all the liquid dribbles out onto their shirt and chin.

Straw.

[Kol Korran]

Some ideas for powers (Not usre what system you are using, so keeping it at a concept level):
- Drinking from the chalice enables a partial transition to undeath: Either the person gets some of the undead traits for awhile (But also feels as undead do- their sight, sensing life, sensing blood, disliking light and so on). Or the imbiber cannot die for a certain time (Possibly gets some immunities, or a mechanic that prevents death).

- Blood divination: Pooling blood inside you may talk to the dead. (If it's D&D, it's like "speak with dead", only the actual person, and not cryptic). Or it enables talking to the souls of a place, of those linked to the one who was bloodied, or the like. Another idea for blood divination would be to enable divination on everyone linked by a blood connection to the person that was bloodied (Sort of what Vaarsuvius did with the black dragon, only just divination).

- The chalice might be able to transform blood to any kind of liquid, as has been suggested. The blood los doesn't return until 1-2 days after the liquid has been used.

- It might enable means to raise the dead in some fashion, perhaps at the price of another life of "equal" value (Whatever that means in your system)

I hope these help. I would suggest however that there is a price, and that it's not offset by a familiar, or otherwise it is meaningless. let the party (Or NPC) make a choice. The game is about choices. Price can be in health, soul, blood, or whatever. It could be transient or permanent, perhaps different things for different uses.

Good luck!

[jedipotter]

He who drinks from the chalice shall live forever. However, they can not cross over the Great Seal

[Thrawn4]

He who shares a drink from the chalice with his friends shall become a brother in blood, sharing wounds and distress alike until the sky bleeds again.

(If they fill the chalice with a drink and have a sip, all damage is divided between them. A does not get 12 damage but A, B and C get 4 damage. Lasts until next dusk or dawn.)

[Feddlefew]

Cups and Chalice cards are about healing and hospitality, if I remember correctly, so Thrawn's suggestion would work. Alternatively, maybe a fixed AC bonus and a communal pool of temporary hit points could be shared amongst those who donated blood and drank, respectively.

(I always heard it as Swords, Rods, Wheels/Disks, Cups...)

[TheCountAlucard]

The Cup of Flowing Blood is deeper than it looks; a mortal man can die of blood loss if he is determined to fill it. Bizarrely, beings with more mystical potency, such as dragons, wizards, and outsiders, can fill it more trivially. Per its name, only blood can fill the red jade chalice.

Blood stored inside the cup stays fresh, hot and ready to drink, but the flagon does nothing to mask the taste; those unaccustomed to imbibing blood may well have to resist the urge to vomit.

Those who can keep the cup's bounty down find their vitality restored with each drink.

(If you're going 3.5, you can bleed HP into it and drink from it to recover them later, but unless you're a vampire or some other blood-drinker, you need to pass a Fortitude save to not vomit. Feel free to add other benefits.)

[(Un)Inspired]

Straw.

Yeah but the straw must be equal to or greater than the chalice magically to work.

[Jay R]

Off the top of my head I can think of the following ideas. It could make liquids in it safe to drink, as that would be a logical spell to add on any sort of cup.

"The chalice from the palace has the brew that is true."

[Totema]

Yeah but the straw must be equal to or greater than the chalice magically to work.

Now I want to make an artifact called Elminster's Krazy Straw.

[(Un)Inspired]

Now I want to make an artifact called Elminster's Krazy Straw.

Can Elminster craft artifacts? I think something as power as that straw could only be brought about grouch the power of an over deity.

[Talakeal]

Can Elminster craft artifacts? I think something as power as that straw could only be brought about grouch the power of an over deity.

Maybe go with a healing item that can cure one person but only by harming another. For example, if someone cuts themselves for 8 HP of damage and then pours the blood into the chalice whoever drinks it will heal 8HP. Likewise you could have people transfer poisons, diseases, or curses, by pouring their own tainted blood into the chalice and curing themselves, but passing the malady onto the next person who drinks from it.

To really amp of the power allow it to go so far as to allow sacrifices and restorations of life, youth, or even spiritual and emotional maladies such as madness, grief, or sin.

[Slipperychicken]

Chalice of the Blood-Warrior.
Filling the cup with your own blood (No other blood will do. It must be your own) and drinking all of it sends you into a screaming blood frenzy. You get potent offense buffs, but it costs health (i.e. your blood), and drops your defenses because it makes you crazy and reckless. If you run out of enemies during the frenzy, you spend each turn attacking the nearest target, no matter what it is, until the frenzy ends. You can attempt to prematurely end the frenzy each turn, but doing so is quite difficult. Once the frenzy ends, you lose another chunk of health and get an exhaustion-related debuff.