Banewarrens & Help/Ideas for a Magic Item

[Samothdm]

[Edit: Changed Subject. There are some new questions down below about integrating this with the Banewarrens adventure].

I'm running a game tomorrow night and haven't had time to think of ideas. A quick summary of what's happened so far:

* My group of players wrote a "backstory" about how their characters met before we actually started gaming. They're now all about 4th level. The backstory involved the cleric player being ordered to deliver a "sacred chalice" to one of the high-ranking priests in a major city in the campaign. Along the way, he met several other players/characters. They tried to figure out what the chalice was but no one that they asked knew. Before they got to the priest to deliver the chalice, they were ambushed by brigands the chalice was stolen. Keep in mind that they wrote this story themselves and want me to fill in the details.

* During the actual first game session, the group decided to go to the main priest anyway and explain that the chalice had been stolen. I played him as really upset and mad and he told the characters that he was really disappointed (particularly with the cleric player) and that he wanted it back.

* After three other adventures, I ran them through the Crucible of Freya by Necromancer (changed some of the details) and decided that the bad guys in that adventure were collecting religious relics, including the chalice and the Crucible. As a twist, though, these bad guys are actually the minions of the main priest guy who wanted the Chalice in the first place. He sent them out to recover the chalice (as well as the characters, since he figured they couldn't do it) and so his minions tracked down the original brigands, killed them, and are masquerading as just random brigands.

* Meanwhile, the player characters have now killed these minions/brigands. They've returned the Crucible to the little town and found the Chalice among the posessions of the minions (whom they assume are actually the brigands who stole it from them awhile back). I know it's kind of confusing. Anyway, they are now ready to return the Chalice to the main priest guy.

My problem: what could the chalice be? What powers could/should it have?

My world is low-to-mid-level of magic. And, I've decided that I want the main priest guy to be a selfish, evil, power-hungry guy who is trying to take over the church or at least start a new faction with him in charge. That's why he's sending out his minions to collect these religious items to give him more power.

I'd like for the characters to give him the chalice (thinking they're doing the right thing) and have it actually help him in his power struggle to gain power and influence in the church. I've been swamped with "regular" work and haven't had time to figure out the powers. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

 

[ForceUser]

Why does the chalice have to do anything? Perhaps it is a sacred object simply because of its religious significance, and others desire because it's made of gold and encrusted with jewels.

Or, perhaps it has a persistant consecrate in effect on it, and is one of a handful of objects owned by the church that are used to consecrate new temples.

 

[Sejs]

Low Level yet powerful effect?



Cure Minor Wounds (0th level cleric spell, heals 1 hp) every time a drink of water is taken from the sacred chalice.

Standard action to drink from the chalice. Must provide your own water. The chalice, not the water provides the effect, so water 'run thru' the chalice and stored elsewhere has no magic effect.

Just imagine the staggering ammounds of healing one person could do with such an item. They could heal hundreds of the injured and sick to full health every day, provided they had enough water. And also imagine what someone could do with such an item if they were of ill intent.


^_^

 

[DM with a vengence]

The Chalice of Light.
This holy relic of [insert god here] beholds the power of the sun on all cleric of [god] when used. It's power depends on the power of the Cleric, and is cumulative. For example a 5th level cleric would also have access to the level 1 and 3 powers. The Chalice must be held forth in a dramatic manner for its powers to be used. Holding the Chalice is a move-equivalent action and requires a free hand.

1st: Glows as a Light spell.

3rd: Blesses all the allies of the cleric within range as the Bless spell.

5th: Glows as a Daylight Spell.

7th: Generates a Magic Circle Against Evil effect centered on the Caster

9th: Transmutes 10 pints of water/day into Holy Water as the spell bless water

12th: Casts Searing Light 3/day as a 10th level cleric.

14th: Casts Sunbeam 2/Day as a 13th level cleric.

17th: Casts Sunburst 1/Day as a 15th level cleric.

If a sun god isn't the right style, could you please tell me what kind of god this is.

 

[Nightfall]

Two main low level powers, casts a resist to a particular energy type, which last 1d4 days, and casts a maximized verision of cure light wounds at max points.

 

[Samothdm]

Thanks everyone for all the ideas so far! I may use a combo-approach of your ideas. And, since he's collecting stuff, he probably has other items with some of the powers that you have all suggested. Thanks for doing my work for me.

DM w/ a Vengeance: the god is actually a generic monotheistic god (well, as far as the player's know, that's what he is) so technically he/she/it has access to all domains. Sun would be fine.

Since this guy who is taking the chalice is going to end up as evil, though, he shouldn't really be able to use good-aligned spells, right? I can just swap some of those out, though.

I like the idea of how it gets more powerful with the increased level of the cleric who is utilizing it.

 

[Happiest_Sadist]

On holy days of the religion, when a service is said using the chalice, all who partake of the sacred food gain the effects of a hero's feast, with participating in the service and drinking from the chalice substituting for eating the food and drinking the beverage.

This chalice draws pilgrims, and it would be useful for some plots. (Ex. hold the sevice for your supporters, then throw a party with poisoned food.)

 

[Dr Tenebrous]

Spells cast while using the chalice as a divine focus have one or more metamagic feats applied. This could have limited uses per day.

Also, the chalice could let the bearer use a turning attempt for something else, as per some of the feats in the cleric splat book. Say, use a turning attempt to get +2 on all charisma based skills for one hour.

Another plot twist is for the chalice to have low level powers currently, but to have it's powers increased when some specific ceremony is performed, or used with other members of a set. You can also have a sequence of power-ups laid out. So the HP gets some immediate benefit, but also still has parties out trying to get all the other things he needs. (Either the other pieces of the set, or the stuff he needs for the rituals)

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

Fill in the blank

Why do you have to assign a power to it now, are the characters going to sit-in on a demonstration of the Priest's new-found power(s) or something?

You could very easily have the Priest accept the Chalice, thanking the party in an absent-minded way, and then getting rid of them and rushing off with his new 'toy'. Perhaps the Priest isn't even sure what power(s) the cup has, yet. Isn't it fairly common for ancient relics to have 'mysterious powers' that none are too clear on?

Think of it as a plot hook. If and when you decide to have the Priest 'make his move' later in the campain just think of the spell/power that would best facilitate this and give the Chalice that ability. Now you have a hook in the players, since they were the ones that got the silly goblet for him in the first place oh so long ago...

Hatchling Dragon

 

[Samothdm]

You all rock! Thanks so much for the suggestions. I definitely have some cool ideas planned now for my session tomorrow night.