Class Feature Friday: Chalice Implement (Pathfinder Second Edition Thaumaturge Implement)
(art by nhociory on DeviantArt)
It’s no secret that the thaumaturge class in Second Edition is heavily inspired by the occultist of the previous edition with a sprinkling of the monster hunter vibe of the inquisitor.
However, while that is true, the two thaumaturge implements we’ve looked at so far have been pretty standard “folk magic”. Wearing amulets of protection, ringing bells to ward off evil, pretty basic stuff.
However, today’s subject is pretty heavily linked to both real-world occult practices, but also to living religion, though broadly-enough used so as to not crib on any specifically.
The chalice and other revered drinking implements is associated with healing and bounty. Certainly the most well-known rituals involving such vessels are seen in various sects of Christianity, to the point where one particular cup is often described with miraculous powers and a certain measure of divine authority to the bearer (just don’t choose poorly).
However, that particular faith is not the only one to use chalices. Indeed, several Wiccan and Neo-Pagan rites use a chalice as the feminine, yonic aspect to the masculine athame knife.
In Pathfinder 2e, the chalice as an implement is heavily associated with healing, and while other implements channel the wielder’s belief in their power when used, the chalice is a rarity in that it constantly produces a consumable fluid (wine or other spirits, or perhaps more grisly fluids if that suits the character). The implement is also associated with the signs of The Mother and the Newlyweds in the Cosmic Caravan astrology, as well as sea dragons in Tian mysticism.
Additionally, the chalice doesn’t specifically have to be in that form either. Amphoras, hollowed gourds, or even the skull of an enemy are also quite viable, as long as they can hold liquid and have mystical significance. What they have in common is their capacity for providing healing and well-being to the drinker. So let’s get into it!
As mentioned above, the primary use of the chalice is to drink from the ever-flowing fluid within, either a sip to gain temporary vitality, or draining it entirely to truly be healed. However, the fluid refills slowly, meaning that it cannot be drained again until it has refilled (though one can still sip from the dregs at the bottom when needed).
Many rituals require the spilling of essence to be symbolically collected in the cup to be drunk, and thaumaturges make use of that association by learning how to channel the lost vital essence of injury into their chalice, bolstering the healing or vitality it provides in the seconds after such wounds occur.
They can even use the stolen life of enemies, particularly those that they are targeting the weaknesses of, to bolster the healing of the vessel even further.
The most powerful, however, learn to truly turn the chalice into a vessel of healing, allowing the fluid within to allieviate various conditions and even counteract poison and disease when drained.
Additionally, certain feats prove quite useful for this implement, namely Root to Life, Call Implement, Thaumaturgic Ritualist, Shared Warding, Wonder Worker, and others that suit your needs.
The healing of the chalice definitely leans towards a support role, but the fact that the chalice is at it’s strongest when your foes are taking damage also means you should build for combat too. It’s also worth noting that you’ll almost always be getting the post-injury bonus to healing and temp hp when using this implement because, let’s face it, the most common time to use healing is after you or an ally becomes injured. With that in mind, I would build them as a second-line fighter getting their hands dirty but also pulling their allies aside for a moment to give them bolstering juices.
With their focus on healing and the significance of the chalice in both occult and religious affairs, one could play into that by making your thaumaturge character a religious person if that suits their narrative. Exactly what sort of deity they worship can vary greatly, as the symbology of the cup is quite variable, after all.
Ironically, despite being of suli and vishkanya blood, Viada values healing more than they ever have the poison in their veins, invoking that belief in the chalice they carry. That isn’t to say that they are afraid to use that poison when the need arises, however.
Studying from his more gourd-like friend, Bounty the vine leshy has come to understand the power behind even the most obscure superstition, but his favorite by far is the power of the chalice as a giver of life. That is why the contents of his personal chalice is wine made from the very grapes that grow from his body, his way of giving something of himself to others.
They say that despite it being created by desecrating the remains of a saint, the chalice of Ohnagan retained great power to give life, which is why the hollowed skull was treated with great reverence thereafter, and hidden away. There is a key to unlock the door to that hidden sepulcher, but it is not so much a physical item as it is an understanding, one that can only come from understanding who St. Ohnagan was in life not just from the parables and records, but his own experiences.
