GLoG: The Spelldrinker
Image: Artist Unknown, An Old Man Drinks From a Cup While a Devil Stands Behind Him (detail), ca. 1870-1945. Public domain source.
Something like a sorcerer, but twice as disturbing, spelldrinkers are feted by alchemists, pharmacists, and unpopular monarchs alike for their unique ability to imbibe experimental concoctions and live to tell the tale. In larger cities, spelldrinkers often open fashionable, high-end restaurants catering to decadent (and sometimes devilish) tastes. Some folks are born spelldrinkers, but rumor has it that, with sufficient training, anyone who swallows a Bag of Holding can become one as well.
Starting Gear: 3 random potions from Arnold K's d100 Potions, silver tasting spoon
Starting Skill: 1 Carnival Attraction | 2 Court Taster | 3 Sommelier
For each Spelldrinker template, you gain +1 Gut Slot.
A: Magic Belly, Exquisite Taste
B: Shape Expectorate
C: Counterdrink
D: Salivary Cantrip
Magic Belly
When you consume a potion, poison, or other consumable item with rules text, instead of being affected by it add that affect to one of your empty Gut Slots.
If you don't have a free Gut Slot, metabolize your oldest slot to make room: suffer the effect and then Save vs. Mutation.
As an action, you may expel the contents of one of your Gut Slots as a 15', 45 degree cone. Empty that slot.
Exquisite Taste
You know the exact composition of anything you can swish in your mouth or press your tongue against for a few seconds. You also know the strength and exact nature of any spells or enchantments affecting said object. No wafting!
Shape Expectorate
When you expel the contents of one of your Gut Slots, you may also:
- Fire the effect as a projectile at a single target within 60 feet.
- Bathe everyone within 10' in the effect, except yourself.
Counterdrink
You may attempt to drink any spell cast in your direction. Announce your intent before spell dice are rolled. You consume the spell as if it were a potion, except it takes up a number of Gut Slots equal to the number of 4-6s rolled by the caster.
If you have insufficient empty gut slots, first metabolize any full slots (as above). If you still have insufficient slots, the spell goes off, minus any dice you successfully ingested.
When you expel or metabolize this spell, all of its associated Gut Slots are cleared.
Salivary Cantrip
Your salivary glands have adapted to reproduce compounds you have consumed. Each time you expel the contents of your oldest Gut Slot, make a Constitution test. On a success, you retain the effect. Otherwise, clear the slot as normal.
Design Notes
All of this definitely winks at Loch's Wizard Chassis.
Some people bemoan the addition of the Thief class to B/X, saying that by codifying sneaking, climbing, or disguising oneself as a class ability, the designers took those abilities away from Fighters and Magic Users. I don't 100% buy this and I certainly hope that this class doesn't discourage other players from drinking goo as often as they are able.
The tradeoff here can be surprisingly severe. The only way to actually receive a potion's effect is to drink [Template]'s potions and incur at least Save vs Mutations or perhaps to get tricky with your cone / projectile spitting.
This class is encouraged to carry bandoliers of potions. Each one is directly convertible into a spell in a pinch. Make sure to attack such a player right in the inventory slots every once in a while, just to keep 'em honest.