Homebrew tattoo help - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Homebrew tattoo help

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
snarky_monkey
Aug 13, 2008 21:47:19 Hi all, I posted this in the magic item thread, but wasn't able to find any help so I thought I would give it a shot here. I have always loved the tattoo magic idea, and want to add the existence of "tattoo items" into my campaign. It's a high magic Eberron setting, and I have already planned for how it will affect my games. I am not concerned in any way about how it will be unbalanced, so please no advice on how this will ruin my games and it shouldn't be done. ;)

Basically what I am looking for is a pricing mechanic for the tattoos based on the level of power it mimics, such as wizard cantrips and on up. I considered using a multiplier based on the type of power (at-will, encounter, daily) and applying it to the normal magic item rules but the price still seems a bit off. I was coming from the idea that the more you can use it, the more expensive it would be. x10 for Daily, x50 for Encounter, and x100 for at-will.

For example:

Mage Hand Tattoo : 360 (level 1 power) X 100 (at-will) = 36000 gp

Another thought I had, which I am leaning more towards, is a tattoo ritual similar to the magic item creation one where the individual doing the ritual is limited to creating tattoos of only the powers they can already use. Basically magical tattoo artists learn the ritual and share their own abilities.

Any thoughts?

Thanks ahead of time for any help.
#2
Sinasilver
Aug 13, 2008 23:55:00 If you're insistant on having encounter and at will uses, I would suggest a very steep curve to the pricing on the atwill side. Something along the lines of:
Daily x10, Encounter x100, At Will x2500.

This would make your example tattoo
360 * 2500 = 900,000

It looks pricey, but when you figure a standard at will could be used upwards of 20 times per day, I don't think it's so bad. I know you don't want balance advice, but I'd suggest: If you make the tattoos cheaper, you could make a special Paragon Path for their use, and then hack their prices down much more inline with what you were suggesting.. They're still hugely better than multiclassing though.
#3
snarky_monkey
Aug 14, 2008 1:30:02 Thanks for the advice Sinasilver. It does seem pretty high to me, especially since playing in Eberron I see magic items, especially 10th or lower, being very common and much more affordable than listed in the PHB. Part of my logic of the tattoos existence involved it being a side discovery while studying dragonmarks and trying to replicate them for mass use and profit. A path could be something workable, such as one that makes you a favored of house, like the 3.5 feat, and provides the service at a lower cost. Definitely something to think about.
#4
wyld_mutation
Aug 14, 2008 7:33:12 Use Wands as a reference point...

Not to mention that there's a limit to the number of item uses you get in a day... As far as item powers go anyway...

That aside: An encounter power isn't going to be used more than ten times or so so that is the mutiplier I'd use. The issue is that now it is more expensive than any item of the same level.

Were I you I'd say they trade out a power you already have. That way you don't need to change the pricing.
#5
athistaur
Aug 14, 2008 8:24:18 Perhaps you automaticly have to spend a healing surge if using the power of the tatoo. This would limit it's use with the given mechanics. In-game you feed your on lifeenergie/will/inner strentgh to the magic of the tatoo.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 snarky_monkey Aug 13, 2008 21:47:19	Hi all, I posted this in the magic item thread, but wasn't able to find any help so I thought I would give it a shot here. I have always loved the tattoo magic idea, and want to add the existence of "tattoo items" into my campaign. It's a high magic Eberron setting, and I have already planned for how it will affect my games. I am not concerned in any way about how it will be unbalanced, so please no advice on how this will ruin my games and it shouldn't be done. ;) Basically what I am looking for is a pricing mechanic for the tattoos based on the level of power it mimics, such as wizard cantrips and on up. I considered using a multiplier based on the type of power (at-will, encounter, daily) and applying it to the normal magic item rules but the price still seems a bit off. I was coming from the idea that the more you can use it, the more expensive it would be. x10 for Daily, x50 for Encounter, and x100 for at-will. For example: Mage Hand Tattoo : 360 (level 1 power) X 100 (at-will) = 36000 gp Another thought I had, which I am leaning more towards, is a tattoo ritual similar to the magic item creation one where the individual doing the ritual is limited to creating tattoos of only the powers they can already use. Basically magical tattoo artists learn the ritual and share their own abilities. Any thoughts? Thanks ahead of time for any help.
#2 Sinasilver Aug 13, 2008 23:55:00	If you're insistant on having encounter and at will uses, I would suggest a very steep curve to the pricing on the atwill side. Something along the lines of: Daily x10, Encounter x100, At Will x2500. This would make your example tattoo 360 * 2500 = 900,000 It looks pricey, but when you figure a standard at will could be used upwards of 20 times per day, I don't think it's so bad. I know you don't want balance advice, but I'd suggest: If you make the tattoos cheaper, you could make a special Paragon Path for their use, and then hack their prices down much more inline with what you were suggesting.. They're still hugely better than multiclassing though.
#3 snarky_monkey Aug 14, 2008 1:30:02	Thanks for the advice Sinasilver. It does seem pretty high to me, especially since playing in Eberron I see magic items, especially 10th or lower, being very common and much more affordable than listed in the PHB. Part of my logic of the tattoos existence involved it being a side discovery while studying dragonmarks and trying to replicate them for mass use and profit. A path could be something workable, such as one that makes you a favored of house, like the 3.5 feat, and provides the service at a lower cost. Definitely something to think about.
#4 wyld_mutation Aug 14, 2008 7:33:12	Use Wands as a reference point... Not to mention that there's a limit to the number of item uses you get in a day... As far as item powers go anyway... That aside: An encounter power isn't going to be used more than ten times or so so that is the mutiplier I'd use. The issue is that now it is more expensive than any item of the same level. Were I you I'd say they trade out a power you already have. That way you don't need to change the pricing.
#5 athistaur Aug 14, 2008 8:24:18	Perhaps you automaticly have to spend a healing surge if using the power of the tatoo. This would limit it's use with the given mechanics. In-game you feed your on lifeenergie/will/inner strentgh to the magic of the tatoo.