Magical Tattoos - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 logan459 Sep 24, 2008 22:59:05	I saw in the Character Builder that the Adventurer's Vault 2 is going to have magical tattoos. I also noticed that they are a completely new creation that enhances use of action points. This is nice, but, a while ago, I had a different idea about magical tattoos. I thought I'd post it again here and see if you guys have any more feedback comparing them to the tattoos in the Character Builder. Due to some feedback, I made the followint changes: 1. I reduced the cost of the tattoo from 1/10 of the cost of a similar level magic item to 1/100. This is a minimal charge to pay for the skill of the tattoo artist. I decided that the fact that disenchanting the tattoo does severe damage to the wearer is enough cost in exchange for the fact that the tattoo cannot be lost, stolen or easily removed, (see change number 2.) 2. I made it harder for the enchantment to be removed if the wearer is resistant to the disenchantment. For the ritual to be successful, the caster must be of a higher level than normal, (much higher for high level enchantments,) and, even then, the wearer gets a chance to resist the disenchantment. So, here is the next version of Alchemical Tattoos: Alchemical Tattoos Some of the less “civilized” cultures of the world decorate their bodies with tattoos, anything from simple geometric shapes to detailed works of art. While most cultures use simple chemicals to create their inks, some individuals use special ingredients and alchemy to create mystical tattoos that grant protection and abilities to their wearers. These are called alchemical tattoos. Alchemical tattoos take up slot areas on the body. These can be tattoos on the torso, (armor slots,) arms, feet, hands, head, neck and fingers, (ring slots.) Alchemical tattoos can be enchanted with any appropriate item ability. Some exceptions, (as decided by the DM,) may be: * Tattoos that replace armor might only take enchantments that are for cloth, leather or hide armors (enchantments for heavier armors are specifically for those armors and are not appropriate for alchemical tattoos) * Similarly, other enhancements that are for heavy armor-type items, (such as greaves and gauntlets as opposed to boots and gloves,) may have the same limitation * Shield abilities are tied to the specific use of a shield. These cannot be mimicked by a tattoo Alchemical tattoos differ from typical magic items in several ways: * Alchemical tattoos are not found as part of treasure. Instead, techniques are found that can be applied to future tattoos by skilled tattoo artists, (much as going to a NPC wizard to have an item enchanted, or by characters with the Alchemical Artist feat explained below.) * Not just any tattoo can be enchanted in this way. It takes a specialized tattoo artist, trained in alchemy, create such tattoos. A character wishing to create such tattoos can take the following feat. Alchemical Artist Prerequisites: Alchemist feat, (Adventurer’s Vault,) Charisma 13 Benefit: You can create tattoos that can be enchanted by the Enchant Item feat as Alchemical Tattoos Special: The Alchemical Tattoo you create can only be enchanted with effects of your level, (at the time of creation,) or lower. * These alchemical artists are not cheap. A tattoo that is created to hold the enchantment of a given magic item costs 1/100 of the cost of the original magic item. Then, you must either pay for the enchantment, (as if you were buying the item outright,) or pay for the Transfer Enchantment ritual, (as if you were transferring the enchantment from one magic item to another.) * Appropriate magic items found as part of a treasure can have their enchantment transferred to an appropriate tattoo as per the Transfer Enchantment ritual on p. 198 of the Adventurer’s Vault. * Alchemical tattoos are not tradable. They are specific to each wearer and are semi-permanent. * Alchemical tattoos must be visible to be effective. If you have a torso tattoo, you cannot wear a shirt, robe, armor, etc for the tattoos magical effect to work. You can wear armor over the tattoo, but then the magic of the tattoo is dampened. * Although alchemical tattoos can be upgraded just as other magic items can be, (as explained in the Adventurer’s Vault,) removing them is another story. They cannot be removed, only disenchanted. Doing this is physically demanding on the wearer. Disenchanting an alchemical tattoo removes the tattoo from the wearer, resulting in the normal amount of residuum. However, doing so does an amount of damage to the wearer equal to the level of the enchantment. This damage cannot be reduced by any means and can only be healed by a long rest. No form of magic, potion or healing surge can heal this until the end of the long rest. Some examples of alchemical tattoos follow: Example 1 Riddick Dobbin is a halfling rogue/pit fighter. In his culture, pit fighters are not allowed to wear armor in the ring. While adventuring, he finds a set of +3 sylvan leather armor. Wishing to use the skill bonuses of the armor in the pit, Riddick pays a trained alchemist to create an appropriate tattoo on his torso, (this case a detailed tattoo of a forest grove.) This tattoo costs 170 gp, (1/100 of the price of the armor,). He then has his wizard companion use the Transfer Enchantment ritual to transfer the enchantment of the armor into his tattoo. Later in his career, he wishes to upgrade his tattoo to +4. He pays an alchemical artist 680 gp to add more detail to the tattoo, (1/100 of the difference between the price of the +3 and +4 armors.) He then pays the cost of upgrading a magic item as normal, but upgrades the tattoo instead. Example 2 The warlock Mikal the Dark finds a set of Goggles of Night. Wanting to have the darkvision permanently, he shaves his head and pays an alchemical artist 210 gp to tattoo an image of a moonlit sky on his scalp. He then uses his Transfer Enchantment ritual to transfer the enchantment of the goggles into his tattoo. Later in his career, is given an Eye of the Earthmother as a reward for a quest. Wanting to replace the darkvision of the with the identification and daily power of the Eye, he disenchants the first tattoo, taking 14 points of damage that does not heal until after his next extended rest. This removes the original tattoo, resulting in 4,200 gp worth of residuum. He then repeats the process of creating a new tattoo for the Eye of the Earthmother.
#2 athistaur Sep 26, 2008 7:10:16	I just wanted to drop the line that i like this idea and implementation of Alchemical/magical tatoos. I favor the line to keep armour enhacements to cloth, leather or hide armors. I personaly wouldn't allow hands,neck and fingers as tatoo slots.
#3 octavius Sep 26, 2008 14:56:49	I really like it too and intend to use it as well. it can allow a DM to make foes more challenging without necessarily giving the players greater character wealth. in that vain, i suggest having it a rule that the residium can only be extracted from a living host of the tattoo (not necessarily willing). this way, you not only deal with the problem of PCs slaughtering enemies for their tattoo's magical energy, but you also handle in advance the issue of villians desiring the tattoos energy from the PCs as well, making them more likely to capture them rather than kill them.
#4 logan459 Sep 26, 2008 19:59:05	I like the idea about extracting the tattoos from living creatures only. Gives a reason to keep the PCs alive. I will personally allow the tattoos to fingers, necks and hands, myself, (people do get tattoos there.) Up to you if you don't want to allow them. Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.
#5 logan459 Apr 09, 2009 21:33:42	Sorry. wanted to delet this, but can't figure out how.
#6 darkcorath Apr 09, 2009 22:40:18	I saw you talking about this elsewhere and I actually copied the text and printed it off, sadly I haven't found a great place to add it in yet. A great idea.
#7 Samthere Apr 10, 2009 8:14:08	You're paying 10% extra for some fluff and to have an item not easily removable? Might make it easier to keep it, but you don't get the option to switch things around quickly. I would actually decrease the cost slightly, or keep it the same. Plus, if you get captured and your tattoo gets removed, you can't fight your way to the storeroom and find your old equipment. A nice idea, but I'm not sure it really needs extra game mechanics, other than 'this item cannot be removed from you except under certain circumstances'. Other than that I just say my amulet is actually a symbolic tattoo around my neck.
#8 logan459 Apr 11, 2009 13:14:10	Did some editting due to feedback. Let me know what you think.
#9 Samthere Apr 12, 2009 18:54:21	1/100 does seem a lot more reasonable while keeping it your way, but also kind of incidental. Still, not that I'd complain. I'd put those 9/100ths to good use :D

Alchemical Tattoos
Some of the less “civilized” cultures of the world decorate their bodies with tattoos, anything from simple geometric shapes to detailed works of art.

While most cultures use simple chemicals to create their inks, some individuals use special ingredients and alchemy to create mystical tattoos that grant protection and abilities to their wearers. These are called alchemical tattoos.

Alchemical tattoos take up slot areas on the body. These can be tattoos on the torso, (armor slots,) arms, feet, hands, head, neck and fingers, (ring slots.)

Alchemical tattoos can be enchanted with any appropriate item ability. Some exceptions, (as decided by the DM,) may be:

* Tattoos that replace armor might only take enchantments that are for cloth, leather or hide armors (enchantments for heavier armors are specifically for those armors and are not appropriate for alchemical tattoos)

* Similarly, other enhancements that are for heavy armor-type items, (such as greaves and gauntlets as opposed to boots and gloves,) may have the same limitation

* Shield abilities are tied to the specific use of a shield. These cannot be mimicked by a tattoo

Alchemical tattoos differ from typical magic items in several ways:

* Alchemical tattoos are not found as part of treasure. Instead, techniques are found that can be applied to future tattoos by skilled tattoo artists, (much as going to a NPC wizard to have an item enchanted, or by characters with the Alchemical Artist feat explained below.)

* Not just any tattoo can be enchanted in this way. It takes a specialized tattoo artist, trained in alchemy, create such tattoos. A character wishing to create such tattoos can take the following feat.

Alchemical Artist
Prerequisites: Alchemist feat, (Adventurer’s Vault,) Charisma 13
Benefit: You can create tattoos that can be enchanted by the Enchant Item feat as Alchemical Tattoos
Special: The Alchemical Tattoo you create can only be enchanted with effects of your level, (at the time of creation,) or lower.

* These alchemical artists are not cheap. A tattoo that is created to hold the enchantment of a given magic item costs 1/100 of the cost of the original magic item. Then, you must either pay for the enchantment, (as if you were buying the item outright,) or pay for the Transfer Enchantment ritual, (as if you were transferring the enchantment from one magic item to another.)

* Appropriate magic items found as part of a treasure can have their enchantment transferred to an appropriate tattoo as per the Transfer Enchantment ritual on p. 198 of the Adventurer’s Vault.

* Alchemical tattoos are not tradable. They are specific to each wearer and are semi-permanent.

* Alchemical tattoos must be visible to be effective. If you have a torso tattoo, you cannot wear a shirt, robe, armor, etc for the tattoos magical effect to work. You can wear armor over the tattoo, but then the magic of the tattoo is dampened.

* Although alchemical tattoos can be upgraded just as other magic items can be, (as explained in the Adventurer’s Vault,) removing them is another story. They cannot be removed, only disenchanted. Doing this is physically demanding on the wearer. Disenchanting an alchemical tattoo removes the tattoo from the wearer, resulting in the normal amount of residuum. However, doing so does an amount of damage to the wearer equal to the level of the enchantment. This damage cannot be reduced by any means and can only be healed by a long rest. No form of magic, potion or healing surge can heal this until the end of the long rest.

Some examples of alchemical tattoos follow:

Example 1
Riddick Dobbin is a halfling rogue/pit fighter. In his culture, pit fighters are not allowed to wear armor in the ring. While adventuring, he finds a set of +3 sylvan leather armor. Wishing to use the skill bonuses of the armor in the pit, Riddick pays a trained alchemist to create an appropriate tattoo on his torso, (this case a detailed tattoo of a forest grove.) This tattoo costs 170 gp, (1/100 of the price of the armor,). He then has his wizard companion use the Transfer Enchantment ritual to transfer the enchantment of the armor into his tattoo.

Later in his career, he wishes to upgrade his tattoo to +4. He pays an alchemical artist 680 gp to add more detail to the tattoo, (1/100 of the difference between the price of the +3 and +4 armors.) He then pays the cost of upgrading a magic item as normal, but upgrades the tattoo instead.

Example 2
The warlock Mikal the Dark finds a set of Goggles of Night. Wanting to have the darkvision permanently, he shaves his head and pays an alchemical artist 210 gp to tattoo an image of a moonlit sky on his scalp. He then uses his Transfer Enchantment ritual to transfer the enchantment of the goggles into his tattoo.

Later in his career, is given an Eye of the Earthmother as a reward for a quest. Wanting to replace the darkvision of the with the identification and daily power of the Eye, he disenchants the first tattoo, taking 14 points of damage that does not heal until after his next extended rest. This removes the original tattoo, resulting in 4,200 gp worth of residuum. He then repeats the process of creating a new tattoo for the Eye of the Earthmother.