Magical Tattoos

[Yogibear41]

So im currently playing a druid were-bear character and the character concept im working on is a guy who carrys very little if any bellongings seeing reliance on such things as weaknesses, But since this is 3.5 and you basically have to have magic items at a higher level I was thinking of magical tattoos as a solution. I know their is a feat for it in pathfinder but not sure If I can use that or not, but after rereading the rules on craft wondrous item is their anything preventing me from using that to make magically infused tattoos on myself?

[Flickerdart]

So what you're saying is, you want items without having to have items. No, you can't do that. Craft Wondrous Item only lets you make wondrous items.

[ArcturusV]

Well, there's basis for it in the system. Oriental Adventures had the Tattooed Monk prestige class (Probably not something you want, but a good basis for how it would work out, and examples). Faerun if I recall also had some Magical Tattoos. So they are out there.

[Fates]

Craft Wondrous Item applies only to items, I'm afraid. There are Psionic Tattoos that basically work like potions, and contingent spells (complete arcane) that basically work like scrolls without actually being physical items. Aside from that, I'd suggest you ask your DM if s/he can come up with something for you.

[Baroncognito]

If you port in Pathfinder rules, no problem. http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/item-creation-feats/inscribe-magical-tattoo-item-creation

[Azoth]

I can't find it, but I know there was an article on WotC website that expanded psionic tattoos further. It even gave other types of tattoos that could make chains, or refill tattoos over time.

I remember an old char of mine using them to link enough powers together to get pretty much an old school extra life effect.

[Flickerdart]

I can't find it, but I know there was an article on WotC website that expanded psionic tattoos further. It even gave other types of tattoos that could make chains, or refill tattoos over time.

I remember an old char of mine using them to link enough powers together to get pretty much an old school extra life effect.
That would be this article (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20031225a). However, psionic tattoos are like potions, not magic items. Note also that the article is about 3.0 Psionics, so you need DM permission to use it with 3.5 Psionics.

[Feralventas]

Usually the reason you MUST have magic gear at mid to high levels is that much of your character progression is based on wealth by level. If you're good-aligned or your DM waives the requirement of it, there is a Vow of Poverty option in the Book of Exalted Deeds that will give you some simple, stacking buffs to your AC, saves, ability scores as well as a few other nifty tricks like not needing to eat and DR/ that changes as you progress.

For Chaotic alignment variation, grab Fey Heritage or chaos-alignment-requiring feats rather than exalted feats (which the Vow normally grants as you progress.) Substitute Vile or Abyssal Heritor feats for an evil character. Not sure what to do for a Lawful one, as that side of the alignment chart never really got developed on its own for Player options.

Anyhow, it's a sub-par option, as it denies you a lot of the late-game utilities you're expected to have, but as a druid you'll have a lot of options through your class features alone, so that should help.

[Psyren]

That would be this article (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20031225a). However, psionic tattoos are like potions, not magic items. Note also that the article is about 3.0 Psionics, so you need DM permission to use it with 3.5 Psionics.

Bacris (aka Jeremy Smith - the same guy behind Psionics Unleashed) did a conversion of this article to 3.5 back in the day on the WotC boards. Phaedrus saved it and ported it over to BG. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=4319.0) You're still correct about needing DM permission but knowing it's from a quality designer can help tip those scales.

There are other ways to get "items without items." Psychoactive Skins are a good way as they give you benefits even while you're totally naked. There are also rules for magical locations as treasure in DMG2; you attune yourself with a mystical site and carry the buffs with you for a year.

[Garagos]

Not really a solution to the tattoo issue but if you don't want to carry any magical belongings and still want some decent abilities, you should maybe consider Vow of Poverty.

Edit: Swordsaged! Didn't see it mentioned in Feral's post at first.

[Crake]

If I recall correctly there was something somewhere about embedding ioun stones into your body. You could probably re-fluff that into tattoos instead of ioun stones. The pricing and effects would be pretty much exactly the same, since, if memory serves me, the ioun stones were destroyed if they were forcibly removed from you, and tattoos would be similarly impossible to remove.

You'd probably want to design your own "ioun stones" to suit your needs, but its basically just double the base price of a regular item for the "no item slot" item price multiplier.

[ArcturusV]

Or since you are using these in lieu of items, you may ask your DM not to use the "no-body slot" condition and just presume any particular tattoo takes up body slot space. So you can't stack Bracers of Giant Strength with an armband tattoo, etc.

[8wGremlin]

So im currently playing a druid were-bear character and the character concept im working on is a guy who carrys very little if any bellongings seeing reliance on such things as weaknesses, But since this is 3.5 and you basically have to have magic items at a higher level I was thinking of magical tattoos as a solution. I know their is a feat for it in pathfinder but not sure If I can use that or not, but after rereading the rules on craft wondrous item is their anything preventing me from using that to make magically infused tattoos on myself?

Are you 100% sold on Druid?
Cus you could do a were-bear totemist...
They don't tend to use magic items per se as their soulmelds take us chakra slots (body slots)

[Yogibear41]

Vow of Poverty is a no go I'm afraid, DM said I would have to earn it and in his campaign very few gods would be willing to grant it and the way my characters backstory is written and how things have been going so far he said it was very unlikely that it would happen.

As far as going for the totemist class thats in the Spirit of Incarnum book? In our game you can't just pick a new class out of the blue you have to have some story related way of learning a new class generally, so I would have to find someone to teach me about that class before taking it.

I'm still pretty low level so It could potentially happen though as I only currently have 1 level of druid because im using the savage progression for werebear levels instead of taking them all at once and jumping my ECL up dramatically.

[Flickerdart]

you can't just pick a new class out of the blue
This expression has never been more appropriate.

[Psyren]

This expression has never been more appropriate.

Unintentional puns are the best kind!

[Yogibear41]

Because Incarnums blue? Or am I missing something?

[Flickerdart]

Because Incarnums blue? Or am I missing something?
Because Incarnum is aggressively blue at every opportunity, yes.

[Erik Vale]

Self crafting I don't know about, but for creating unique items, as per SRD, you can have a slotless item, just ask the DM what craft feat would work best for it, or if you use craft magic armour without an actual armour?

If you are in pathfinder, make ion stone versions and implant them. Have tattoes to mark where they were put and what they do, call it a day.

[Feralventas]

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/item-creation-feats/inscribe-magical-tattoo-item-creation

Ask for this as an option? It's still basically scrolls, but it'd mean you'd be wearing them.

Also, consider asking for a Weapon or Item of Legacy; these progress with your character level as long as you can successfully meet some requirements and pass a couple challenges at certain levels. It'd mean you'd only have one or two items that could provide a host of abilities and enhancements.

[GenericMook]

I'm surprised that no one's mentioned this, but talk to your DM about refluffing those magic items that you'd want to get. Of course, since they're tattoos, they won't be removed or anything, so you might want to toss a catch or two.

I'd go with this if your DM is relatively lenient.

[Greenish]

They don't tend to use magic items per se as their soulmelds take us chakra slots (body slots)Level 20 Totemist has 5 chakra binds. Two of those will almost certainly go for Totem chakra which does not take up a body slot. That means 3 body slots she won't be able to use, out of total of 11. And then there are slotless items.

So yes, a totemist will use magic items. Lots and lots of them. Just like everyone else.

[Baroncognito]

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/item-creation-feats/inscribe-magical-tattoo-item-creation

Ask for this as an option? It's still basically scrolls, but it'd mean you'd be wearing them.

There are magical tattoos that are like scrolls, but not all of them are single use only.


Magical tattoos follow the rules for magic item creation as though they were wondrous items, except that they can use the Craft (calligraphy, paintings, tattoos) skill. New magical tattoos can be researched and designed using the guidelines for pricing new magic items. Magical tattoos are treated as slotless magical items for pricing purposes.

If you want to make a magical tattoo that gives you permanent Greater Magic Weapon with a +3 bonus (for example):

Magic Weapon is a 3rd level spell (4th if you're having a cleric or oracle tattoo you)
Caster level to get +3 is 12th
Spell duration is hours
Continual bonus

3 (spell level) * 12 (caster level) * 1 (hours/level) * 2000 (continual) * 2 (slotless) = 144000 gp

It'd be 10% cheaper if you had it command word activated instead.

[Phelix-Mu]

Assuming your DM is comfortable with pricing a fairly innovative use of a "magic item" I'd consider the following:

- a tattoo probably doesn't take up a body slot as such. If you want to avoid the considerable mark up in price associated with a non-slot item, have it occupy the slot.

- Whether slotted or not, an enchanted tattoo of some kind probably should receive a modest discount over other types of items because it can't be removed or switched out for other items like normal items can. You could use magic to disenchant then remove a tattoo, but that probably isn't a simple process (like taking off a normal set of bracers, for instance).

- There are benefits to an item that is actually part of your body, most of them more fluff than crunch, frankly. For instance, can't be stolen. Easy to block line of effect, possibly making some forms of dispel or disenchant hard to use on the tattoo. Nigh epic levels of coolness (total fluff there).

In any case, I don't see that any of these are reasons that a magical tattoo can't exist in a balanced way. Craft Wondrous Item is the go-to for things that don't quite fit in other categories.

The monk's tattoo item from Magic of Faerun is 3.0, but the pre-req item creation feat is Craft Wondrous Item. Sounds like precedent to me. They did slap it with the non-slot mark up, though, so it's very expensive (compare to monk's belt, DMG, hideously referenced under "belt, monk's").

[Yogibear41]

There are magical tattoos that are like scrolls, but not all of them are single use only.



If you want to make a magical tattoo that gives you permanent Greater Magic Weapon with a +3 bonus (for example):

Magic Weapon is a 3rd level spell (4th if you're having a cleric or oracle tattoo you)
Caster level to get +3 is 12th
Spell duration is hours
Continual bonus

3 (spell level) * 12 (caster level) * 1 (hours/level) * 2000 (continual) * 2 (slotless) = 144000 gp

It'd be 10% cheaper if you had it command word activated instead.



If the tattoos are like scrolls that can be used to give you a permanent buff couldn't you just make a scroll to give you a permanent buff instead and save alot of money? Really doesn't matter to me how I get the "magic item buffs" I just don't want to have to run around wearing them, fighting in bear or hybrid form while wearing all this stuff really doesn't appeal to me, good ole birthday suit ftw ha ha. + I know you were just using it as an example but weapon enh is the one thing I'm not worried about as I plan to use nothing but natural attacks and magic fang can be made permanent so that solves that problem.

[Yogibear41]

Oh and thanks everyone for the suggestions I appreciate it. :smallsmile:

[Clistenes]

There is precedent for a Wondrous Item that is a tattoo: Eye of Horus (DR325 p75).

Taking it as inspiration, I think that the cost to make an item into a tattoo would be +720 gp.

Double the total price if you don't want the item to use up a body slot (so you can a normal non-tattoo item in that body slot).

[Flickerdart]

If the tattoos are like scrolls that can be used to give you a permanent buff couldn't you just make a scroll to give you a permanent buff instead and save alot of money? Really doesn't matter to me how I get the "magic item buffs" I just don't want to have to run around wearing them, fighting in bear or hybrid form while wearing all this stuff really doesn't appeal to me, good ole birthday suit ftw ha ha. + I know you were just using it as an example but weapon enh is the one thing I'm not worried about as I plan to use nothing but natural attacks and magic fang can be made permanent so that solves that problem.
You could, but Permanency is a) really expensive and b) gets dispelled very easily, ruining your investment.

[Yogibear41]

Only 1500 xp for greater magic fang x2 for claws and bite if I get someone in the group to do it.

of 500 xp for reg magic fang if I can get away with just a +1

I suppose its possible but I don't think the DM will try to dispell it.

[Psyren]

Level 20 Totemist has 5 chakra binds. Two of those will almost certainly go for Totem chakra which does not take up a body slot. That means 3 body slots she won't be able to use, out of total of 11. And then there are slotless items.

So yes, a totemist will use magic items. Lots and lots of them. Just like everyone else.

Not to mention Split Chakra and Incarnum Focus items, which mean even the bound chakras can work with items. (For Incarnum Focus, use the MiC rules that let you add properties.)

[danzibr]

No one suggested Warforged with their components?

[Flickerdart]

No one suggested Warforged with their components?
A Warforged Druid? That's a pretty optimal combination. :smallbiggrin:

[Yogibear41]

My character is human and there are no Warfored in this world.