So I had a ideal and could this work?

[Sir cryosin]

So last night we were captured and locked up. All are stuff was takin. I play a arcane cleric, Me and the bard was frantically looking over are spells looking to see which ones we could use with out 'M' component. Now we were able to cast more spells then we thought but we were still very very ineffective. We had a hard time dealing with the the people that took his captive. After killing a couple thanks to party barbarian with a rusty metal pipe. I was able to get some armor and a shortsword and joined in. Oh and didn't help we were traped in a no magic area. So after all that I thought of buying magic ink wizards use to make scrolls and getting someone to give me a taboo of my holy symbol while I pray. My goal is just like a cleric and paladin can cast spells through it paint on a shield. So if I use magic ink and pray over it I should be able to cast spells throught it. So what do ya'll think about letting a cleric or paladin cast spell using a holy tattoo?

[Falcon X]

First off, see if you can have a rogue sneak out, even for a few minutes, and try to find your equipment. Many captors just dump it in a bin somewhere in storage (or if you are a drow, in someone important's bedchamber)

[lunaticfringe]

I allow this as long as you pay for it. One character had a special false eye that was an Orb Arcane Focus. I like quirky creative things. A Cleric of Bane painfully and ritualistically permanently chemically dyed his hand black. Make it interesting.

Also I don't really capture much, so I think that makes a difference.

[Sir cryosin]

We don't have a rogue. And there was no way to sneak around with out being invisible. We have a ranger but he was raised in the wild by wolfs and is quick to act, and is very brass. So as soon as we open the cage door he when charging one of the drow captors taking both him and the drow over the railing. DM ask do you push him over the player was like no I tackle him so that both of us go over. I made sure the Dm gave him inspiration for playing his character. Because not many people would have the pc go over to.

[Falcon X]

I agree, going over the edge too is a pretty great move and deserves inspiration. I'm assuming there was a spider web or water below?
We had a game where a similar thing happened. The enemy hopped over the edge when they saw the fight was futile, and our quaggoth berserker went over after him.

As for the spell focus, it largely depends on what type of gods they serve. As a whole though, I would allow it, especially for the paladin. I mean, look at the other representatives of a holy focus we have: an emblazoning of the law-giver on a shield, a cross (Christianity), a diety's symbol carved out of wood or metal. That it is prayed over and made with mystical materials will only help this.
Now, an ARCANE spell focus is another story...

[CaptainSarathai]

I've seen this a lot - the idea of using a tattoo as an Arcane Focus or a Holy Symbol.
I'd allow it for a Holy Symbol with one caveat; you need to be able to see the symbol - if you are wearing armor or a glove over that hand, you can't gain the benefit.

The fact is, the DM still needs to be able to "disarm" casters. The DM needs to be aware that taking a caster's Focus is going to be more debilitating than taking the fighter's axe, because casters can't just start swinging fists like a fighter could. It's part of the story though, it's a tool that you'd be taking away from the DM.

With the tatoo and the fact that it needs to be visible, enemies could just shackle a bag over your hand, or lock an iron glove on you. If they're really serious they just chop your hand off, but I'd avoid that as a DM, for obvious reasons.

[MasterMercury]

If they're really serious they just chop your hand off, but I'd avoid that as a DM, for obvious reasons.

Haha. I had a cleric who did this, but a tattoo of his holy symbol on the palm of his hand. On a later fight, a hobgoblin rolled a natural 20. I used the long-lasting injury table in DMG, and the hobgoblin chopped of the clerics tattooed hand.
The cleric kept the hand, mummified it, and used that as a divine focus for the remainder of the campaign. Old Gaius Two-Hands, they called him.

[Sir cryosin]

See I was thinking of getting the tattoo on my hand and keeping it wrapped up untell I was in a situation like last night. I'm going to talk to my DM about it. But I'm also going to get a few small easy to hide and hidden pockets to put a few extra holy symbols in.

Oh by the way I'm a arcane cleric with Azuth as my god.

[lunaticfringe]

It would be neat if your hand burst into harmless blue flame when you cast a spell using the tattoo as a focus. You could do the whole finger point thing as somatic component.

[Tallis]

I'd allow it but it you would need a special blessing from a high level priest and blessed ink. Just you praying wouldn't be enough. Plus it would have to be visible during spell casting.

[Elminster298]

I had a character run into the same problem once... He had his holy symbol surgically hidden inside his ribcage. He was very careful to not let captors see him cast spells after that so as they didn't realize and find it. It was an interesting character go play.