Tattoos as Magic Items

[Zanthy1]

In 3.5 there were the Red Wizards of Thay who had a feat that allowed them to use tattoos from some stuff. I never really played them, but had a DM who allowed me to have a character with a tattoo that when activated, would summon a weapon.

In 5e, what sort of tattoo magic would/have you used in campaigns, and what rules make sense for converting spells or magic items into tattoos?

[Vogie]

Because they don't really change, I could see any type of at-will spell-like effect turning into a tattoo. Cantrips, class features, warlock invocations, Rituals (Edit: thanks MOG!) et cetera. Not anything that can be easily swapped out, like spells prepared that day.

For example, your ability to summon a weapon via tattoo activation could refer to an Eldritch Knight's Weapon Bond, or a Pact of the Blade Warlock's pact weapon.

I could also see a Druid with Tattoos of their available wild shapes, or a Cleric that has a prominent tattoo that becomes faded when they use their Channel Divinity.

Actually now that I think about it, I could see temporary tattoos (something like a henna-style paint) acting as prepared spells could work too.

[Man_Over_Game]

To rule something like that, I'd probably do something like:

You can tattoo a spell that you know onto your body using special inks and rituals. The spell must use your Concentration and must be a spell you can cast.

A spell that is tattooed on your body does not require any components that are not expended by casting the spell, and you have Advantage on any Concentration Saving Throws to maintain the spell.

To tattoo a spell onto your body, you must use magical inks and tools that are expended by the procedure that cost equal to (L2 x 200), where L is the level of the spell. A level 1 spell will cost 200 gold in ink, and a level 9 spell will cost 16200 gold in ink. It requires 1 hour for each level of the spell to put onto your body. Spells inked onto your body are treated as the lowest castable level.

A specialized NPC may be required to put the spells onto your body, or any character with the Ritual Caster feat.

[The Jack]

As Holy symbols and druidic Totems don't have weight and have words meaning 'picture', tattoos are an appropriate focus for spells.


(but they've got to be exposed according to the rules)

[WeaselGuy]

If I were to ever play a Wizard in an actual game, I would totally tattoo my spellbook onto my character's body.

[MilkmanDanimal]

I'd use Ioun Stones as a baseline; tattoos give you pluses to attributes or checks, could prevent surprise, things like that. I do like the idea of a tattoo holding a spell, but I'd make it need to be recharged in some way rather than just a free thing. Would be kind of fun to have players put them in the path of elemental spells in order to try to capture enough energy to recharge their tattoo.

[Max_Killjoy]

Brainstorming...

Warlock -- each spell the character learns appears as a tattoo on their body, as a variation on the "patron's mark" idea.

Magic Initiate -- fluffed as character receiving tattoos of the arcane patterns and runes.

As a Spellcasting Focus -- can't be lost or stolen, but cannot be covered while casting spells.

As a Spellbook -- character is from a culture without deep-analytical written language and math, that tattoos their accomplishments on their body, and each spell learned is an accomplishment.

[Toofey]

In 2nd ed the Red Wizards of Thay had a spell for this, it's worth looking at. I think it can be found in "Dreams of the Red Wizards" and "Spellbound" I believe they were AC or save bonuses.

[Corpsecandle717]

Here was the 3.5 spell from FR.

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/create-magic-tattoo--4247/index.html

[RSP]

To rule something like that, I'd probably do something like:

You can tattoo a spell that you know onto your body using special inks and rituals. The spell must use your Concentration and must be a spell you can cast.

A spell that is tattooed on your body does not require any components that are not expended by casting the spell, and you have Advantage on any Concentration Saving Throws to maintain the spell.

To tattoo a spell onto your body, you must use magical inks and tools that are expended by the procedure that cost equal to (L2 x 200), where L is the level of the spell. A level 1 spell will cost 200 gold in ink, and a level 9 spell will cost 16200 gold in ink. It requires 1 hour for each level of the spell to put onto your body. Spells inked onto your body are treated as the lowest castable level.

A specialized NPC may be required to put the spells onto your body, or any character with the Ritual Caster feat.

Adv on Conc checks and free Subtle Spell for a one-time gold investment? That’s very powerful in my opinion, though I appreciate the erring on the side of permissibility.

[Man_Over_Game]

Adv on Conc checks and free Subtle Spell for a one-time gold investment? That’s very powerful in my opinion, though I appreciate the erring on the side of permissibility.

Sure, but it also has to be a Concentration spell (and you can't have multiple Concentration spells active, and so multiple tattoos will become redundant), it has a high gold cost (Ranging from 100-16000 gold), and requires a feat or a special NPC.

Most people would just be happy with two levels of Sorcerer and War Caster. For everyone else, my solution lets you throw money at the problem.

[Rukelnikov]

For spell related tattoos, look no further than Dragonmarks and refluff them (Note that there are two versions of those, one was mostly spellcasting, the other one had spellcasting and skill bonuses, akin to permanent guidance)

For more general tattoos... well go nuts, any magic item can be refluffed as a tattoo. In my last campaign our life cleric got a "magic tattoo" that was basically a rod of resurrection, same exact rules, but with the obvious benefit of it being a tattoo, so it's always ready, doesn't require to be handled, can't be stolen, etc.

If you go that route also think scrolls and potions.

A tattoo of a angel in my arm may allow me to cast raise dead once and then disappear.

Note that the availability and rarity of said tattoo's should have an impact on the setting, if getting one is relatively easy then maybe even mooks on the street go around toting fireballs in their arms.

[Max_Killjoy]

For spell related tattoos, look no further than Dragonmarks and refluff them (Note that there are two versions of those, one was mostly spellcasting, the other one had spellcasting and skill bonuses, akin to permanent guidance)

For more general tattoos... well go nuts, any magic item can be refluffed as a tattoo. In my last campaign our life cleric got a "magic tattoo" that was basically a rod of resurrection, same exact rules, but with the obvious benefit of it being a tattoo, so it's always ready, doesn't require to be handled, can't be stolen, etc.

If you go that route also think scrolls and potions.

A tattoo of a angel in my arm may allow me to cast raise dead once and then disappear.

Note that the availability and rarity of said tattoo's should have an impact on the setting, if getting one is relatively easy then maybe even mooks on the street go around toting fireballs in their arms.

There's an interesting idea -- warriors who receive tattoos from the shaman or priest as part of their preparation for battle, and then lose the tattoos as they're used up by the spell effects going off.

[The Jack]

Robe of useful items but tattoos.

Do it.



Anything that doesn't require attunement is fair game, but there should be some limit, like the tattoo has to be exposed.

[MilkmanDanimal]

Something else that might be fun; a tattoo that gives an ability or a spell once per long rest, but, not only does it have to be fully exposed to operate, it visibly glows until it is used that day, at which point it fades to be a regular tattoo. It then forces the player to think about protection vs. ease of use, plus is very noticeable.