Tattooed Spellbook

[Nerdguy88]

My group has a one shot coming up and I had an idea for a Warforged Wizard. I was trying to find details on spellbooks being tattooed onto the wizard but haven't been able to find anything for 5E. Are there any official rules for this? If not has anyone run across any good homebrew for tattooed spellbooks?

[carrdrivesyou]

3.5 had rules for that somewhere, but i don't think it ever made the jump to 5th. regarding a warforged, you might be more interested in storing it elsewhere. As you do not have proper "skin" I am not sure how a tattoo would work. Cool if DM allows it though.

[Zhorn]

If one of my players wanted to do that, I'd mostly just go with narrative fluff and leave it at that, running the rest mechanically by RAW, with cost and time are left as the same.

(jump to 2:02)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuZPou9Ebrs

[nickl_2000]

3.5 had rules for that somewhere, but i don't think it ever made the jump to 5th. regarding a warforged, you might be more interested in storing it elsewhere. As you do not have proper "skin" I am not sure how a tattoo would work. Cool if DM allows it though.

Etch it into the metal and wood of your chassis

[Nerdguy88]

regarding a warforged, you might be more interested in storing it elsewhere. As you do not have proper "skin" I am not sure how a tattoo would work. Cool if DM allows it though.

I was thinking about acid etching or something similar. It would be a "tattoo" for a warforged.

[Monster Manuel]

Xanathar's has a sidebar table thing in the Wizard subclass section outlining alternate spellbooks. There are options here like spells written on cloth straps wrapped around a staff, or a bag of inscribed stones. Plus there are the magic spellbooks in Tasha's, some of which take on an unusual form.

But in all of these cases, there's still an object there that must be carried and protected, whereas tattooed spells would not. I don't think you'd find official rules for this anywhere, and if they did exist, it might be more like a magic item, feat or a high-level boon, or a special ability of an as-yet unreleased new subclass, rather than just a thing you can do.

[Segev]

Xanathar's has a sidebar table thing in the Wizard subclass section outlining alternate spellbooks. There are options here like spells written on cloth straps wrapped around a staff, or a bag of inscribed stones. Plus there are the magic spellbooks in Tasha's, some of which take on an unusual form.

But in all of these cases, there's still an object there that must be carried and protected, whereas tattooed spells would not. I don't think you'd find official rules for this anywhere, and if they did exist, it might be more like a magic item, feat or a high-level boon, or a special ability of an as-yet unreleased new subclass, rather than just a thing you can do.

As long as the DM doesn't mind not being able to take it away from the wizard, there's little reason not to just allow it. You could make it have a surcharge, or give it limited page space (using Complete Arcane from 3.5 as a guide, perhaps) to limit it. Many DMs never attack the spellbook, despite the memes about it. But some DMs do. And some DMs who don't seek to will still find cause to from time to time, for realism's sake, and may want to be careful about punishing people for a fluff choice (or rewarding a fluff choice that doesn't have any downsides).

In short: I'd allow it, though I'd probably try to have a downside that was commensurate to the upside of having a hard time losing the spellbook. What is "commensurate" is hard to gauge because it varies from game to game and DM to DM.

[Naanomi]

Hackmaster had an option for that; and a table for gaining weight for extra space when you filled your entire body up and wanted to get more spells

[Sigreid]

I personally would allow all kinds of spell books. Tattoos. cave paintings. Dances performed by the tribe (essentially using other people to remember it). Just give me a reasonable description of what you want, how it works and how the resources need to be spent to add spells.

[Nerdguy88]

But in all of these cases, there's still an object there that must be carried and protected, whereas tattooed spells would not. I don't think you'd find official rules for this anywhere, and if they did exist, it might be more like a magic item, feat or a high-level boon, or a special ability of an as-yet unreleased new subclass, rather than just a thing you can do.

I had thought about this. The GM stressed we are not in Ebberon and warforged SHOULDN'T exist here. Being an out of place race that looks like a construct who is etched in an ever growing library of spells would be a good prize for any powerful evil person. The character might attract unwanted attention.


Hackmaster had an option for that; and a table for gaining weight for extra space when you filled your entire body up and wanted to get more spells

I wasn't aware of this and will be looking into it thanks!


I personally would allow all kinds of spell books. Tattoos. cave paintings. Dances performed by the tribe (essentially using other people to remember it). Just give me a reasonable description of what you want, how it works and how the resources need to be spent to add spells.

The way I looked at it was as long as the same resources are spent and how its being created makes sense it shouldn't be an issue but its always up to the GM. I just wanted to get something coherent together before going to my GM for approval.

[Sorinth]

I think most DMs would be fine with it, the benefit of not being able to lose your spellbook is a pretty minor bonus.

If you really wanted a downside to offset that then consider something along the lines whenever you take a big hit (To be defined by you/the DM) there's the risk of a tattoo getting damaged forcing you to spend some money getting it fixed and maybe even losing the spell completely.