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Maerok
2008-03-17, 08:36 PM
Tattooed Mage

"Magic is an artform, but why master only one?"
-Izalen Morgow, Tattooed Mage

http://www.theeurth.com/images/mage.gif

There is a small sect of arcane spellcasters who seek to create links between the planes of magic and their own existence in order to create greater power. They see the link between body, mind, and spirit and the ability of certain runes to ease the transition between existential states. These sometimes simple drawings are conduits of arcane might when properly harnessed.

Prerequisites:
Scribe Scroll feat
Arcane caster level 5
Craft (tattoo) 8 ranks

Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier

Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Body of Magic, Spell Scrawl|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Tattoo Focus (1/day)|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Arcane Tattoo|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|-|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Arcane Tattoo|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class

6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Tattoo Focus (2/day)|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Arcane Tattoo|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|-|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Arcane Tattoo|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Tattoo Mastery, Tattoo Focus (3/day)|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class [/table]


Class Features:

Body of Magic: You may use your own skin as a spellbook, if you prepare spells, without any difficulty. It can hold a maximum of two spells per spell level. Each limb holds three spells, the back and chest hold four each, and the head can hold two. Spells put onto parts that have been damaged cannot be used. A part that has been destroyed and remade will still have the spells written on it. If you cast spontaneously, these spells are instead transcribed automatically as you gain new spells known, if you wish. Once a spell has been drawn, it can only be swapped out at the beginning of a new class level.

Spell Scrawl: Your skill in the art of tattooing and magic allows you to infuse magical inks to your flesh. You may create scrolls of arcane spells on your body, as per the normal rules for making a scroll, to a limit of one per class level. Only you may read and use the scroll, and you only pay XP when you activate it rather than when you first create it. A targeted <i>dispel magic</i> will remove one scroll at a time randomly while <i>greater dispel</i> or similar effects of equal or higher spell level will erase them all. They radiate a magical aura of their school at a caster level used to create them.

Arcane Tattoos: There are sixteen arcane tattoos available (two per school), which provide a range of special abilities to whoever chooses to draw them across their skin permanently. In order to take the Greater Arcane Tattoo of a school, one must first take the regular Arcane Tattoo. The appearance of the tattoo is the creator's choice. Greater Arcane Tattoos are usually developed from existing lesser tattoos into one large work of art.

Tattoo of Abjuration - You gain a +2 bonus to dispel checks.
Greater Tattoo of Abjuration - Whenever you counterspell or dispel an effect, you regain a extra use of Tattoo Focus, to your maximum number of uses.

Tattoo of Conjuration - You gain a +2 bonus to Craft checks.
Greater Tattoo of Conjuration - Creatures you summon gain a +2 hitpoints per HD.

Tattoo of Divination - Twice per day, you may add a +2 insight bonus to one save before you roll or expend both to add the bonus after you roll.
Greater Tattoo of Divination - Add the spell level of the divination spells you cast to their caster level for the purposes of determining their effective caster level against other effects.

Tattoo of Enchantment - You gain a +1 bonus to Charisma checks and skill checks.
Greater Tattoo of Enchantment - Whenever a target of your enchantment spells would get to reroll a save at the end of their turn (either automatically or due to some breach of moral code), there is a 25% chance they fail if they are adjacent to you.

Tattoo of Evocation - You gain energy resistance against one form of energy of your choice, chosen when your spells are refreshed, equal to your class level. Choose from acid, fire, electricity, or cold.
Greater Tattoo of Evocation - Once per day, you may heal damage from your chosen energy type. For every three points of damage you'd incur, you regain one hitpoint. The damage itself is negated.

Tattoo of Illusion - You gain a +2 bonus to Bluff and Sense Motive checks.
Greater Tattoo of Illusion - For every other illusion spell affecting your targets at the same time, your spells gain a +1 bonus to DC to a maximum of +3 on the victims' save rerolls.

Tattoo of Necromancy - You gain a +2 bonus against the supernatural abilities of undead.
Greater Tattoo of Necromancy - Whenever you inflict negative energy levels or ability damage/drain, increase the amount by 1. You gain temporary hitpoints equal to the new amount for one minute per class level.

Tattoo of Transmutation - You are 'aware' of things that have been transformed into a new shape (via spells or abilities) with a DC 20 Spellcraft check.
Greater Tattoo of Transmutation - When under a chaotic or transmutative effect, you may release yourself from it after one round per effective spell level as a full-round action. This works automatically, if you wish, in case of being turned to stone or being made unintelligible.

Tattoo Focus: Once per day (with increasing uses per level), you may call upon the arcane might invested in your skin to boost your spellcasting capabilities. As part of casting a spell you have put on your skin with Body of Magic, you may choose to use this ability as a free action. If so, the spell gains a +1 bonus to its caster level and DC. This may only be used once per spell and can only affect arcane spells. You may use it in conjunction with Spell Scrawl spells.

Tattoo Mastery: Any spell cast from a spell recorded with Body of Magic gains a +1 bonus to caster level.

keyboardboy101
2008-03-19, 02:54 AM
Isn't there already a class very similar to this? By very similar I mean almost exactly like.

It's either in Complete Arcane or Complete Mage, not sure which. It has the same ability to inscribe spells, limits the number on certain body parts, has stipulations for the erasing of those spells, and allows for scrolls to be created.

On another note, the Arcane Tattoos ability is very original and I think that it enhances the abilites of the class well. It also provides for the same specialization that most wizards have.

Fizban
2008-03-19, 11:51 PM
It wasn't a class, just rules for alternate spellbooks. Each body part could hold a certain number of pages, pretty low unless you took geometer to reduce all spells to one page regardless of level.

So, if I'm reading this right, you essentially get to put two spells of each level you know on your body. Then you can 1/2/3 times per day get a +1 to CL and DC when you cast one of them, and at 10th level you get a flat +1 to CL with all of them on top of that. You also get to scribe spells on your skin, up to 1/class level, and you don't pay the xp until you use them, however they can be dispelled before use.

Seems okay enough. The arcane tattoos don't strike me as as all that useful, nor does the tattoo focus, or the arcane scrawl. This is good, since the class grants full spellcasting and all of that for the cost of only the scribe scroll feat and a few skill ranks. Wizards can get in practically for free, while sorcerers have almost no reason to, since you can get a lot more from that feat, which is worthless to you as a sorcerer. It's still better than straigh sorc of course, but everything is. Both have better choices, but this is a fine one for flavor, and much more interesting than the Red Wizard, and still better than the Blood Magus (whom can scar spells into his skin as scrolls).