Magic Tattoos

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By: Firbolg Factory

This publication was previously titled “Spell Tattoo” and has been updated to include the latest Unearthed Arcana rules.

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©2020 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 TheSample Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. file Certain art released to the public domain and free of copyright restrictions. Certain art licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Creative Commons � ShareAlike, or Creative Commons Attribution � No Derivatives licenses. To view a copy of these licenses, visit http://creativecommons.org. Certain fonts licensed under the SIL Open Font License. To view a copy of this license, visit https://scripts.sil.org.

� Magic Tattoos The April 2020 release of Unearthed Arcana The primary sources and inspiration for this represents the first draft of formal tattoo rules document are: for fifth edition. Up until this point, there were � Unearthed Arcana, April 2020 numerous homebrew variants in circulation, � Dungeon Master’s Guide, Chapter 7, Spell including the previous version of this docu- Scroll magic item ment. This documents now serves to summa- � Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Chapter 2, rizes the Unearthed Arcana rules, provide a few Scribing a Spell Scroll alternatives where the author felt prudent, and � Player’s Handbook, Part 1, Guild Artisan expands to provide an additional method of Background tattooing creatures via a custom background. � Races of Faerûn, Appendix, Tattoo Magic New tattoos are also provided. (Feat) � Lords of Darkness, Appendix, Tattoo Magic beyond the scope Expanded or alternate rules (Feat) of what’s covered in Unearthed Arcana, as well as additional homebrew tattoos, are in boxed text to help the reader differentiate between Unearthed Arcana rules and pure homebrew rules.

Sample file

2 �� Tattoos as a Magic Item Magic Tattoo Coverage: There are two basic types of magic tattoos, Alternate Rule permanent magic tattoos that give permanent or recurring benefits and temporary “spell- The tattoo must be inked onto a creature with a wrought” tattoos that have one-use spell effects. corporeal body. Regardless of size, a Blending magic and artistry with ink and humanoid’s body has a specific number of needles, magic tattoos imbue their bearers with segments available for tattooing. A tattoo can wondrous effects and abilities. Magic tattoos be arranged on any contiguous available body are initially bound to magic needles, which segments (unless otherwise stated in the spell). transfer their magic to a creature. The designs The following two charts attempt to provide of magic tattoos vary greatly in appearance clarity to terms in the chart at left, giving each depending on who created it, but they share body part a specific number of segments and general characteristics that hint at the effect of then assigning tattoo rarities a quantity of the tattoo. segments. Once inscribed on a creature’s skin, damage � �� or injury doesn’t impair the tattoo’s function, Body Part Segments Available even if the tattoo is defaced. The rarer a magic tattoo is, the more space it occupies on a crea- Scalp 2 ture’s skin. The Magic Tattoo Coverage table Limb* 4 offers guidelines for how large a given tattoo is. Back 8 �� Chest 8 Tattoo Rarity Area Covered �� Common Up to 6 inches Tattoo Rarity Segments Required Uncommon Half a limb or the scalp Common 1 Rare One limb* Uncommon 2 Very Rare Two limbs or the chest or Rare 4 upper back Very Rare 8 Legendary Two limbs and the torso Legendary 24 Variant: Body Modification These items needn’t be limited to just tattoos. While the charts above closely align to the UA They can instead be presented as other body chart at left, the writer believes it to be too modifications such as brands, scarification, generous and recommends considering the birthmarks, patterns of scales, or any other coverage chart below (allowing for roughly half cosmetic skin adornment or alteration. as many tattoos). Consider the object a magical body modification is bound to instead of tattoo �� needles, such as branding irons or enchanted Tattoo Rarity Segments Required dragon scales. Common 2 Uncommon 4 Rare 8 Very Rare 16 Legendary 34 %��"��!�� &�� *LoxodonSample trunks and lizardfolk tails can count file ��#' �� as an additional limb. �� (�� )��"��*��+$

�� 3 Magic Tattoos, Permanent Items All permanent magic tattoos require attune- Once this reaction is used, it can’t be used ment and have the same attunement process. again until the next dawn. Tattoo Attunement. To attune to this item, you hold the needle to your skin where you �� want the tattoo to appear, pressing the needle Wondrous item (tattoo), vary rare (requires attunement) there throughout the attunement process. This tattoo increases one of your ability scores When the attunement is complete, the needle (determined when the needle was created) by turns into the ink that becomes the tattoo, 2. You can only have one ability tattoo on your which appears on the skin. If you have multiple body. magic tattoos, they count as a single magic item with regard to the number of magic items you can attune to. �� If your attunement to the tattoo ends, the Wondrous item (tattoo), rarity varies (requires tattoo vanishes, and the needle reappears in attunement) the closest unoccupied space to you. This tattoo depicts protective imagery and uses ink that resembles liquid metal. While you Attunement, Alternate Rule aren’t wearing armor, the tattoo grants you an The rules above apply; however, if the attune- Armor Class depending on the tattoo’s rarity, ment ends, the needle does not reappear and as shown below. You can use a shield and still the tattoo just vanishes (making the needle a gain this benefit. consumable item). Rarity AC �� Uncommon 12 + your Dexterity modifier Wondrous item (tattoo), very rare (requires attunement) Rare 15 + your Dexterity modifier (maximum of +2) This tattoo incorporates designs that empha- size one color more than others. While the Very Rare 18 tattoo is on your skin, you have resistance to a type of damage associated with that color, as Rule Tip: AC Calculations Don’t Stack shown on the table below. The DM chooses the When the game gives you more than one way color or determines it randomly. to calculate your Armor Class, you can use only one of them. You choose the one to use. d10 Damage Type Color 1 Acid Green �� 2 Cold Blue Wondrous item (tattoo), common (requires attunement) 3 Fire Red This tattoo has a camouflage pattern colored to 4 Force White a specific environment (arctic, coastal, desert, 5 Lightning Yellow forest, grassland, hill, indoor, mountain, 6 Necrotic Black swamp, underdark, underwater, or urban), determined when the needle was created. The 7 Poison Violet tattoo can be used once per day, recharging at 8 Psychic Silver dawn. As an action, you can trigger the tattoo to 9 Radiant Gold spread out across your clothing and carried 10 Thunder Orange possessions, providing you advantage on visual stealth checks for 10 minutes. Damage Absorption. When you take damage The indoor environment includes such loca- of theSample chosen type, you can use your reaction to tions as house and castle interiors,file regardless gain immunity against that instance of the of the environmental location of the building. damage, and you regain a number of hit points equal to half the damage you would have taken.

4 �� a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with unarmed strikes. Wondrous item (tattoo), uncommon (requires attunement) Eldritch Maul. As a bonus action, you can This tattoo has long intertwining designs. empower the tattoo for 1 minute. For the dura- While the tattoo is on your skin, you can, as an tion, each of your melee weapon attacks can action, cause the tattoo to extrude into inky reach a target up to 30 feet away from you, as tendrils, which reach for a creature you can see tendrils of ink launch from your weapon or within 15 feet of you. The creature must unarmed strike toward the target. In addition, succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or your melee weapon attacks deal an extra 1d6 take 3d6 force damage and be grappled by you. force damage on a hit. Once used, this bonus As an action, the creature can escape the action can’t be used again until the next dawn. grapple by succeeding on a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. The !�� grapple also ends if you halt it (no action Wondrous item (tattoo), very rare (requires attunement) required), if the creature is ever more than 15 This tattoo provides you the benefits of a feat feet away from you, or if you use this tattoo on a (determined when the needle was created). You different creature. can only have one feat tattoo on your body. �� !�� %�� Wondrous item (tattoo), legendary (requires attunement) Wondrous item (tattoo), common (requires attunement) This tattoo evokes fury in its form and colors. This tattoo contains beautiful calligraphy, While this tattoo is on your skin, you gain the images of writing implements, and the like. following benefits: While this tattoo is on your skin, you can write � Your attack rolls score a critical hit on a d20 with your fingertip as if it were an ink pen that roll of 19 or 20. never runs out of ink. � When you score a critical hit against a crea- As an action, you can touch a piece of writing ture, that target takes an extra 4d6 necrotic up to one page in length and speak a creature’s damage, and you gain a number of temporary name. The writing becomes invisible to hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt. everyone other than you and the named crea- � When a creature you can see damages you, ture for the next 24 hours. Either of you can you can use your reaction to make a melee dismiss the invisibility by touching the script attack against that creature, with advantage (no action required). Once used, this action on your attack roll. can’t be used again until the next dawn. Rule Tip: Temporary Hit Points Don’t Stack &��$�� Wondrous item (tattoo), rare (requires attunement) If you have temporary hit points and receive more of them, you don’t add them together, This tattoo comprises symbols of life and unless a rule says you can. Instead, you decide rebirth. While this tattoo is on your skin, you which temporary hit points to keep. For more have resistance to necrotic damage. information on temporary hit points, see Death Ward. When you would be reduced to chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook. 0 hit points, you drop to 1 hit point instead. Once used, this benefit can’t be used again until "� ��#��$�� the next dawn. Wondrous item (tattoo), uncommon (requires attunement) This tattoo depicts clawlike forms and other jagged shapes. While the tattoo is on your skin, yourSample unarmed strikes are considered magical file for the purpose of overcoming immunity and resistance to nonmagical attacks, and you gain

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