Tattooing

**The character must keep the scrolls for the staff to reference when using this skill.**

The **Tattooing** skill allows a character to create magical tattoos which produce a range of effects when activated by the bearer.

## Description

There is one ritual for each of the various effects that can be generated and there is another scroll for each of the durations. A tattooist of the appropriate level can learn these rituals from magical scrolls. Once a scroll is used it disintegrates but the character has the ritual memorized forever.

The character must wear a temporary tattoo of some kind (makeup, henna, etc.) for the duration of its existence. After the magic is used, the tattoo will fade away.

Each of the effect rituals will have a list of the herbal components that must be used to create the product. The rituals for durations augment the effect rituals by a designated modifier.

For example: The ritual to create a Tattoo that allows a character to Mend Armor calls for 3 Black Walnuts.

The ritual for making it last one use requires x1 the original ritual so it would take 3 Black Walnuts to allow a character to Mend Armor once. It would also require the tattooist to have memorized both the One Use Scroll and the Mend Armor Scroll.

The ritual for making it last two uses requires using the base number of components plus three so it would take 6 Black Walnuts to allow a character to Mend Armor two times. It would also require the tattooist to have memorized both the Two Uses Scroll and the Mend Armor Scroll.

Any character with the Tattooing skill can determine whether a tattoo is magical by examining it for ten seconds. The character must be touching the tattoo and cannot move, speak, activate a feat with a type other than "Negate" or sustain any hit point damage during the examination or he/she must begin again. The character cannot determine the specific magic within a tattoo except through the appropriate identification ritual.

## Costs

 Apprentice
 Journeyman
 Master
 Grand Master

## Novice

### **One Use**

This ritual aspect can be combined with any tattooing effect ritual to create a tattoo that can be used once. A tattoo with One Use does not expire until after it is activated once unless the ritual alterations indicate otherwise. The length of the activated effect is determined by the type of effect but when it is ended, the tattoo fades away. (Permanent tattoos can be used to represent a tattoo and remain after use. It's just a case of overlaying the magic on the image present so they'd fade but not completely.)

### **Mend Armor**

This ritual generates a tattoo that allows the character to quickly regenerate the physical armor lost in combat either from direct damage or from a shatter armor ability. The armor points return as if the character had taken a recuperation to restore them. The tattoo can only restore the armor of the bearer. Armor bonuses are not restored by activating this tattoo.

### **Jump**

This ritual generates a tattoo that allows a character to spring into the air and bring one flying creature down to the ground. The creature immediately becomes targetable by other creatures on the ground but is not prevented from trying to fly away again. The tagline "Jump" must be called as the feat is delivered. It can be delivered by a an unarmed strike, melee blow, ranged missile or a packet (Spell Aptitude) depending on what aptitudes a character has.

### **Identify Tattoo**

An Identify Tattoo ritual can reveal what Tattoos are carried by an individual and how much longer the magic will last. Alterations may increase or decrease the amount of information gained. The caster must touch the target within five seconds of the completion of the ritual. Only one individual can be targeted by a single ritual but the ritualist will learn the details of all the Tattoos on that individual.

## Apprentice

### **Two Uses**

This ritual aspect can be combined with any tattooing effect ritual to create a tattoo that can be used twice. A tattoo with Two Uses does not expire until after it is activated twice unless the ritual alterations indicate otherwise. The length of the activated effect is determined by the type of effect. The first time the tattoo is activated, when the effect ends it becomes a One Use tattoo. After the tattoo is activated and ended again, it fades away. (Permanent tattoos can be used to represent a tattoo and remain after use. It's just a case of overlaying the magic on the image present so they'd fade but not completely.)

### **Hide**

This ritual generates a tattoo that allows a character to hide for as long as he/she remains stationary. The character must keep his/her arms crossed over his/her chest or wear a blue headband for the entire time spent in hiding. Taking a step, speaking, activating a feat, losing hit points, dropping to dying or dead status or using an item will dispel the hiding effect. There is no auditory indication of the character's appearance if he/she chooses to dispel the effect. If a creature comes within sight of the target and says "Sense Hidden Creature" the character must respond "Yes" but the character will not know that another creature can sense his/her presence. This feat does not prevent another creature from sensing the character through tactile contact and does not prevent any damage should the character be caught in the way of a weapon attack or radius effect. A character under the "Disrupt Hiding" effect cannot activate this tattoo.

### **Strength Bonus**

This ritual generates a tattoo that imbues a character with four additional points of strength temporarily. Strength increases damage in both hands with any weapon and can be used in other strength contests. A character with six points of strength may break Snares, a character with eight points may break Gags and a character with ten points may break Binds. These effects take six, eight, or ten seconds, respectively, to break and the character must perform the verbal count "Breaking one, Breaking two, Breaking three..." Certain items may also be broken depending on their material. You may find that information HERE. This bonus cannot be stacked with any other Strength Bonus effect but it does stack with permanent strength points from the Strength skill. If a second bonus is placed on the character, the higher of the two bonuses will remain and the lesser will be dispelled. The bonus will last until the target reaches dying or dead status or until the target begins to Recuperate. This bonus may be affected by the "Disrupt Bonus" effect.

## Journeyman

### **Three Uses**

This ritual aspect can be combined with any tattooing effect ritual to create a tattoo that can be used three times. A tattoo with Three Uses does not expire until after it is activated three times unless the ritual alterations indicate otherwise. The length of the activated effect is determined by the type of effect. The first time the tattoo is activated, when the effect ends it becomes a Two Use tattoo. It continues to reduce one duration until after the tattoo is activated and ended for the third time when it fades away. (Permanent tattoos can be used to represent a tattoo and remain after use. It's just a case of overlaying the magic on the image present so they'd fade but not completely.)

### **Teleport**

This ritual generates a tattoo that allows a character to teleport a short distance. The tagline "Teleport" must be called as the character crosses his/her arms over his /her head or puts on a yellow headband. The character may then take up to twenty normal steps in any direction. When the character reaches the spot where he/she wishes to end the teleport, he/she must again announce "Teleport" and drop his/her crossed arms or remove the headband. The character must move from the beginning to the ending destination as quickly and safely possible. Nothing may affect the character during the transition nor can he/she activate any feats, communicate with any other characters or use any items. A character cannot teleport into anywhere he/she cannot see into or into any sealed location. However if there is an opening at least a hand's breadth large in a wall or window the character can see into, he/she can enter at that spot. (This may require that the player needs to go through another entrance OOP but the character's steps should only be counted up to and then from the other side of the opening.) A character affected by an "Anchor" effect, may not activate this tattoo. All teleports must end on a solid surface capable of supporting the character.

### **Ink Cloud**

This ritual generates a tattoo that turns the character into a swirling mist of ink. When activating the tattoo, the character must cross his/her arms over his/her head or put on a green headband. While in this form, the character cannot be recognized. Also, the character takes no damage and ignores most effects from melee attacks, ranged attacks, radius effects, spells or other packet delivered attacks. This effect does not allow the character to pass through solid objects or enter areas he/she could not enter in normal form. The character must maintain concentration to sustain the effect, which means he/she cannot use any feat that does not have a Negate or Shield type, cannot speak, and cannot use any items. The form can be dispelled before five minutes if the character chooses to drop it, the character loses concentration, or if he/she is affected by a "Disrupt" effect. If the character is asked for a physical description while in this form he/she must respond "Mist of ink." A character cannot be affected by more than one Alteration effect at any given point. If a second Alteration effect targets the character, he/she must immediately decide which effect will remain and which will be dispelled.

## Master

### **Four Uses**

This ritual aspect can be combined with any tattooing effect ritual to create a tattoo that can be used four times. A tattoo with Four Uses does not expire until after it is activated four times unless the ritual alterations indicate otherwise. The length of the activated effect is determined by the type of effect. The first time the tattoo is activated, when the effect ends it becomes a Three Use tattoo. It continues to reduce one duration until after the tattoo is activated and ended for the fourth time when it fades away. (Permanent tattoos can be used to represent a tattoo and remain after use. It's just a case of overlaying the magic on the image present so they'd fade but not completely.)

### **Evade Any**

This ritual generates a tattoo that allows a character to evade any effect that would normally have affected him/her including spells, radius effects, melee attacks, and ranged attacks. The tagline "Activate Evade Any" must be called clearly when the attack makes contact with the character.

### **Invisibility**

This ritual generates a tattoo that turns the character invisible for up to five minutes. The character must keep his/her arms crossed over his/her chest or wear a blue headband for the entire time spent invisible. Creatures cannot see an invisible individual. Footsteps and general movement cannot be heard but vocal noises can be. Activating a feat, being affected by a feat, beginning to recuperate, losing health points, dropping to dying or dead status, interacting with an object or using an item will dispel the effect. There is no auditory indication of the character's appearance if he/she chooses to dispel the effect. If a creature comes within sight of the target and says "Sense Hidden" the character must respond "Yes" but the character will not know that another creature can sense his/her presence. This feat does not prevent another creature from sensing the character through tactile contact and does not prevent any damage should the character be caught in the way of a weapon attack or radius effect. A character under the "Disrupt Hiding" effect cannot activate this feat.

## Grand Master

### **Tattooing Scroll Making**

A Grand Master of Tattooing has thoroughly learned the craft to the point where he/she can scribe the magic scrolls that are imbued with rituals other tattooists need to memorize to craft magical tattoos. Scribing scrolls requires a great deal of concentration from the tattooist, the willpower to imbue the scroll with magic and a certain combination of components capable of holding the magic. A Grand Master can create a scroll for any ritual he/she knows from levels one to four but may not create scrolls for unique rituals he/she may have developed. For information on component requirements, see the Scroll Scribing page.

### **Tattooing Research**

A Grand Master has moved beyond what he/she can learn from others but can now begin to create rare or even potentially unique rituals. Generating these proprietary rituals take a period of research and experimentation. If the result a character is attempting is fairly common and easy to generate, it may not take very long to perfect the ritual. However if he/she is trying to generate a high level effect or something beyond the range of typical magical practices, it may take a lot of time to create something stable and effective. It should also be noted that some things simply cannot be created do to lack of a component that generates the necessary magic or because it is simply beyond the boundaries of magical law. You can learn more about the specifics of the process on the Research page.