2 Introduction
3 skin. A magic tattoo counts towards the number of magic items to which a creature can attune. The design slowly flows from the needle into the skin upon contact, molding itself to suit the individual’s body. An applied tattoo appears as it did on its sketchbook page, retaining the visual properties of the ink used when it was sketched. In this way, the design transitions from page to person through a needle. For unusual skin types, the tattoo will often take on a different form. As an example, a creature covered in fur or feathers might witness the tattoo take shape as markings as it leaves the needle. A creature with a metallic exterior might see the tattoo engrave itself onto their shell. As a tattoo is simply another form of magic item, this can be interpreted as the attunement process. The process to end attunement to a magic tattoo is different from the process to end attunement to a normal magic item. A creature other than the one to whom the tattoo is applied must use tattooist’s tools and an empty needle to extract the tattoo from the skin, as it was once extracted from a tattooist’s sketchbook page. BIGGER ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER While there is undoubtedly more beauty to admire in tattoos of increasing size and complexity, these factors often belie their true potential. Magic tattoos that are applied on the same body part can coexist. All magic tattoos can be layered upon each other, with individuals not having to fear for their properties being tainted or diminished. Magic tattoos are sketched with purpose, and are not so easily disrupted simply by their proximity to one other. In this case, an individual can mentally decide which tattoo sits at the forefront to make it so. TO BE CONTINUED... This is only a small glimpse into the introductory section for the book. There will be sections expanding on tattooist’s tools, the enchanted sketchbook, tattoo parlors, and more! MAGIC TATTOOS Mystical tattoos are an ancient form of magic that imparts bearers with extraordinary gifts. They can be seen on any creature willing to allow magic to be embedded deeper into their being than ever before. Magic tattoos are imbued with power by their creators. While sketching, tattooists weave their magics directly into the ink of their design. The design is layered with intent, serving as both pathway and instructions for the tattooist’s magic. This can be an impossible task for those inexperienced in the tattooists’ method. In a process that takes just a few seconds after the design’s completion, the magic blooms within the design, and it acquires its intended effect or property. ALTERNATIVE TATTOO SYSTEM The practice adopted by tattooists for distributing their magic tattoos is simple and permits them to benefit from their work, while still allowing for tattoos to be widely accessible. Magic tattoos are initially sketched within the pages of an enchanted sketchbook by a tattooist. After the design is drawn on an enchanted sketchbook page, any individual may extract that tattoo into an empty needle using tattooist’s tools. This allows designs to be more easily distributed or acquired. The page is empty once the design is extracted, but a special needle is now ready to be applied. The creator’s whims often drive the initial design, but this can be steered by other individuals requiring a particular result. Some would say that this is what sets magic tattoos apart from other magic items. The degree of control that tattooists have over their designs while applying their artistry and magics often yields truly remarkable results, limited only by their skill and imagination. APPLICATION & ATTUNEMENT Applying a magic tattoo from a needle simply requires that the special needle be held against one’s
4 • Efreet Firewalk. A creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of you while the vortex is active must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take fire damage equal to your proficiency bonus. • Marid Waterspout. A creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of you while the vortex is active must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. LORE The original design of this tattoo was developed by the mortal child of a djinn who hoped to impress their mystical father by emulating them. The tattoo design would then be circulated among genies of all kinds and the design was adapted to better fit each, leading to creation of variants. Since then, it has become a sign that the tattoo bearer is recognized as a legitimate child of a genie. GENIE’S PASSAGE TATTOO Wondrous item (tattoo), rare (requires attunement) Produced by a special needle, this magic tattoo is made to represent one of the four prime elements in a state of motion. As a bonus action, you can cause your legs to be surrounded by an elemental vortex that lifts you from the ground. You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed for 10 minutes, during which you can hover, and an additional effect dependent on the prime element represented in the tattoo: • Dao Sandstorm. A creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of you while the vortex is active must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the start of its next turn. • Djinn Whirlwind. A creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of you while the vortex is active must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be deafened until the start of its next turn.
5 LORE This tattoo design became infamous due to the legendary bounty hunter only known as the Haunting. Stories tell how she could reach her targets at any place at any time, taking them away without anyone noticing. Most famously, they made an adventurer with a bounty on their head disappear in the middle of a banquet, without any of the other attendees even realizing they were gone until they turned around to find his chair empty. MISTY FORM TATTOO Wondrous item (tattoo), very rare (requires attunement) Produced by a special needle, this magic tattoo features a globule of colorful smoke with its contents flowing away. As an action, you can transform yourself, along with everything you are wearing and carrying, into a misty cloud. While in this form, you can’t take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. You’re weightless, have a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter and occupy the space of another creature. You can move through any opening without squeezing if air could pass through it, but can’t pass through liquids. Additionally, you are immune to nonmagical damage and have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws. You stay in cloud form for up to 2 hours, all at once or in several shorter uses, ending the effect with a bonus action. The tattoo regains 1 hour of misty form for every 12 hours it isn’t in use.
6 LORE The icy crown is the symbol of authority carried by the Winterlords. They were a cabal of mages that hailed from the far north and tried to rise up as a nation by unifying barbarian clans into an army, before being defeated by a group of unassuming adventurers. Since that day, the knowledge of how to make the tattoo has been widely spread, much to the chagrin of the remaining Winterlords who may react violently to seeing their beloved design on the brow of someone they judge unworthy. BITTER CROWN TATTOO Wondrous item (tattoo), very rare (requires attunement) Produced by a special needle, this magic tattoo represents a long-lost icy crown. While this tattoo is applied on your skin, you have resistance to cold damage and can also tolerate temperatures as low as −50 degrees. Winterlord’s Edict. As an action, you can use this tattoo to cast dominate monster (save DC 15) on a dragon, elemental, fey, fiend or monstrosity with a challenge rating of 9 or lower that has an innate immunity to cold damage. On a successful save, the target is immune to the power of the tattoo for 24 hours. If you use the tattoo to charm a second creature, the first spell immediately ends. When the spell ends, the target knows it was charmed by you.
7 be undone by any effect that removes a curse, such as a greater restoration or remove curse spell. LORE This tattoo was originally used by necromantic cults both as an additional edge in cases of combat and as a way for its members to show fealty. There are tales of people who escaped or survived the destruction of one of these cults being shunned from society due to the tattoo’s curse, forming communities of their own. Some of these communities still see the tattoo as a blessing and sign of devotion, while others regard it as a heavy burden. UNDYING TATTOO Wondrous item (tattoo), uncommon (requires attunement) Produced by a special needle, this magic tattoo is composed of a ram’s skull inlaid with necromantic symbols. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead as the tattoo fuels your body with unlife and gives you a ghastly appearance. You immediately gain temporary hit points equal to twice your level that last for 1 hour. Once this property has been activated, it can’t be used again until after you finish a long rest. Curse. Whenever the tattoo’s property is activated, you have a 50 percent chance of having the appearance of being permanently undead. You retain your creature type, yet you register as undead to spells and other effects that detect the presence of the undead creature type. The physical changes wrought by the tattoo are not considered magical in nature (and therefore can’t be dispelled), but they can
SIX GATES TATTOO Wondrous item (tattoo), legendary (requires attunement) Produced by a special needle, the mystic symbols in this magic tattoo are made to tap into the body’s true potential. As an action, you can activate the tattoo to open one of your gates of power. You choose which gate you will release each time you use this property by consulting the adjacent chart. You gain the benefits of the gate you chose to release as well as all lower gates. For example, if you opened the 2nd gate, you have advantage on ability checks and your speed is doubled. You stay in this state for 10 minutes or until you end it as a bonus action. Once the state ends you gain a number of levels of exhaustion equal to the gate you opened. To use this property again, you must finish a long rest Gate Effect 1st You have advantage on ability checks. 2nd Your speed is doubled. 3rd You have advantage on attack rolls and saving throws. 4th You gain temporary hit points equal to half your hit point maximum. 5th You gain an additional action on each of your turns. That action can be used only to take the Attack (one melee attack only) or Dodge action. 6th Once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can choose to make the attack a final blow. The target must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or die instantly. On a successful save, the target takes an extra 8d8 damage. 8
9 LORE Legend speaks of an impatient prince who killed his own father to take the throne, and was cursed by the gods they worshipped to have serpent heads instead of hands. This curse befit his father’s dying words that his hands served only to kill and consume. The validity of this tale is debated to this day, but it is known that it served as direct inspiration for this tattoo’s artist. SERPENT KING TATTOO Wondrous item (tattoo), uncommon (requires attunement) Produced by a special needle, these magic tattoos coil around the bearer’s arms like a pair of snakes. As an action, you can transform each of your arms into a venomous serpent. While transformed, your unarmed attacks deal piercing damage instead bludgeoning. Additionally, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 2d10 poison damage and become poisoned until the end of your next turn. You stay in this state for 10 minutes or until you end it as a bonus action. Once you use this property, it can’t be used again until after you finish a short or long rest.
10 LORE The original idea for this tattoo was to create a weapon that could erase a creature from existence in a single move. However, the cabal of warlocks and tattooists that developed it didn’t understand the magic they were dabbling with and were unable to make this erasure permanent. To this day, the intricate workings of this tattoos is not fully understood, and no one really knows what happens to a creature between the time they disappear and reappear. VANISHMENT TATTOO Wondrous item (tattoo), rare (requires attunement) Produced by a special needle, these magic tattoos feature the symbol of non-existence. This tattoo has 3 charges and regains 1d2 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. As an action, you can touch a creature or object within 5 feet of you that isn’t being worn or carried and that is not a bigger size category than Huge. You can then expend 1 or more charges to make it vanish. Unsecured objects are automatically affected, while creatures must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. After a number of rounds equal to the number of charges expanded, the target reappears at the start of your turn where it was, or in the closest unoccupied space. The target doesn’t remember anything from the time it vanished and acts as if no time has passed.
11 effect, or until 1 minute has passed. Once this property has been activated, it can’t be used again until after you finish a long rest. LORE This tattoo was created by a renowned wizard who, in his old age, had become feeble and paranoid. He feared that the enemies he made in the past would come for him and that his arcane might alone might not be sufficient to stop them. To allay his fears, he created this tattoo. Its purpose was to act as a failsafe in case an assailant came close enough to be a threat. CRYSTALLINE TATTOO Wondrous item (tattoo), rare (requires attunement) Produced by a special needle, these magic tattoos are made with gem dust to call upon its crystalline magic. As a bonus action, you can entomb yourself in a crystalline shell. You gain 5 temporary hit points per level, and have the following benefits while they remain: • If you are a Medium or smaller creature, you now count as Large. If you lack the room to become Large, you attain the maximum possible size in the space available. • You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. • You deal one extra die of damage when you hit with a weapon or unarmed attack • You AC can’t be less than 16, regardless of what kind of armor you are wearing. These temporary hit points and benefits last until depleted, until you use a bonus action to end the
12 by hand. Once you use this property, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. LORE This tattoo was made and used by certain mountain dwelling dwarven clans. Besides being used as a offensive threat by elite warriors, it also served as a last resort for when their clanholds were attacked. In these desperate cases, an elite troop of dwarven warriors would use their tattoos in unison to cause a single large-scale landslide capable of devastating entire armies. The downside of this tactic is that it risked compromising the structural stability of the mountain, thus bringing them down along with their enemies. LANDSLIDE TATTOO Wondrous item (tattoo), rare (requires attunement) Produced by a special needle, this magic tattoo represents the unstoppable power of primordial earth. As an action, you can stomp on the ground and cause a landslide in a 60-foot cone originating from the ground underneath your foot. Each creature in the cone must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or take 5d10 bludgeoning damage and be buried in debris on a failed save, or take half as much damage and isn’t buried on a successful one. A creature buried in this way is blinded, restrained, unable to breathe and has total cover. Another creature adjacent to the space a creature is buried can try to free the buried creature as an action with a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. On a success, the buried creature escapes and exits prone in a space of its choice within 5 feet of the debris. Additionally, the ground in that area becomes difficult terrain until cleared away. Each 5-foot-square portion of the area requires at least 1 minute to clear
13 LORE This tattoo works by leaving a mark made of the tattoo bearer’s own blood on the target. By leaving a piece of themselves onto another creature, a magical bond is formed between them that can be used for tracking the creature’s location. It was originally developed by students of blood magic as a way to keep an eye on their business partners and make sure they wouldn’t turn the students in to the authorities for their often “unsavory” practices. BLEMISH TATTOO Wondrous item (tattoo), rare (requires attunement) Produced by a special needle, these magic tattoos are made to resemble blood running down the bearer’s arm. When you touch a creature, or hit one with an unarmed attack, you can choose to leave an arcane blemish upon its skin (requires no action). While the blemish remains, you always know the direction of the creature and approximate distance in relation to you as long as you are both on the same plane of existence. A blemish lasts until you dismiss it, or you apply a blemish to another creature. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
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