Scroll tattoos or tagging yourself magically

[gnomewizard]

Could I scribe a scroll onto my arm. I am not referring to Tattoo Magic persay, but I am suggesting scribing them directly onto your skin. I could just imagine my wizard who is constantly in the library in whatever town he is in trying to get new spells. Coming out covered in ink and having run out of parchment writing on his skin. Some toughs show up and he goes to town reading the spells right off his forearm or palm or back of his hand as long as the cute librarians phone number isn't there...So thoughts? Personally I think it is genious Scrolls get used up once they are read, and it doesn't sya you can't just says it has to be fresh and unused so how many places could you fit a scroll on your body?

[Dolanar]

Pathfinder SRD wrote:

To create a scroll, a character needs a supply of choice writing materials, the cost of which is subsumed in the cost for scribing the scroll: 12.5 gp × the level of the spell × the level of the caster.

All writing implements and materials used to scribe a scroll must be fresh and unused. A character must pay the full cost for scribing each spell scroll no matter how many times she previously has scribed the same spell.

The creator must have prepared the spell to be scribed (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any material component or focus the spell requires. A material component is consumed when she begins writing, but a focus is not. (A focus used in scribing a scroll can be reused.) The act of writing triggers the prepared spell, making it unavailable for casting until the character has rested and regained spells. (That is, that spell slot is expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if it had been cast.)

I would say in this case your skin is not "Choice Material" & you'd need to have the spell handy & add the +5 to the DC for not having it prepared yourself. But in my interpretation, no, your skin is not "choice" enough to consider writing a spell on.

[Lurk3r]

Parchment is essentially skin, taken from cows or sheep or such- flayed off, de-haired, stretched, and left to dry. If you feel like putting your skin through that process...

The real question is why you should even want a scroll written on your skin. I doubt the cost of paper in Golarion is a major factor in the cost of scribing.

[gran rey de los mono]

I don't think it is allowed by the rules. However, if you are allowed access to 3.5 material, check the Expanded Psionics Handbook. There is a feat and rules for psionic tattoos. You could easily change it to magical tattoos and get basically what you are looking for.

[Dolanar]

I understand the concept of Parchment, but that is prepared, he is talking about the idea of forgoing any paper/parchment & just using his body as the scribed scroll, no treatment of the skin just quill to skin & scribing the spell as per the feat. This I believe would interact the "Choice Materials" line as unprepared skin would not be the best material to use.

[Drejk]

gnomewizard wrote:

Could I scribe a scroll onto my arm. I am not referring to Tattoo Magic persay, but I am suggesting scribing them directly onto your skin. I could just imagine my wizard who is constantly in the library in whatever town he is in trying to get new spells. Coming out covered in ink and having run out of parchment writing on his skin. Some toughs show up and he goes to town reading the spells right off his forearm or palm or back of his hand as long as the cute librarians phone number isn't there...So thoughts? Personally I think it is genious Scrolls get used up once they are read, and it doesn't sya you can't just says it has to be fresh and unused so how many places could you fit a scroll on your body?

I wouldn't have problems with this as a GM. You would suffer from a bit itchy skin and continous use of this trick would make you a minor skin problems (but not serious enough to warrant penalties) and it would mark you as wizard to anyone capable of recognizing magical writing.

As a side note: I played a warrior-mage who was sailor and had his most important spells tattooed on his skin in case of lost spellbook.

[Khuldar]

In Complete Arcane in 3.5 there were rules for tattoing yourself as a spellbook.

For scrolls I would charge an extra 50% for being slotless. It can't be taken away, so you could have a Knock scroll on you in case you get stuck in jail. Or a Teleport or Instant Summons (your spellbook) at higher levels. Also, depending how you rule it, it might always be readied. If it's on your back, you are going to need a mirror and some time to cast it, but on your forearm? If it's always ready to be cast without spending a move action to pull out the scroll, you should pay a little more for that.

I like the concept, I like the flavor and image, but there are enough mechanical benefits that I think there needs to be an upcharge.

[Firest]

There's a PrC in the old Complete Mage book that allows this. Blood Mage I think.

[gnomewizard]

I was not even necessarily saying making the writing a tattoo I was just saying i could see my gnome mage going shirtless to write just one more spell down. If anything rain could ruin it.

Thanks for some of the resources in 3.5.
I was not wanting Psionics I actually dislike Psionics greatly it does not seem Fantasy enough for me.

So I would like to hear from some more DMs on this.
Gnomewizard is at the scriptorium runs out of paper, and then starts writing on himself with the closest thing he has to a Sharpie. Could he cast from it? And what are the penalties?(itchy, stained skin) Would it disappear after reading? Could he just do it for fun...:)

[Spes Magna Mark]

As long as it was understood that the different medium (skin vs. paper, for example) doesn't affect any of the game mechanics about how the scroll is used or its creation costs, I'd allow this in any game I ran. In my current campaign, I've done something similiar with an NPC tattoo artist who inks potions on people.

[Turin the Mad]

gnomewizard wrote:

I was not even necessarily saying making the writing a tattoo I was just saying i could see my gnome mage going shirtless to write just one more spell down. If anything rain could ruin it.

Thanks for some of the resources in 3.5.
I was not wanting Psionics I actually dislike Psionics greatly it does not seem Fantasy enough for me.

So I would like to hear from some more DMs on this.
Gnomewizard is at the scriptorium runs out of paper, and then starts writing on himself with the closest thing he has to a Sharpie. Could he cast from it? And what are the penalties?(itchy, stained skin) Would it disappear after reading? Could he just do it for fun...:)

They're not saying to use psionics - they're saying to steal the psionic tattoo item creation feat and "re-skin" it for a magical version.

[Dolanar]

I was a giving a RAW interpretation of the feat, as for whether I'd allow it...if they did it as a legit scroll...perhaps, random scribblings with no cost expenditures...not a chance in the 9 hells or the Abyss.

[Turin the Mad]

Dolanar wrote:

I was a giving a RAW interpretation of the feat, as for whether I'd allow it...if they did it as a legit scroll...perhaps, random scribblings with no cost expenditures...not a chance in the 9 hells or the Abyss.

Ah - yeah, just take it as a variant of a scroll, substituting "tattooing" for "writing" and adding a strict limitation of 2 spells per creature (1 on each forearm, limited to two).