Magical Tattoos and their destruction

[RecklessPrudence]

Hey, I've been looking at Magical Tattoos, and I've got a few questions about them.

So since Shadow Piercings exist, also act as an extra slot in a location, and have a 1.5x multiplier, rather than a 2x, I'm going to run it past my GM that we houserule in that the tattoos have the same multiplier. Shadow Piercings are from a book from 2014, while Magical Tattoos are from a book from 2011, so I think it's reasonable to say the dev team changed their minds about how to price (slot+1) as opposed to slotless.

But I've been wondering about tattoo's ability to be destroyed. If they're too easy to destroy when you are captured, that's a pain, since you can always raid the armoury for your items back, but once a tattoo is destroyed, it's gone forever. But if they're too hard to destroy, then they're a magical item that virtually can't be taken from you, and that's powerful, probably too powerful for a 1.5x multiplier.

What I was thinking of running past my GM was keep all the current rules, but change it so the acid/fire destruction method doesn't actually destroy the item, so much as semi-permanently suppress it. The scarring from the acid or the fire disrupts the ink that guides the magic, but the magic is still there. I was thinking of suggesting that a Restoration, Greater Restoration, Heal, Regeneration, or similar (not Lesser Restoration) could remove the scar and fix the disruption, and that the tattoo would reappear once the scar was gone?

Alternatively, the scar must be healed, and then the tattoo must be re-inked, for maybe 5% of the cost of the original tattoo, as the magic is still there, it just needs to be guided into the right channels again?

What do you guys think?

[graystone]

"Magical tattoos are difficult to destroy, though they count as magic items for the purposes of dispel magic. The spell erase can permanently destroy a magical tattoo, but the bearer of the tattoo can resist the spell with a Will save, in addition to the caster needing to make a successful caster level check to erase the tattoo. Physically removing a magical tattoo with a sharp instrument or defacing it with fire or acid can destroy it as well. Doing so is a full-round action that not only requires the target to be willing or helpless, but also provokes attacks of opportunity. At least 2 points of damage per caster level of the tattoo must be dealt to destroy a magical tattoo in this manner."

The main issue is erase as a single use can destroy the tattoo. The other methods require you to be "willing or helpless", so they aren't of much use unless you're captured. If this is a serious worry, take Shadow Piercings instead. The only differences are lower cost for items [shadow] at the cost of making rings [tattoo] and as the piercings are physical items, the issue with removal is solved.

As to destroyed items, there is already a spell for that: make whole. "Make whole can fix destroyed magic items (at 0 hit points or less), and restores the magic properties of the item if your caster level is at least twice that of the item."

[VRMH]

How often do you expect to:

• Be captured.
• Be disarmed.
• Be dis-tattooed, by people who apparently know about magical tattoos.
• Be able to escape.
• Be able to retrieve your previous belongings.
• And not be able to return to whoever inked you the first time, nor to any other magical tattoo parlor?

Just roll with it. It makes for a good roleplay opportunity to suffer the occasional loss anyway.

[Cevah]

BBEG's point of view:
Why use Erase when Transfer Tattoo exists?
While this targets a different save, there are ways to penalize any save. It also has spell resistance, but if the bearer is in captivity, you get to do this to the bearer as often as you want. Now you have the tattoo.

EDIT:
If you are worried about tattoos, get a Tattoo Guardian. It is a neat item, and could help prevent you from getting is such trouble.

/cevah

[graystone]

Cevah wrote:

BBEG's point of view:

Why use Erase when Transfer Tattoo exists?

That sounds like work. Why not just take off the whole limb...

[Cevah]

graystone wrote:

Cevah wrote:

BBEG's point of view:

Why use Erase when Transfer Tattoo exists?

That sounds like work. Why not just take off the whole limb...

If you transfer it, you get to use it. If you cut it off, no-one gets to use it.

/cevah

[graystone]

Cevah wrote:

graystone wrote:

Cevah wrote:

BBEG's point of view:

Why use Erase when Transfer Tattoo exists?

That sounds like work. Why not just take off the whole limb...

If you transfer it, you get to use it. If you cut it off, no-one gets to use it.

/cevah

Why can't you transfer it from the limb? You just have to make it an undead/Animated Object first. Or you can tape the limb on with as a Necrograft, Arm. ;)

Transfer Tattoo is nice, but it's a spell that's unlikely to be in anyone's active/ready spells.

[Cevah]

graystone wrote:

Transfer Tattoo is nice, but it's a spell that's unlikely to be in anyone's active/ready spells.

That's why prepared casters leave open slots. :-)

/cevah