Permanent magic tattoos

Oryan77

Adventurer
Why is the Monk Tattoo the only magic tattoo that doesn't vanish? There's several other magic tattoo spells & feats that are 1 use only, but why aren't there more permanent versions?

I'd like to use permanent tattoos in my game that give an inherent bonus of +2 or +4 to abilitiy scores taking up no item slots. Is it fair to assume the cost of something like this would be the same as a tome? So 55,000gp for +2 and 110,000gp for +4?

What about permanent tattoos like these type of tattoos, how much would these cost:

+1 melee OR ranged

Prepare 1 extra 1st & 2nd lvl spells

+1 AC, +1 BAB, & +3 extra hit points

+2 natural armor
 

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I think your initial assessment of cost is way too pricey.

The DMG lists how to determine price of an item. If you want the bonus of a stat boost item it generally costs bonus^2X1000 IIRC. In general to add the ability of an item to not take up an item slot doubles the cost, i.e. bonus^2x1000x2.

Almost all of your other items have a wondrous item precedent: bonus 1st and 2nd level spell - ioun stone (this also doesn't take up an item slot so I'd probably just use the cost of the ioun stone), +2 NA - amulet of NA +2 (double cost for no item slot).

A general +1 to melee or ranged attacks is a phenominal bonus because it is unnamed. Check gloves (bracers) of archery and see if that bonus is named - I want to say it is not. You can use that as a gauge. I think the ioun stone that gives a bonus to attacks may also be unnamed. However, if they are named, they are probably insight bonuses or some such because of the rarity of that type of bonus. The easiest thing is to name the type of bonus to attack and then follow the rules above.

The +1 unnamed bonus is similar to the defending property. Because you don't have to be holding a weapon for it to work you might just double the cost of a +1 defending magical weapon (not including the price for the actual weapon).

The +3 HP's is tricky. It is not nearly as good as even a +2 to Con unless you are less than 3rd level, and even then it is still not as good a benefit. I'd say this should cost somewhere between 1000 gp and 2000 gp

The BAB is going to be the most expensive. Not only is this a flat bonus to hit but actually increases your BAB meaning it can artifically increase number of attacks as well. I would price it as two separate benefits: an unnamed bonus to attack and an extra attack. So figure out what the cost of a flat +1 to your attack bonus costs than double that (since you are having two abilities in one) and figure out the cost to get a bonus attack - you could use a weapon of speed for this. I'd use the bonus attack as a precedent even though it wouldn't always grant you an artificial extra attack because if it does it stacks with other things that grant extra attacks, like haste and speed weapons. I am thinking you are probably looking at 80,000 gp or something like, perhaps even more.

ny of your other items with a
 

Well the reason the ability boosting items cost so much is because they are permanent and don't take up item slots (you can never lose it unless your flesh is ripped away, unlike a cloak of Dex, if you take off the cloak you lose the Dex bonus). Check out the tomes in the DMG under wonderous items...that's what I'm basing the prices from.
 



Just price them as unslotted magic items (effectively doubles the price). Then you need to decide if you want the players to use Craft Wondrous Items, or a new feat: Craft Magical Tattoo.
 

I am currently working on a Scarred Lands Campaign,

In the Scarred Lands, magical tattoos are used quite a bit. I am not sure what the pricing is, as much of the Scarred Lands is 3.0 and I haven't converted it to 3.5 yet. I will have more up to date info when I finally get my Relics and Rituals I and II books in next week.
 

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