GUIDE to TATTOOS in 5E

A guide to Tattoos both magical and mundane for the world's greatest roleplaying game

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# Contents

- ### [1How Do You Tattoo](#p3) - #### [1Tattooist's Tools](#p3) - #### [1Tattoo Application](#p3) - [1Size](#p3) - [1Intricacy](#p3) - [1How Long Will It Take?](#p3) - [1Sessions](#p3) - [1Efficiency & Complications](#p3) - [1Quality](#p3) - ### [2Tools of the Trade](#p4) - #### [2Available Equipment](#p4) - #### [2Ink](#p4) - #### [2Making Your Own](#p4) - ### [3Magical Tattoos](#p5) - #### [3Attunement](#p5) - #### [3A True Work of Art](#p5) - #### [3Crafting a Magical Stylus](#p5) - #### [3Rarity and Size](#p5)

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- ### [4Magical Items](#p6) - [4Gnomish Inking Apparatus](#p6) - [4Gravesealer Tattoo](#p6) - [4Greater Blade Pact Tattoo](#p6) - [4Life Bond Tattoo](#p6) - [4Mark of Elvenkind Tattoo](#p6) - [4Shapechanger Tattoo](#p6) - [4Shielding Tattoo](#p6) - [4Syndetic Tattoo](#p6) - [4Tiny Dancer Tattoo](#p6)

#### Extras **Created by [/u/OrbitalBliss](https://www.reddit.com/user/OrbitalBliss/).** You can find my other Homebrewery works [here.](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/user/OrbitalBliss) **Current Version:** v1.0 (2021) All art used only with permission. **Art Credits:** Cover - [RinRinDaishi](https://www.deviantart.com/rinrindaishi) Below - [MichaelWang](https://www.instagram.com/mikaelwang/) Pg3 - [Broutefoin](https://www.reddit.com/user/broutefoin) Pg4 - [BryanSyme](https://www.artstation.com/bryansyme) Pg5 - [Styxxsardonyx](https://www.instagram.com/styxxsardonyxart/) Pg6 - [MateuszKolek](https://mateuszkolek.com/)

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A Simplified Guide to Tattoos in 5e D&D

Tattoos, both magical and mundane, have been a part of D&D for many years though there have been little to no actual rules for them. Several 3rd party guides have been written and many have been modifications of guides that came before them. This guide is no different. The aim here is to provide simple and streamlined rules for tattoos avoiding much of the fluff and flavour, such as cultures and history, leaving all that up to your own world setting. Here are the simplified 5e-esque rules for incorporating tattoos into your game quickly and easily. An attempt has been made to work these rules seamlessly into the rules finally provided within Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything regarding Magical Tattoos. Even though the provided rules are meager we can respect them.

## How Do You Tattoo So, let's first cover non-magical Tattoos as many magical tattoos start out this way as well. Tasha's Cauldron includes other artistic body modifications in its rules, so we will too. For these purposes we are referring to tattoos as well as scarifications, branding, patterns, or almost any permanent cosmetic alteration. For non-tattoo versions, just observe similar costs, medical, and canvas requirements. ### Tattooist's Tools Anyone could give a tattoo, but not in an appealing or safe way. In order to create a tattoo one must have proficiency with *Tattooist's Tools*, which is a type of *Artisan's Tools*. These can be selected by anyone who can choose an *Artisan Tool*, and some appropriate backgrounds (ie. Sailor) might be allowed to take it in lieu of something else. ``` ``` ### Tattoo Application The skill of the artist can have an effect on the time it takes to apply the tattoo, as well as mitigate complications. While choices of size and intricacy of the tattoo are often freely made, they also affect the application time. Magical tattoos have a recommended minimum size (covered later). ##### Size Your choices for size are Small, Medium, and Large. Small is anything up to a hand or a foot, up to half a limb or a shoulder, half the scalp, or a quarter of a chest or back. Medium is effectively the size of two Small ones (a limb, the shoulders, half a chest). Large is the size of two Medium, an entire front or back torso for example. ##### Intricacy Choose how intricate and detailed you'd like the tattoo to be. Your choices are Simple, Average, and Ornate. ##### How Long Will It Take? A Medium sized tattoo of Average intricacy will take 2d6+3 hours, or 2d6+5 hours if the tattoo includes colours. If the tattoo is Small or Simple, half that time for each. For Large or Ornate tattoos, double that time for each. ##### Sessions It may take multiple sessions to complete the time required. A typical session lasts 4 to 6 hours. To endure each hour after the first 6, both the recipient and artist must make a Constitution Save (DC6 + hours so far). There is also healing time between sessions of 14 days at the absolute minimum. Though, some work could be done on another tattoo, on the same or another recipient. Magical healing can reduce this time by one day per point of healing. ##### Efficiency & Complications At the end of each session, the artist must make a Wisdom ability check, with proficiency for the Tattooist Tools, and with advantage if you have an assistant. If the result is below 10, the recipient must make a Constitution Save DC10 or gain an infection/disease. Double the requisite healing time between sessions as well. If the session was at least 4 hours long, for every 5 points the result is greater than 10 you can add another hour to the amount of time covered for the tattoo. ##### Quality A proficient Tattooist won't make a *bad* tattoo, unless applying it on horseback, but the check might reflect some particularly beautiful artwork if the result is quite high (20+).

\page ## Tools of the Trade A tattoo artist is first and foremost an artist. That they use flesh as a canvas is just a specialization. Much of the equipment they will use is common amongst artists. ### Available Equipment Most of these supplies will be readily available in any decent sized town, though some items may take some searching.

***Tattooist’s Tools***: This sturdy leather case contains a selection of needles, taps and rakes, simple medical supplies needed to care for the recipient properly, and everything needed for cleaning and sterilizing equipment. It also comes with everything to blend and prepare pigments and ink. Though it does not come with ink, its weight accounts for the inks you may have acquired, which are sold separately.

***Medical Supplies***: This is to replace the supplies in the Tattooist's tools once they eventually run out.

***Sketchbook***: A book suitable for any artist to sketch design ideas with 50 blank paper pages. This is not of the quality needed to function as a spellbook.

***Temporary Tattoo Powder***: This powder is mixed into a paste and applied to the surface of the skin. It will dry into a crust which should not be removed for at least 6 to 8 hours, leaving a temporary tattoo which can last a week or two.

### Ink The inks sold for tattoos are actually the inks, bases, and pigments needed by the artist to create what they need. A 1oz bottle of Ink will generally provide for a Medium sized tattoo with a little to spare. Some colours are harder to find or may require more ink in use.

***Black Ink***: This is the standard ink used and is not so dissimilar to regular black ink, though it is generally kept more sterile and cleanly. More than enough here for a medium sized tattoo, or a couple small ones.

***Coloured Ink***: Some colours are more common than others but this is usually reflected in availablity more than cost. Enough for a medium sized tattoo unless there is much shading and filling involved.

***Magical ink***: There are any number of magical inks that may be available for tattooing. The possibilities are endless, but all of them are nothing more than cosmetic in nature. One ink may be of all the colours of the rainbow shifting continuously. Another might look like fire, or ice, or a storm. They might look like twinkling stars, or glow of moonlight. Maybe they look like solid silver or gold, or change colour with your mood. The ink could animate the art slightly, perhaps making the eyes follow you or a bird flap its wings. How much these inks would cost and their availability might vary widely. Some of these may not be available at all, and those that are may cost several times this amount. Simply using magical ink does not make it a magical tattoo. That is a much more involved process.

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| Item | Cost | Weight | |:---|:---:|:---:| | Tattooist's tools | 30 gp | 6 lb | | Medical supplies | 4 gp | - | | Sketchbook | 20 gp | 2 lb | | Ink pen | 2 cp | - | | Temporary tattoo powder | 5 gp | - || | Black ink (1 ounce bottle) | 10 gp | - | | Coloured ink (1 ounce bottle) | 15 gp | - | | Magical ink (1 ounce bottle) | ~100 gp | - | | Ink base (1 ounce bottle) | 1 sp | - | | Stylus (empty) | 25 gp | - |

### Making Your Own The Tattooist's tools contain everything they need to handle and use their inks, but also everything they need for mixing and preparing their own pigments into ink for use in their art.

***Ink Base***: This is the carrier used to produce your own ink. Pigments of all kinds can be gathered from plants and animals. Perhaps some Nature checks to gather these materials, and proficiency with a Herbalism Kit could help.

***Stylus (empty)***: This is a specially crafted needle used in the creation of magical tattoos.

\page ## Magical Tattoos Sometimes tattoos are more than just for show. As with any other magical item, tattoos can be infused with magics to generate all sorts of effects. They are at advantage because they cannot be stolen or disarmed, and destroying them generally means destroying the wearer. The tattoo will continue to function even if the body is damaged or defaced. They also have some down sides. You can't easily share the item with a friend, and magical tattoos almost always require attunement. So you are limited in not only the number of magical tattoos you can have, but other magic items as well. ### Attunement A magical tattoo, once created, is a specific kind of wondrous item which exists in a special magical needle we call a stylus. You must apply the tattoo to attune to the item. You apply the tattoo by spending a short rest holding the stylus to your skin where you want the tattoo to appear. When complete the stylus turns into the ink that becomes the tattoo which appears on the skin and to which you are now attuned. If your attunement to the tattoo ends, the tattoo vanishes, and the stylus reappears beside you. ``` ```

### A True Work of Art What the tattoo looks like once applied depends on how it was created in the first place. The creator has a choice while crafting the magical stylus. The final product will contain the true art of a tattooist, or be customizable when the wearer attunes to the item. The crafter can spend extra time and money on magical inks and materials to allow for the tattoo's appearance to be customizable whenever it is applied. This will result in an increase to the magical tattoo's cost of 20% or more, but no tattoo artist is required for the creation of such an item. Alternatively, if a tattoo is properly crafted by a trained tattooist it can be drawn into the finally prepared stylus and will maintain the appearance created by the artist whenever applied. This is less expensive with no extra time and materials required. Once a physical tattoo is drawn into a stylus it is forever set as that magical tattoos appearance. Some feel this method yields a nicer result artistically. The original tattoo could be created on and be drawn out of a living subject, or another suitable medium such as a hide. In fact, some sellers of magical tattoos may have a selection of tattoos on hides so that the buyer has a choice of what their tattoo will look like. It is not common that the magic item crafter is also the skilled tattooist, but it has happened. ### Crafting a Magical Stylus A magical tattoo is not so different from any other magical wondrous item. The same people who make magical items, can craft a magical tattoo. All the normal costs of creating the magical item apply, and the result will be a properly enchanted stylus. Talk to your DM about which magic item creation rules you are using. There are different rules in the DMG then what is presented in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, or they may be using an entirely different set of item creation rules. ### Rarity and Size Different magical items come in different rarities, and how this plays out with magical tattoos is in determining how much space the tattoo typically takes up on the body. There may be exceptions, but generally at common and uncommon rarity a magical tattoo is Small. Rare magical tattoos are Medium sized. Very rare magical tattoos are Large size, while Legendary ones are *at least* Large maybe larger.

\page ## Magical Items Here are some magical items, mostly tattoos, to work with, but you should be creative and work with your DM to come up with tattoos you'll like. Tasha's Cauldron of Everything has official releases which can also serve as inspiration. #### Gnomish Inking Apparatus

*Wondrous item, uncommon*

This set of Tattooist's Tools causes your hands to shake vigorously yet with precision. Your proficiency bonus is doubled using these tools, your own Constitution saves for long tattoo sessions always succeed, and bonus hours of work gained from your Wisdom ability check are doubled. #### Gravesealer Tattoo

*Wondrous item (tattoo), very-rare (requires attunement)*

**Zombie Bane.** Your unarmed strikes deal an extra 1d4 radiant damage on a hit to undead creatures. **Lich's Bane.** When you hit any creature that has a phylactery with an unarmed strike they must make a Wisdom Save DC 16 or be destroyed. Once restored by their phylactery, the phylactery is also destroyed freeing all souls within it. #### Greater Blade Pact Tattoo

*Wondrous item (tattoo), rare (requires attunement by a warlock with the pact of the blade feature)*

**Beyond Limits.** Your Pact of the Blade feature can now affect an artifact or a sentient weapon. #### Life Bond Tattoo