Tattoo Magic
Tattoo magic involves the use of magical tattoos which provide their bearer with access to different supernatural powers. Each tattoo the character has is represented by a "tattoo schtick." Multiple schticks can be spent on some powers, which represent more complex and detailed tattoos.
Characters with magical tattoos activate their powers much in the way a Martial Artist activates Fu powers, except that they expend Magic points instead of Fu points. Like Fu points, magic points used to activate tattoo powers refresh at the beginning of each sequence. The character does not have to perform any special ritual to activate his tattoos; he must simply will them to activate and they do. Most tattoo powers activate instantly, and the duration of their effect is given with each individual description. Multiple schticks in one tattoo usually increase the cost by a like amount. When the cost of tattoo says "1 cumulative," that means that for every schtick the character has spent on this tattoo, 1 magic point must be spent when activating that tattoo. Thus, a character with three schticks in Dragonfire would have to spend 3 magic points every time they used the power of the tattoo.
Activating a tattoo requires a Sorcery task check, though success is
usually automatic barring any unusual circumstances or a botched roll.
Using the schticks in combat usually requires a Martial Arts task check,
as most of the schticks enhance the character’s combat capabilities, and
are not attacks in and of themselves. However, characters who use tattoo
magic in combat suffer (or benefit from) juncture modifers just as a sorcerer
or supernatural
creature would.
Learning new schticks 5 + X experience points per schtick, where X equals
the number of tattoo schticks the character will have after they acquire
the new one. Players may not buy any one schtick more than five times,
where multiple purchases of the schtick are allowed.
Note: Tattoo magic and the related
character template are almost entirely from David Eber's Warrior-Monks
of Shangri-La with minor changes.
Last update: 25 October
2001
Tattoos
Dragon Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulative.This tattoo allows the character to breathe fire. Treat this as the fire effect of the Sorcery Blast Schtick. Damage, however, is always based on the character’s regular Magic rating +2, not his current rating. Attacks with this schtick are made using the Sorcery skill. Each schtick spent on this power above the first adds an additional +2 to the damage dealt.
Stone Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulativeThis tattoo temporarily hardens the character’s skin, making her more resistant to damage. Each schtick spent on this power provides one point of Toughness which lasts for the duration of the sequence.
Wind Tattoo
Cost: 1Each schtick spent on this power allows the character to add their Move score again when leaping horizontally or vertically. Thus, a character with one schtick in this power could leap up to twice their Move rating, with two schticks they could leap up to three times their rating, and so on.
Hare Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulativeEach schtick spent on this power allows the character to add their Move score again when running. Thus a character with one schtick in this power could run at a rate equal to twice their Move rating, and so on. Once activated, this power remains active for the remainder of the sequence.
Cobra Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulativeThis tattoo temporarily increases the character’s reaction time. This tattoo must be activated when the character is rolling for initiative. For each schtick spent on this power the character gains a +1 bonus to initiative for that sequence.
Hummingbird Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulativeThis tattoo temporarily increases the speed of a character’s action. When the character activates this tattoo, the shot cost of her current action is
reduced by one for each schtick spent on this power. For example, a character who uses this action while making a martial arts attack would reduce the
duration of that action from three to two shots. No action can be reduced down to less than one shot (i.e., you can’t perform two actions on the same
shot with this power). This tattoo must be activated as the action being reduced is initiated.
Owl Tattoo
Cost: 1This tattoo allows the character to see normally even in complete darkness. This effect lasts for the duration of the sequence.
Carp Tattoo
Cost: 1This tattoo allows the character to breath normally underwater. This effect lasts for the duration of the sequence.
Lion Tattoo
Cost: 2This tattoo allows the character to make a tremendous roar once per sequence that disorients all those in a radius in meters equal to the character’s Sorcery skill level. When you use this power make a Sorcery task check with your victim’s CON as the difficulty. Success means that your victim suffers -2 impairment for a number of shots equal to the outcome. You must test individually for each character, including allies who are in the area of effect.
Gorilla Tattoo
Cost: 3This tattoo gives the character a surge of strength, adding +4 to the damage of any one Martial Arts attack you make. This tattoo must be activated
before the character makes his Martial Arts attack roll.
Elephant Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulativeThe character’s strength is increased by +1 for each schtick they have purchased in this tattoo for the duration of the sequence.
Tempest Tattoo
Cost: 3This tattoo allows the character to exhale a great torrent of wind once per sequence, knocking aside those in front of him up to a distance in meters equal to his Sorcery skill rating. When you use this power make a Sorcery Skill Task Check with your opponent’s STR as the difficulty. Success means the character is knocked backwards a number of meters equal to the Outcome, and then must spend half that many shots (rounded down) getting back up again.
Bane against . . .
Cost: 2This character inflicts +4 damage when making Martial Arts attacks against any one type of creature specified by the tattoo for the duration of the sequence. You may not spend more than two schticks on this power during character creation. Possible subjects include: demons, transformed animals, and the undead.
Ward against . . .
Cost: 2This tattoo affords the character temporary immunity against one source of damage for the duration of the sequence in which it is activated. Use the Damage Immunities listed in the Creature Power section of the rules. The exceptions listed apply here as well. You may not spend more than two schticks on this power during character creation.
Obsidian Ward
Cost: 2When activated, this tattoo increases the character’s resistance to magic for the duration of the sequence. All spells directed at him or which include him in their area of effect have their difficulty increased by +2.
Jade Ward
Cost: 2When activated, this tattoo increases the character’s resistance to Shadowlands effects or maho magic for the duration of the sequence. All relevant spells, creatures powers, and magical effects directed at him or which include him in their area of effect have their difficulty increased by +2.
Quiet Lake Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulative.This tattoo allows the character to rapidly close up wounds and heal injuries instantaneously. For each schtick spent on this power, the character may instantly remove up to 3 points of damage on himself. However, healing in this manner requires a tremendous amount of energy. Thus, magic points spent on this schtick recover at the rate of 1 point per hour, instead of all at the end of the sequence.
Waterfall Tattoo
Cost: 1 per sequence cumulative.This tattoo magically speeds up the body’s healing abilities, causing the character to automatically recover 2 points of damage per schtick spent on this power at the end of each sequence. The points must be spent at the beginning of each sequence in order to maintain this power.
Mountain Tattoo
Cost: 1 cumulative.This tattoo suffuses the character with magical fortitude, allowing him to keep fighting long after he should have died. Each schtick spent on this power gives the character a +3 bonus when making death checks. Magic points are spent automatically when the character has to make the check, and if the character has already spent his points for that sequence then the tattoo will not activate.
Chameleon Tattoo
Cost: 1 per schtickThis tattoo changes the color of the character’s skin, allowing him to blend in with his surroundings to the point where he virtually invisible. Each schtick spent on this power adds +2 to the character’s Intrusion skill for the duration of the sequence when he is hiding or attempting to move without being seen. The character may expend points automatically at the start of each sequence to maintain the tattoo’s effects. Of course, the effectiveness of this tattoo has a lot to do with the character’s surroundings - it won’t help much in a bare, well lit room. No more than three schticks can be spent on this tattoo.
Sigil of Fate Reversed
Cost: 5This powerful tattoo dramatically alters the flow of chi around the character, changing bad luck into good fortune. The player may use the power of this tattoo to reverse any one action roll - that is, make the negative die positive and the positive die negative - after the roll has been made. The character does not activate this tattoo; it takes effect when it is needed (as dictated by the player).
Sigil of Destiny Altered
Cost: 4This powerful tattoo warps the probability lines around the character, slightly changing the outcome of one small action, and thus the character’s destiny itself. The player may use the power of this tattoo to re-roll any one action he has just made. The results of the second roll must be kept - this tattoo cannot be used a second time on the same action. Like the previous tattoo, the character does not activate this tattoo; it takes effect when it is needed (as dictated by the player).
Mark of Good Fortune
Cost: 2This powerful tattoo acts as a focal point for positive chi, drawing good luck toward the character. The player may use the power of this tattoo to gain an extra Fortune point for each schtick spent on this power. These points may only be used to add to action rolls - they do not actually raise the character’s Fortune score - and they must be spent immediately. The character may gain a Fortune point as many times during a sequence as he has schticks in this tattoo, but he must pay for each one seperately. Furthermore, this tattoo places a tremendous strain on the chi of the warrior. Each time this tattoo is used, the character will regain one less magic point at the start of the next sequence (this is a one time penalty for each use, not a cumulative or continuous loss). Points lost this way are restored at the rate of one per hour. Like the previous tattoo, the character does not activate this tattoo; it takes effect when it is needed (as dictated by the player).
Hida Tattoo (Mark of the Berserker)
Cost: 5When the bearer of this tattoo summons it’s power he becomes gripped by a ferocious battle rage which makes him into a virtually unstoppable killing machine. While under the effects of this tattoo, the character’s STR and SPD scores are raised by 2, he becomes immune to the effects of the Influence schtick (except Illusions), Death Checks are made as if the character’s CON were doubled, and he suffers no penalties for impairment. The effects of this tattoo last for the duration of the battle, and can only be activated during combat. Although the character can distinguish friend from foe, he will have a hard time restraining himself in combat from attacking allies or non-combatants if they get in his way (a WIL roll would be required, with the difficulty set by the GM). Once the battle ends the tattoo’s effects wear off, at which point the character’s SPD and CON drop by 2 (below the character’s normal scores) for a number of hours equal to the number of sequences the character spent in the berserk state. Any impairment suffered takes effect, and if the character suffered 35 wound points or more in the battle they must immediately make a death check treating their CON were halved (rounding up). No other tattoos may be used while this Tattoo is in effect except for Sigil of Fate Reversed, Sigil of Destiny Altered, Mark of Good Fortune, Mountain Tattoo, and any Banes and Wards.
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