Magical Tattoos
Some tattoos are imbued with magic, imbuing the body of those that bear them with their magical effects and abilities. Such tattoos count as magic items that use unique rules. You cannot attune to more tattoos than you have space on your body. The amount of space a tattoo needs to occupy is determined by the rarity of the tattoo, as listed below.
| Limb | Points |
|---|---|
| Limb (arm, leg, etc) | 2 points |
| Head | 2 points |
| Chest | 4 points |
| Back | 4 points |
| Rarity | Points | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 1/2 point | Quarter of a limb |
| Uncommon | 1 point | Half a limb or the scalp |
| Rare | 2 points | One limb |
| Epic | 4 points | Two limbs, chest, or upper back |
| Legendary | 12 points | Two limbs and the torso |
The maximum tattoo space (for typical humanoids) is 18 points, though this may vary based on physical makeup and DM discretion.
Tattoo Attunement
A tattoo must be applied by someone proficient in painter's supplies or calligraphy supplies, over the course of a short or long rest. If a creature ends their attunement to the tattoo, or if they die, it is destroyed unless someone proficient in painter's supplies or calligraphy supplies removes and saves the ink with a Intelligence check made with their tool proficiency within 24 hours. The DC is set by the rarity of the item. All tattoos that require attunement count as a single attuned item, or two attuned items if at least half your body is covered in such tattoos.
Tattoo Options
There are several tattoo options that one can choose from that have been specifically designed as magical tattoos. However, in addition to baseline magical tattoos, the effects of certain magical items can be replicated with custom ink. If a magical item is being replicated as a magical tattoo, the rarity of the tattoo is one step higher than that of the item, and the cost to create such a tattoo reflects the new rarity.
Crafting a tattoo uses the same rules as can be seen under Crafting, though the crafting proficiencies required are either painter's supplies or calligraphy supplies.
