Re: (TFT) Magical Tattoos for TFT --> Rick's comments / suggestions.

[Rick Smith <rsmith@lightspeed.ca>]

Hi Erol,
  Nice rules.  I do have some questions / comments.

  It seems to me that these things would be popular with
stealth assassin types.  Perhaps we could add a couple
more tattoos...

IQ 12
TATTOO OF HASTE
  This tattoo gives the user +3 MA if they have no armor,
+2 MA if they are wearing cloth or leather, or only a
+1 MA if they have heavier armor.
  Cost is $2,500.

IQ 15
TATTOO OF STEALTH
  This tattoo gives the user built in camouflage and allows
them to move more quietly.  It also 'blurs' the scent trail
of people with this tattoo as if the person had moved over
the area a day or so earlier than they really did.  People 
trying to detect a figure with this enchantment must roll
an extra die to do so.
  Cost is $9,000.


  Another Tattoo:

IQ 21
TATTOO OF MAGNETISM:
  This there are two versions of this tattoo (a person could
get both paying double for the second).  It effectively 
gives the person Charisma talent.  If the character already 
has this talent it doubles the bonus.
  The tattoo of Magnetism must completely cover the users
face and makes them look both exotic and dangerous.
  The second version is identical but works for the Sex 
Appeal talent.
  Cost is $32,000


  I have found the easiest way for players to get way too
tough is to get a lot of armor.  I would say in my campaign
that for an armor tattoo to work it has to cover the area
being protected.  Using your rules, that would mean that 
area would have to be uncovered (no armor!) so it defacto
can not be stacked with armor.  Logically you could use a
shield with...  (Actually you did say that, was this the 
logic behind those rules?)


  A comment:

  It seems to me that the tattoos are pretty much a wash as
far as power goes except for the rule above.

  Yes you can't drop them or have them taken away from you,
but people can hack them off of you with called shots.  (Does
their hit do full damage as well as destroying the tattoo?)

  This advantage about balances the other.  But...

You wrote:
> Each Lesser Magical Tattoo counts as a single magic item 
> under the Rule of Five. It reduces the number of other 
> magic items (or equivalents) that the character can use 
> by one. It also increases the cost of any other magic 
> tattoos according to the usual doubling rule. For example, 
> if a character got three Magical Tattoos, the second one 
> would cost twice normal, and the third one would cost four 
> times normal. Furthermore, the character would only be able 
> to use two additional magic items, rather than the normal 
> five. 

  However, the rules quoted above means that if you use 
tattoos the maximum number of enchantments that people could
load themselves down with drops from 25 to 5 (if you want 5
tattoos).  

  I have a high power campaign where players typically end 
up with ~10 to 15 enchantments.  (Admittedly I have made a 
bunch of lower powered items so many of them are not as
tough as cannon.)  My players are enough of a bunch of power 
gamers that they would not be that tempted by your rules.

  On the gripping hand the tattoo's are cool.


  I would suggest that they should be beefed up a tad to 
make them a bit more attractive.


  Rick's new tattoo powers:

Any of the tattoos also give these powers...

SENSE MAGIC WITH TATTOO.  People (even non-wizards) can
feel changes in magical levels, rune lines and very 
powerful magical charges and auras if the tattoo comes
within 20 cm of the changing magic field.  The magical
enchantment in such intimate contact with the skin's 
nerves allows people to 'sense' such changes like a 
prickling of hairs.

EASY TO REPAIR (IF THE INK IS STILL THERE).  If a magical
tattoo is disenchanted some how, but the ink remains 
under the skin, the tattoo can be replaced for 1/4 the
original cost.  This must be an EXACT replacement of
the original enchantment, if there are any changes, the
modified tattoo costs full price.

TEMPERATURE INDIFFERENCE.  People who have these magical
tattoos gain 5 degrees (Celsius) temperature difference 
for each tattoo they gain.  (So if you have 3 tattoos,
you treat 5 degree temperatures as room temperature.) 
This works with both hot and cold environments.
  This helps people with much of their body uncovered but
for their tattoos to dispense with such unsightly things
as <shudder> clothes...
  There are rumors that some dwarven tattoos have been
created to greatly increase this power.  It allows the
wearers to work very near blast furnaces and the like.


  I will allow the players in my campaign to use your
rules.

  Very warm regards, Rick.

  
  
> Yes, the concept is cool, but the devil is in the details. I don't want to 
> make them so good that everyone gets them, but I also don't want to give them 
> such harsh drawbacks that a character would have to be stupid-crazy to bother 
> with them. I'm aiming for them to be common among unarmed combat specialists and 
> among those characters who consider it really really important to have a 
> magic item that's always with them, but rare in general. 
=====
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