Dormant Magic Tattoos

[Mack]

Had a random idea this morning...

One of the challenges of playing a Tattooed Man (or Undead Slayer, etc.) is that odds are slim that the character will be near Tattoo Master when he/she levels up. The character may have to wait a significant amount of time to get his/her new tattoo(s). So I had the thought that it would be nice if the character could pre-select the new tattoo(s) prior to leveling up. The result is what I call Dormant Magic Tattoos.

At his discretion, a Tattoo Master may choose to give a character a new tattoo prior to reaching his next metaphysical plane (i.e. next experience level). However, this new tattoo will remain in a state of incubation until the character reaches that new plane. It can not be activated, nor does it convey any bonuses to the character (no additional PPE or MDC).

Limitations:
- Must still wait six months between tattoos (same as normal).
- The process is just as painful as a normal magic tattoo.
- Only applies to the next immediate level of experience. A level 5 character can get his level 6 tattoo(s), but not level 7 and on.
- The Tattoo Master (i.e. the GM) may refuse to grant Dormant Tattoos.
- Once inked, a Dormant Tattoo may not be changed. It's just as permanent as a normal magic tattoo.

So when Joe-Bob the Undead Slayer finishes off that pesky Neuron Beast and reaches a new level, he immediately gets access to his new tattoos instead of having to wait days/weeks/months to find his clan's Tattoo Master. (Which is good, because that Neuron Beast had friends!)

[ShadowLogan]

That might work. I think though that to activate them at level up it shouldn't be automatic and the character should have to do some type of ritual/meditation like a Mystic does for the dormant tattoos to wake up.

[drewkitty ~..~]

What I thought, after reading this, was of a Carnie worker Tattooed Man/Woman, biker, or someone who like tattoos who…..

….has no memory of getting their tattoos and has no idea about what they are (sort of like in the TV show Blindspot) and slowly over time the tattoos unlock.

….didn't know the tattoo artist was a magic tattoo master and the T.M. was giving him/her magic tattoos when getting the tattoos.

2nd tier variable
….which tattoos that are active changes each time the char levels up. Sort of like the changing powers random mutation in the HU2 book. Whether the actual tats turn off/on or the magic migrates between tattoos is determined at char creation.

….which change with the seasons, zoidac, lunar cycle,…….

At the core of the concept is that the magic tattoos are hidden within normal tattoos. So that no-one will know which tattoos are magic tats and normal tats. Or if the char has more then the ones that are currently active.

If the person like piercings also maybe throw in some magic piercings. Or, 2nd tier variable, the magic resides in a piercing and it is the magic item that empowers the tattoos.

Yep, did a bit of barinstorming...

I think this would do better as a HU magic Power cat. then as a CC.

[Mack]

That might work. I think though that to activate them at level up it shouldn't be automatic and the character should have to do some type of ritual/meditation like a Mystic does for the dormant tattoos to wake up.

I like that suggestion. Maybe each tattoo requires an hour of meditation and a PPE expenditure to wake it up. I'm thinking 2 or 3 times the tattoo's normal PPE cost.

[Marcethus]

What I thought, after reading this, was of a Carnie worker Tattooed Man/Woman, biker, or someone who like tattoos who…..

….has no memory of getting their tattoos and has no idea about what they are (sort of like in the TV show Blindspot) and slowly over time the tattoos unlock.

….didn't know the tattoo artist was a magic tattoo master and the T.M. was giving him/her magic tattoos when getting the tattoos.

2nd tier variable
….which tattoos that are active changes each time the char levels up. Sort of like the changing powers random mutation in the HU2 book. Whether the actual tats turn off/on or the magic migrates between tattoos is determined at char creation.

….which change with the seasons, zoidac, lunar cycle,…….

At the core of the concept is that the magic tattoos are hidden within normal tattoos. So that no-one will know which tattoos are magic tats and normal tats. Or if the char has more then the ones that are currently active.

If the person like piercings also maybe throw in some magic piercings. Or, 2nd tier variable, the magic resides in a piercing and it is the magic item that empowers the tattoos.

Yep, did a bit of barinstorming...

I think this would do better as a HU magic Power cat. then as a CC.

This is an interesting Idea.

[eliakon]

Don't the books already suggest that if you are not going to have access you may start with a few extra Tattoos?
I don't recall there being a hard cap on Tattoos per level, basically just a 'suggested guidelines'. Since AFAIK you could, in theory put any number of tattoos on a low level T-Man.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Don't the books already suggest that if you are not going to have access you may start with a few extra Tattoos?
I don't recall there being a hard cap on Tattoos per level, basically just a 'suggested guidelines'. Since AFAIK you could, in theory put any number of tattoos on a low level T-Man.

There is a hard cap

The most tattoos any T-man, even a Maxi-man, can get at any one time is two (2). There must be at least six months between the acquisition of another pair of tattoos.

This basically means that a level 6 T-man, who starts at level 1, cannot have level 6 number of tattoos for a minimum of 3 in-game years, regardless of how fast he levels them, and that's assuming he is able to get them every 6 months on the die, and it didn't take him longer than 6 months to make the leap from one level to the next.

this is a pretty severe limit on the T-mans growth, as not many games I know of actualy span that kind of in-game time.

[eliakon]

Don't the books already suggest that if you are not going to have access you may start with a few extra Tattoos?
I don't recall there being a hard cap on Tattoos per level, basically just a 'suggested guidelines'. Since AFAIK you could, in theory put any number of tattoos on a low level T-Man.

There is a hard cap

The most tattoos any T-man, even a Maxi-man, can get at any one time is two (2). There must be at least six months between the acquisition of another pair of tattoos.

This basically means that a level 6 T-man, who starts at level 1, cannot have level 6 number of tattoos for a minimum of 3 in-game years, regardless of how fast he levels them, and that's assuming he is able to get them every 6 months on the die, and it didn't take him longer than 6 months to make the leap from one level to the next.

this is a pretty severe limit on the T-mans growth, as not many games I know of actualy span that kind of in-game time.

That doesn't affect the level though
Starting at level 1 you could have as many tattoos as the GM allows you to have yes?
And since the entire 'dormant tattoo' thing wouldn't change the time limit anyway...

[Nekira Sudacne]

Don't the books already suggest that if you are not going to have access you may start with a few extra Tattoos?
I don't recall there being a hard cap on Tattoos per level, basically just a 'suggested guidelines'. Since AFAIK you could, in theory put any number of tattoos on a low level T-Man.

There is a hard cap

The most tattoos any T-man, even a Maxi-man, can get at any one time is two (2). There must be at least six months between the acquisition of another pair of tattoos.

This basically means that a level 6 T-man, who starts at level 1, cannot have level 6 number of tattoos for a minimum of 3 in-game years, regardless of how fast he levels them, and that's assuming he is able to get them every 6 months on the die, and it didn't take him longer than 6 months to make the leap from one level to the next.

this is a pretty severe limit on the T-mans growth, as not many games I know of actualy span that kind of in-game time.

That doesn't affect the level though
Starting at level 1 you could have as many tattoos as the GM allows you to have yes?
And since the entire 'dormant tattoo' thing wouldn't change the time limit anyway...

No. the same book and page number (94) says no more than six bonus tattoos at level one or two.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Don't the books already suggest that if you are not going to have access you may start with a few extra Tattoos?
I don't recall there being a hard cap on Tattoos per level, basically just a 'suggested guidelines'. Since AFAIK you could, in theory put any number of tattoos on a low level T-Man.

While there is a hard cap on the number of Magic Tattoos a char can have….it is based on the 6 months between new tattoo pairs, not the char's level.

A TA will get their marks of heritage at the age of 5 or 6. So starting with an age of 6 by the age of 12 a char "could" have 24 tattoos. And by the age of 18 it Could Be as many as 48 tattoos.

So if the PCs are facing off a Undead Slater that is 32. That US could have as many as 104 tattoos.
…..Playing that out a 106 year old TA "could" have as many as 400 Tattoos. If you are only considering the time between tattoos.

[eliakon]

Don't the books already suggest that if you are not going to have access you may start with a few extra Tattoos?
I don't recall there being a hard cap on Tattoos per level, basically just a 'suggested guidelines'. Since AFAIK you could, in theory put any number of tattoos on a low level T-Man.

There is a hard cap

The most tattoos any T-man, even a Maxi-man, can get at any one time is two (2). There must be at least six months between the acquisition of another pair of tattoos.

This basically means that a level 6 T-man, who starts at level 1, cannot have level 6 number of tattoos for a minimum of 3 in-game years, regardless of how fast he levels them, and that's assuming he is able to get them every 6 months on the die, and it didn't take him longer than 6 months to make the leap from one level to the next.

this is a pretty severe limit on the T-mans growth, as not many games I know of actualy span that kind of in-game time.

That doesn't affect the level though
Starting at level 1 you could have as many tattoos as the GM allows you to have yes?
And since the entire 'dormant tattoo' thing wouldn't change the time limit anyway...

No. the same book and page number (94) says no more than six bonus tattoos at level one or two.

The text just says that runaways can have up to six extras as a perk, it doesn't say that it is a hard cap, just that you can get up to six extra's if your running away.
Just like they mention getting extra bionics and saying how many bionic systems you would get doesn't mean there is a limit on the number of bionics you can have...
...for a hard cap to actually exist it needs to actually be stated to exist, instead of being simply implied as existing from the fact that PCs may have a certain limit on how much power they may start with...
After all, we know that the rules for PCs are a lot harsher than the rules for everyone else *points to the vast number of races and classes that are not available to PCs and yet exist in the game*

[drewkitty ~..~]

Yes, the GM is told that they 'can' let a Player Character Splugorth t-man to start with 6 more tattoos then what is "typical", if the player character 'is' a runaway slave. It is pretty evident this was specifically said to GMs because the player character will not get anymore Tattoos from his/her former masters.

[Nekira Sudacne]

[quote="eliakon"][quote="Nekira Sudacne"][quote="eliakon"][quote="Nekira Sudacne"][quote="eliakon"]Don't the books already suggest that if you are not going to have access you may start with a few extra Tattoos?
I don't recall there being a hard cap on Tattoos per level, basically just a 'suggested guidelines'. Since AFAIK you could, in theory put any number of tattoos on a low level T-Man.[/quote]

There is a hard cap

[quote]The most tattoos any T-man, even a Maxi-man, can get at any one time is two (2). There must be at least six months between the acquisition of another pair of tattoos.[/quote]

This basically means that a level 6 T-man, who starts at level 1, cannot have level 6 number of tattoos for a minimum of 3 in-game years, regardless of how fast he levels them, and that's assuming he is able to get them every 6 months on the die, and it didn't take him longer than 6 months to make the leap from one level to the next.

this is a pretty severe limit on the T-mans growth, as not many games I know of actualy span that kind of in-game time.[/quote]
That doesn't affect the level though
Starting at level 1 you could have as many tattoos as the GM allows you to have yes?
And since the entire 'dormant tattoo' thing wouldn't change the time limit anyway...[/quote]


No. the same book and page number (94) says no more than six bonus tattoos at level one or two.[/quote]
The text just says that runaways can have up to six extras as a perk, it doesn't say that it is a hard cap, just that you can get up to six extra's if your running away.
Just like they mention getting extra bionics and saying how many bionic systems you would get doesn't mean there is a limit on the number of bionics you can have...
...for a hard cap to actually exist it needs to actually be stated to exist, instead of being simply implied as existing from the fact that PCs may have a certain limit on how much power they may start with...
After all, we know that the rules for PCs are a lot harsher than the rules for everyone else *points to the vast number of races and classes that are not available to PCs and yet exist in the game*[/quote]
Nothing says players can start with unlimited tattoos either. Yes, the GM can always make up a houserule that says that, but that is always true anyway, so not really relevant

[eliakon]

Nothing says players can start with unlimited tattoos either. Yes, the GM can always make up a houserule that says that, but that is always true anyway, so not really relevant

I am not saying that, what I am saying though is that there is not a mechanical limit to the number of Tattoos. Which is important.
I.e. there is a mechanical limit on how many Tattoos my wizard can have (6). There is a mechanical limit on how many Tattoos my 18 year old Atlantian can have (26-28), and there is a mechanical limit on how many Tattoos my Lizard Man can have (0). But as far as I can tell there isn't a mechanical limit on how many Tattoos you can have other than age (which, granted, is a pretty fair limiter in and of itself since the base 12 tattoos takes six years to apply right there, the added six bonus would be three more years and if your level two that could be two more... that's as many as ten years of tattooing before you even start!)

[Mack]

Eliakon, your math could be revised:

The number of tattoos any T-man, even a Maxi-man, can get at any one time is two (2). There must be six months between the acquisition of another pair of tattoos.

So a dozen tattoos could be acquired in as little as three years.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Eliakon, your math could be revised:

The number of tattoos any T-man, even a Maxi-man, can get at any one time is two (2). There must be six months between the acquisition of another pair of tattoos.

So a dozen tattoos could be acquired in as little as three years.

ERp>….. *goes back and corrects my math*

At a hundred and 6 years they can have 400 tattoos?????!!! BMOJ

[Mack]

And for what it's worth, given how the over passage is written I've always taken it that a T-man can only get a pair of simple/animal tattoos at one time. Any of the other three categories require six months by itself.

But I admit that's based on the context and I haven't seen it as a hard rule.

[Axelmania]

Both the Splugorth and True Atlanteans probably also have access to the astral plane... so that 6 month waiting period can be shrunk to 26 minutes.