The Tattoo Artist (5e Subclass)
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The Tattoo Artist
Artificer Subclass
An Artificer, one which specializes on honing their craft surrounding the creation of tattoos, a great artwork which may be placed on their own bodies, or another. These artworks are able to be non-magical though for the most part are magical, which grant abilities to assist that which it has been given to in many ways, from wings to fly with, to tattoos which store great spell power. This Artificer usually prides themselves on this great work of art, and are often praised for their good work... In fact, the Magical Tattoo Industry is often cut-throat due to the competition between these artworks.
Artificers Expanded Spell List
You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in this Tattoo Artist Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, and don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
| Artificer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Shield, Mage Armor |
| 5th | Barkskin, Mirror Image |
| 9th | Haste, Counterspell |
| 13th | Resilient Sphere, Death Ward |
| 17th | Holy Weapon, Telepathic Bond |
Tattoo Creation
You have learned how to create Tattoo's which are powerful and masterful in how they work. These tattoo's may be attuned to yourself or other creatures. At 3rd Level, you gain proficiency with Painter's Supplies, and you may choose 2 Tattoos from the Tattoo List that you meet the prerequisites for, which you may attune to and create. You learn an additional tattoo at 5th, 9th, and 15th leveland whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace one of the tattoos you learned with a new one. You can spend 1 hour to create a magic tattoo you know a number of times a day equal to your Proficiency Bonus, for the cost of 25 GP each (This may be substituted for 25 GP worth of Ink). A Tattoo is able to be deconstructed through a process that takes an hour and gives you Half the amount of Ink that you spent to make the Tattoo (A Tattoo must be un-attuned to in order to be destroyed).
Tattoo Attunement. To attune to this item, you hold the needle to your skin where you want the tattoo to appear, pressing the needle there throughout the attunement process. When the attunement is complete, the needle turns into the ink that becomes the tattoo, which appears on the skin. If your attunement to the tattoo ends, the tattoo vanishes, and the needle reappears in your space.
If an effect of one of your tattoos requires a DC, it is equal to your spellcasting DC.
Magic Tattoo Coverage
The rarer a magic tattoo is, the more space it tends to occupy on a creature's skin. The Magic Tattoo Coverage table offers guidelines for how large a given tattoo is.
| Tattoo Rarity | Area Covered |
|---|---|
| Common | One hand or foot or a quarter of a limb |
| Uncommon | Half a limb or the scalp |
| Rare | One limb |
| Very Rare | Two limbs or the chest or upper back |
| Legendary | Two limbs and the torso |
Tattoo List
Book
This tattoo depicts a large open book sitting atop an ornate podium. This tattoo is uncommon.
On its pages are the details of the spell that has been stored inside of it. Before use of this tattoo, the words burn brightly with a golden glow. This tattoo is a rare tattoo.
On creation of this tattoo, the creator chooses one 3rd-Level or lower Artificer spell that he have prepared. While a creature is attuned to this tattoo, Once per long rest, you can cast the chosen spell without using any verbal or somatic components.
Hawk
This tattoo depicts a hawk spreading its wings out wide, head turned so it is staring outwards. This tattoo is very rare.
While a creature is attuned to this tattoo, it gains proficiency in Wisdom (Perception) checks. As a bonus action, the wearer of the Hawk tattoo grows a pair of wings, sprouting from its back, giving it a flying speed of 30ft for 10 minutes. This effect can only be used once per long rest.
Infusion
This tattoo depicts an image of the chosen infusion. This is an rare tattoo.
On creation, the creator chooses one of their known infusions. If that infusion could be multiple items, choose all item that it could be (e.g. Enhanced Weapon, You have just a +1 Weapon etc).
As a bonus action, the wearer can summon an inky black replica of the chosen infusion that lasts for 1 minute. (Summoned items that require attunement do not need to be attuned to as they are extensions of the tattoo). The summoned item is automatically equipped, its effects replacing the effects of any other items already equipped. You can dismiss the item as a bonus action. The wearer can only use this effect once per long rest.
This tattoo doesn't counts towards the creator's total number of infusions.
Shark
This tattoo depicts a large shark, leaping out of the water, seemingly lunging at whoever is looking at it. This tattoo is very rare.
While a creature is attuned to this tattoo, it gain gills, giving it the ability to breath indefinitely underwater. In addition, the wearer can use a bonus action to transform its legs into a sharks tail, giving it a swimming speed equal to double its walking speed for 10 minutes. While this effect is active the wearer loses its walking speed and any climbing speeds that its character has. The wearer can dismiss this ability as a bonus action. The wearer can only use this ability once per long rest.
Snake
This tattoo depicts a slender snake, curling around the applied limb, fangs bared ready to strike. This tattoo is uncommon.
While a creature is attuned to this tattoo, you gain proficiency in Dexterity (Stealth) checks. In addition, the wearer can take the attack action to make a ranged spell attack, spitting venom at a creature 30ft of the wearer and dealing 1d6 poison damage. On a hit, the target creature must make a Constitution saving throw against the creator's Tattoo Save. On a failed save, it become poisoned and take 1d6 poison damage at the beginning of each of its turns. It can reroll this save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a successful save. This attack can only be used once per long rest.
Mountain
Prerequisite: 5th Level
This tattoo depicts a mighty mountain, topped with snow and surrounded by swirling clouds. This is a very rare tattoo.
While a creature is attuned to this tattoo, it gains a climbing speed equal to its walking speed. In addition, when the wearer takes damage, the wearer can use its reaction to turn itself to stone, becoming petrified for 1 round and healing itself of 3d8. The wearer can only use this ability once per long rest.
Plant
Prerequisite: 5th Level
This tattoo depicts a plant of the creator's choice. This tattoo is a rare tattoo.
While a creature is attuned to this tattoo, it gains the knowledge of nature. The wearer gains proficiency with Intelligence (Nature) checks. In addition as a action, the wearer can cast Entangle and Spike Growth once each without using spell slots or material components. Your uses are reset every long rest.
Dragon
Prerequisite: 5th Level
This tattoo depicts a mighty red dragon, claws out front and flames spewing out of its jaws, ready to fight. This tattoo is very rare.
While a creature is attuned to this tattoo, its skin grows a layer of clear, light scale granting a +2 bonus to its AC. In addition, choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder or poison. As an action the wearer can spew out mighty channel destructive waves of energy in a 30ft cone in front of it. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving against the creator's Tattoo Save taking 3d6 damage of the chosen type on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The wearer can only use this ability once per long rest.
Crown
Prerequisite: 9th Level
The tattoo depicts a golden crown, embedded with three glowing gems. This tattoo is uncommon.
While a creature is attuned to this tattoo, you gain the presence of a mighty lord, giving the wearer proficiency on Charisma (Intimidation). As an action, the wearer can impose its presence on those around it. All creatures within 30ft must make a Wisdom saving throw against the creator's Tattoo Save. Any creatures that fail the save must follow the next command that the wearer gives, as if by the Command spell. The wearer can only use this effect once per long rest.
Skull
Prerequisite: 9th Level
This tattoo depicts a small skull surrounded by a thick black smog. Its eyes are snake-like and bright red. This tattoo is a rare tattoo.
While a creature is attuned to this tattoo, the gain advantage on all death saving throws the make. In addition, as an action the wearer can exhale black smog, creating a 20ft sphere. All creatures within this sphere must make a Constitution Saving Throw against the creator's Tattoo Save. On a failed sreave, their maximum health is reduced by 2d6 until they benefit from a long rest. On a successful save they instead take 2d6 necrotic damage. The wearer can only use this ability once per long rest.
Angel
Prerequisite:15th Level
This tattoo depicts a mighty angel, wings out stretched, sword in one hand, harp in the other, seemingly ready to embrace rather then to fight. This is a legendary tattoo.
While a creature is attuned to this tattoo, it emit a holy presence of an angels. The wearer is always under the effects of a Protection from Evil and Good spell and gain resistance to radiant damage. In addition, the wearer can use an action to give off a holy flash of light. Everyone within 30ft of the wearer must make a Charisma saving throw against the creators Tattoo Save. On a failed save, they take 10d6 radiant damage, half as much on a successful save. Any aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, or undead creatures dealt damage by this ability takes double the amount of damage. When the wearer use this effect, it can designate any number of creatures it can see to be unaffected by it, and can't use this effect again until the next dawn.
Demon
Prerequisite: 15th Level
The tattoo depicts a powerful demon, large curved horns and dark scarred skin, clawing its way out of a portal situated on the wearer's body. This tattoo is legendary.
While a creature is attuned to this tattoo, it is filled with the power of demons and gain resistance to non magical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage. In addition, the wearer can take a bonus action to transform itself into a creature of dark magic. For 1 minute, the wearer gains resistance to all damage types and all attacks that hit are critical hits. After this effect ends, the wearer takes 2 level of exhaustion and 10d12 necrotic damage which can't be reduced in any way. This ability can only be used once per long rest.
Magical Reboot
At 5th Level, you have gained a greater understanding of your creations, and have learned how to recharge their magical energy. In 1 minute you can use Painter's Supplies to reset all uses of the tattoos attuned to a creature like yourself or any other creature within 5ft of you. You can only use this effect once per long rest.
Tattoo Recipe Modification
At 9th Level, you learn how to modify the effects of your tattoos to give them more powerful effects than the base tattoo could ever provide. When creating a non legendary tattoo, you can choose one of the options below to apply to the tattoo.
Note: The cost of the effect is added onto the total cost of creating the tattoo
Empowered
Extra Costs: 100GP, 2 Hours
If the created tattoo has an ability that can be used once per long rest, instead it can be used a number of times equal to the creators Intelligence Modifier (min. 1) per long rest.
Quickened
Extra Cost: 50GP, 2 Hours
If the created tattoo grants the user special actions, they can be activated as a bonus action rather then an action.
Skill Boosted
Extra Costs: 20GP, 1 hour
If the created tattoo grants a Skill Proficency, the wearer can also add double their Proficiency Bonus to skill checks using that skill.
Arts Masterpiece
At 15th Level, the power of your tattoos have increased dramatically, to the point of sentience. Your tattoos use their powers to help protect those wearing them.
While attuned to a Tattoo, the wearer gains the following effects:
- When you roll a 1 on an saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
- When you get hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to gain immunity to that damage type until the end of the attacker turn.
- If you would drop to 0 hit points, you can instead unattune with one tattoo, and drop to 1 hit point instead
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