How to remove tattoo (in-game)

[Ruined]

Hello All,

A PC in my game comes from a slavery background, as do two of his cohort. They were janissaries, basically slave-warriors with a Spartan feel. They were all marked with a red tattoo on the left side of the forehead, denoting what they were. In the empire where they're from, they can be recognized as slaves with all of the fun there. Outside of the empire, those in the know recognize them as (enemy) soldiers of that empire.

Needless to say, it would make their lives easier if the markings were removed.

So the question to pose, is how would someone go about removing such a tattoo in the world of magic and priestly healing? I have left the question to them, but I'm wondering what you think.

 

[Crothian]

the very painfully cutting out of the tattoo followed by magical healing

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Hello All,

A PC in my game comes from a slavery background, as do two of his cohort. They were janissaries, basically slave-warriors with a Spartan feel. They were all marked with a red tattoo on the left side of the forehead, denoting what they were. In the empire where they're from, they can be recognized as slaves with all of the fun there. Outside of the empire, those in the know recognize them as (enemy) soldiers of that empire.

Needless to say, it would make their lives easier if the markings were removed.

So the question to pose, is how would someone go about removing such a tattoo in the world of magic and priestly healing? I have left the question to them, but I'm wondering what you think.

Depending on your interpretation of the Erase spell you could allow it to remove the ink. A regeneration spell if cast on the PC before cutting off the flesh with the ink would allow new and clean flesh to regrow.

 

[Kavyk]

I'm not sure how tattoos in general are viewed in the campaign world. I had a similar character who was tattooed as a slave, but in general, body art was acceptable and even desirable in many places in the campaign world. Since there didn't appear to be a satisfactory method of removing the tattoo without a permanent scar, my character found a tattoo artist who incorporated the slave tattoo into a completely different design. A bright yellow G was turned into a yellow rose with all sorts of green vines, etc. It became a visual symbol of freedom to the character and how he had changed and grown.

My suggestion then is, don't try to get rid of it, unless tattooes in general are bad.

 

[silentspace]

Seems like it should be pretty easy to remove a tattoo if you have magical healing. Just cut out and heal like Crothian said.

If they don't have access to magical healing, a headband or bandanna would cover it. As would a helmet. Or a disguise kit. (Should be a fairly easy 'disguise' if all you're doing is covering blemishes. They do it on TV all the time.) Hair would do a pretty good job of covering it as well.

 

[silentspace]

Some sort of magical tattoo, on the other hand, might grow back if cut out. But if you have magic tattoos, I would imagine you would also have magic to remove them. (Dispel Magic?)

 

[Sejs]

Removal of the skin followed by magical healing. As it's purely cosmetic, a Cure Minor Wounds should do the trick.


Have the tattoo expanded into a different design, and then have one to mirror it also done on the other side of the forehead.


Cut an X over it and let it scar over. Develop a really pissy attitude and make people regret it if they bring up mention of the tattoo. ^_^


Headwear.

 

[luckystrike23]

the lowest tech (stone age even) method of tattoo removal has to be a sea salt scrub. this is an abrasion method that functions by removing the pigmented layers of skin and breaking down the ink into particles that can be absorbed and expelled by the body. while painful this method leaves minimal scaring and should be available anywhere.

 

[DrZombie]

the lowest tech (stone age even) method of tattoo removal has to be a sea salt scrub. this is an abrasion method that functions by removing the pigmented layers of skin and breaking down the ink into particles that can be absorbed and expelled by the body. while painful this method leaves minimal scaring and should be available anywhere.

Euuuhm sorry dude, but without getting too technical : tattoo ink pigments not the skin cells themselves, but white bloodcells that reside directly onder the skin, in order to get to them, you would have to go through the skin, thereby damaging it and therefore cause scarring.
For the more scholarly types amongst you, yes, this is not entirely correct, but it is as correct as i can be without giving a lecture about different cell types in different skin layers, and the nature of scar generation, so, live with it .

 

[hong]

Amputate + regenerate


Hong "it's character building" Ooi