Unearthed Arcana Spells & Magic Tattoos: New Unearthed Arcana

WotC has posted a new Unearthed Arcana called Spells & Magic Tattoos. "This document provides a magical miscellany: new spells and a new type of magic item, magic tattoos. Most of the spells focus on an alternative style of summoning: conjuring forth a spirit that assumes a physical form you customize to suit the situation."

 

[Weiley31]

Okay the Tattoos scream Forgotten Realms, the summoning spells scream FR, Planescape and MtG. I like the Tattoos, they are fine.

The summoning spells need some tweeks.

Along with type, you should be able to choose size, small, medium, large.

Not all clerics are good, so either clerics should get Summon Fiend as well or Summon Celestial Should get a Fallen option.

Summon Celestial should be dropped to a lower level.

Why is there still no option for summoning Succubi? They should add Succubi option to Summon Fiend or make Summon Succubi an option for evil or dark Clerics.

None of these spells displace the value of any existing spells. Summon Fiend is hirer level then Summon Demon or Summon Lesser Demons, and even Infernal Calling. Still honestly Summon Fiend would be worse then these spell except for 1 key thing, its safer! None Evil Fiend summoners are better off with this spell and its tame fiend.

Summon Celestial is no where as good as Conjure Celestial, so its only real advantage is its lower level, which should be even lower. And its options need better fluff, compared to all the other Summon Spells, its lacking flavour. I suggest Archon, Angel, Asuras, and Fallen options replace the current ones.

I really like Summon Fey, Summon Beast, Summon Undead, mostly as is, but add a Vampire option to Summon Undead, and as I said let the caster choose the size (small, medium, large).

Summon Aberrant is really cool, but they should add a Flumph option.

You can reflavor the Summon Fiend as Succubi and tweak the ability.

 

[Marandahir]

Also, these rules have significant story overlap with Eberron's Dragonmarks. Maybe we can have a sidebar of how to make those interact, if at all?

The Keith Baker-canon but WotC-unofficial book from DM's Guild, Morgrave Miscellany, gave us Greater and Siberys Marks in the same way rarer tattoos occupy more of the character's body.

I might rule that if a character has both a tattoo and a Dragonmark, then the tattoo is a manifestation of the Dragonmark, not a separate second mark on you. Unless some Kyber-infused madness has ensued.

 

[gyor]

You can reflavor the Summon Fiend as Succubi and tweak the ability.

I'm aware you can home brew, but that is not useful feed back for an official product.

 

[Marandahir]

I'm aware you can home brew, but that is not useful feed back for an official product.

I was going to say, Summon Succubus/Incubus should have been covered with Summon Greater Demon, but I had forgotten that they're not demons, they're fiends that serve both sides of the Blood War.

So yeah, we need a Summon Succubus/Incubus option, either within the Summon Fiendish Spirit spell or as its own spell.

 

[Marandahir]

I also think Bards should be able to learn several of these spells without using magical secrets:
Shadow and Undead - the songs of lamentation/death metal
Celestial - divine hymns
Fiend - death/satanic metal
Bestial - songs of the wild

 

[MiraMels]

I have to say, i don't much care for magic tattoos that mimic the effects of magic items. Magic items can be lost, stolen, destroyed, given away, and (in some games) sold. Tattoos generally cannot.

 

[gyor]

I also think Bards should be able to learn several of these spells without using magical secrets:
Shadow and Undead - the songs of lamentation/death metal
Celestial - divine hymns
Fiend - death/satanic metal
Bestial - songs of the wild

What would you summon with Country Music, Poka Music, Raggae Music and Rap Music?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Why is there still no option for summoning Succubi?

Spellcasters who learn how to summon succubi/incubi end up never leaving the house again.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I have to say, i don't much care for magic tattoos that mimic the effects of magic items. Magic items can be lost, stolen, destroyed, given away, and (in some games) sold. Tattoos generally cannot.

Yeah, it's a very powerful effect. I was thinking that my gnome illusionist -- who's very much not a tattoo type -- would want to have a free daily disguise self that couldn't be confiscated without extraordinary efforts.

 

[Todd Roybark]

then don't buy it. What's the big issue here?

FAKE OUTRAGE!!!!

Plus some real annoyance. Sure designers change from edition to edition, but history and a company’s awareness of their products past, should not.

It is like the fact, that through the various editions, the initial Monster Manual is not as user friendly as subsequent monster books.

It shouldn’t take years into each edition, for designers to realize that niceties, such as, stating out in the monster stat block, spells the monster has access to,( E.G. Eldritch Blast for the VGtM Yuan-Ti) is much appreciated.

I don’t expect a new car today to only contain 1979 safety features and conveniences. Same for my D&D product. “Designing” Magic Tattoos in 2020 and hyping those as “optional rules” would be like Lamborghini trying to sell seat belts as optional equipment on a 2020 Lamborghini Urus.

To paraphrase Ralph Nader, it is uncool at any speed.