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."

 

[Kurotowa]

I like this set of summoning spells using the new design principles. A single powerful minion instead of a menagerie, stat block in the spell instead of sending you to the MM, no worries about the summoned creatures turning on you if your concentration gets broken. These look actually usable.

The tattoos are a cool idea, but they give me vague worries of power creep. Nothing I can specifically point at yet, just a general "the attunements stack and they can't be easily removed" worry.

 

[Weiley31]

Veeeeeeerrrrryyyy interesting.

Hell you could also probably use em as stat blocks for animal companions too.

 

[dave2008]

I like the idea that more powerful tattoos (rare) take up more space on the body. Nice bit flavor and mechanics I would think.

 

[Weiley31]

Also, that otherworldly form spell? That maybe a good based for a Devil May Cry style Devil Trigger transformation ability.

 

[dave2008]

The tattoos are a cool idea, but they give me vague worries of power creep. Nothing I can specifically point at yet, just a general "the attunements stack and they can't be easily removed" worry.

I haven't really looked at the rules yet, but tattoos are similar to magic items in that they are pretty much completely in the DMs control. The DM could allow you to go wild with them or have none at all. I think it is not something that necessarily needs to be balanced.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Tattoo magic was one of my favorite forms of magic when I wrote Altus Adventum, so naturally I'm interested in seeing how they did it here, making them magic items.

 

[dave2008]

The tattoos are a cool idea, but they give me vague worries of power creep. Nothing I can specifically point at yet, just a general "the attunements stack and they can't be easily removed" worry.

The tattoos are magic items that take up an attunement slot. They don't stack.

 

[Kurotowa]

The tattoos are magic items that take up an attunement slot. They don't stack.

I believe every tattoo has this clause in the Tattoo Attunement section: "If you have multiple magic tattoos, they count as a single magic item with regard to the number of magic items you can attune to." Which is why the section on area coverage is a key balance limitation, not a random flavor thing.

 

[JPL]

ANGEL SUMMONER! AND THE BMX BANDIT!