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."

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

As for Magic Tattoos, I skimmed them, look fine, but after 5 versions of Magic Tattoos over 40 years of playing how about you just put rules for them in the bloody DMG to start with, and create something new.

Is their no actual creative staff for D&D, anymore? How much, Re-issue! Re-package! (to quote The Smiths), are we going to see?

I really want something original from the D&D team. I’m beginning to think, the team can’t do it! Prove me wrong D&D team, Please !

Tattoos are probably more popular in the United States than they've ever been. (Check out Kate Welch in her livestreams.) The D&D team doing something with magical tattoos is almost certainly them responding to consumer demand.

And unless you're counting non-official content from Dragon magazine, I'm not sure where you're getting the five versions thing from.

 

[Marandahir]

I don't know why the Absorbing Tattoo says that the DM determines the color of the tattoo randomly. What if I sought out the world's grandmaster tattoo artist and asked for specifically red ink?

Narratively, there's no reason to limit it to DM-May-I-No-You-May-Not-And-Even-I-Won't-Know-Until-We-Roll

 

[Weiley31]

Tattoos as a whole count as "one" magical item, with the only limit being how much of your body isn't all done up Yakuza style.

Very interesting. So, one can flavor the Tattoos as something say like, for the Mike Mearls Way of The Soulknife/UA SoulKnife. You can have a tattoo augment your mind blade into a +1/+2/+3 Mindblade if you don't have it where a character has a psi jewel attached to your head OR a jeweled bracelet around your wrist. And if ya still have to, ink up whatever else is remaining while having attunement slots. Tattoo Artificer with Soul of The Artificer anyone?

I still think the Monk version of the Soulknife should have the damage value of the Mindblade be based on the Martial Die since it's Monk.

Also Barding for animals!? Fear not, give Dog tattoo(or reflavor as a harness, collar, or whatever.) and your good to go.

 

[Todd Roybark]

And unless you're counting non-official content from Dragon magazine, I'm not sure where you're getting the five versions thing from.

Magic Tattoos have been a Red Wizard of Thay thing since 1e, though no hard creation rules, were apparently published. Then again, magic item creation in 1e was highly game dependent... I thought Dreams of the Red Wizards, from 1e, had rules for Magic Tattoos. Must have been a house rule, we used in our games.

So, yes it might only be 4 editions over 40 years, if this 5e version gets published.
Well that changes, everything!/ sarcasm....( No personal offense intended my fellow Ptolus lover).

Regardless Whizbang, do we need to see Magic Tattoos trotted out as a supplement each edition?
( especially when FR is the default setting)

A perfect example of reinventing the wheel, ( and charging us for it).

 

[Weiley31]

This is pure speculation, do these spells add to existing summon spells or replace them?

The time might have come, when the D&D team says: “No more Conjure Woodland Beings-and it’s 4 Sprites, (& their spells) for 1 hour”.

As for Magic Tattoos, I skimmed them, look fine, but after 5 versions of Magic Tattoos over 40 years of playing how about you just put rules for them in the bloody DMG to start with, and create something new.

Is their no actual creative staff for D&D, anymore? How much, Re-issue! Re-package! (to quote The Smiths), are we going to see?

This week I got Wildemont, Arcana of the Ancients, and The Nightside- (not a 5e product), delivered. All are pretty interesting, and a fresh arrangement of classic D&D elements, to say the least.

I really want something original from the D&D team. I’m beginning to think, the team can’t do it! Prove me wrong D&D team, Please!

*Re-issue! Re-package! Re-package!
Re-evaluate the songs
Double-pack with a photograph
Extra track (and a tacky badge)*

I would assume the regular/current summon spells are your basic "Mook" version of summons. So your starter kit Hogwarts student would learn it like at their first year at Hogwarts.

These new ones are like your DND "Hero" summon versions where your Merlin La'Fey lvl 10 Wizard used his skills to summon a Summon that is above the typical capabilities/nature of your average summons.

Or as mentioned before, your Agumon or Pikachu.

 

[gyor]

Do you mean "beast with a climb speed" or "celestial from Arborea"? The land type Summon Bestial Spirit already has a climb speed and can easily be skinned as an ape or monkey, while Summon Celestial Spirit covers all the Upper Planes and can similarly be skinned as desired.

Because unlike beasts, fey aren't a default Ranger association. You could probably substitute it into the Fey Wanderer's spell list but there's a lot of Ranger types who it doesn't fit.

Eldritch Claw Tattoo. It makes you punch better and as an Uncommon tattoo it can fill half a limb or the scalp, so it can totally be a face tattoo.

I'll point out that Rangers can already summon Fey. Conjure Animals (which summons creatures that are both beasts/fey) and Conjure Woodland Creature which can summon stuff like Satyrs and Sprites.

 

[Todd Roybark]

These are like your DND "Hero" summon versions

Are these Summoning Spells better then Conjure Woodland Beings for 4 Pixies, combined with a Tiny Hut spell? I don’t think so.

A bard with the right Magical Secrets selections can use this tactic by themselves.

 

[Marandahir]

Also, these summon spells make me think we're in for Manual of the Planes / Planescape / Spelljammer / Manual of the Magic: The Gathering Planes, sometime around the holidays.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Regardless Whizbang, do we need to see Magic Tattoos trotted out as a supplement each edition?

I've been playing since 1979. But there are more new players playing the game than at any time in D&D's history. WotC putting out these rules for the current generation of players, rather than telling them to adapt them from a previous version themselves, seems like a perfectly fine use of their time.

 

[Weiley31]

I'll point out that Rangers can already summon Fey. Conjure Animals (which summons creatures that are both beasts/fey) and Conjure Woodland Creature which can summon stuff like Satyrs and Sprites.

I mean, Rangers are almost, depending on fluff and views, a Martial version of Druids. So I'll allow Fey summon for Rangers.