Arcane Tradition
Comments from the Finger: I’ve long considered that the weak point of all wizards is their incredibly fragile spellbook. A lifetime’s accumulated knowledge, all the wizard’s power, can be destroyed with an errant match. How to combat this? Body ink!
School of Tattooism
Mastering the geometry of arcane diagrams is essential to studying any school of wizardry, for it is in this manner that spellbooks are written. However, one school of exceptionally specialized study strives to achieve the complete perfection over these diagrams, and to transcend spellbooks entirely. Tattoo Mages are their own canvases for arcane diagrams, turning their bodies into a beautiful, yet functional, murals of arcane spells.
Tattooist
Beginning when you select this tradition at 2nd level, you do not learn or prepare spells as a normal wizard does. Rather than inscribing arcane diagrams in your spellbook and preparing spells from these each morning, you tattoo your skin with the arcane figures and require no study to prepare them. This replaces your normal means of learning and preparing spells, and you create and maintain no spellbook. Tattooed spells count as spells copied in your spellbook for the purposes of other class features.
There is, however, limited space with which to tattoo your spells, though you can create them smaller and overlap these diagrams as you become more skilled. You have space for a number of spells of 1st level or higher equal to your wizard level + twice your Intelligence modifier (minimum 5). You need not prepare tattooed spells to cast them.
When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can craft it into a magical tattoo. For each level of the spell, the process takes 1 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents the material cost of magical inks required. Once learned, you can remove a spell through a painful process that takes 1 hour per level of the spell and deals you 1 point of slashing damage per spell level. You learn and can freely tattoo only 1 additional spell when you gain a level in the wizard class.
The use of cantrips is unchanged. You know a number of wizard cantrips of your choice as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Wizard table.
Rune Scars
At 2nd level, in addition to your spell tattoos, you permanently mark yourself with powerful symbols called Rune Scars. Gain two Rune Scars of your choice. Your selection cannot be changed. Unless otherwise noted, Rune Scars can be selected only once.
Additionally, you can select an additional Rune Scar at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
Disappearing Ink
By 6th level, as a bonus action you can hide your tattoos, causing them to be invisible so long as you concentrate on the change.
Scar Ally
Beginning at 10th level, you can inscribe 1 willing creature with a temporary version of a Rune Scar that you know which last for 1 hour. This process requires 1 minute. Only 1 creature may gain the effects from a temporary Rune Scar at a time.
Spellglyph
By 14th level, you can inscribe the spell glyph of warding upon your body and are immune to its effects. You can have 1 such glyph of warding active at a time. Additionally, the glyph does not break if you move 10 feet from where you cast it.
Rune Scars
Adept. You gain proficiency with one skill or tool set of your choice. You can select this Scar more than once, choosing a different proficiency or skill set each time.
Aegis. Your armor class while unarmored is equal to is 13 + your Dexterity modifier.
Caestus. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
Crucible. You learn one evocation cantrip of your choice from the Wizard spell list.
Cudgel. You gain proficiency with one weapon of your choice. You can select this Scar more than once, choosing a different weapon proficiency each time.
Ebon. You gain darkvision with a range of 30 feet. If you already possess darkvision, its range increases by 30 feet.
Marathon. Your movement speed increases by 5 feet.
Nimble. Your Dexterity increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Ruse. You learn one illusion cantrip or 1st level spell of your choice from the Wizard spell list.
Titan. Your Strength increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Vigor. Your Constitution increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Vigil. You add your proficiency bonus to Initiative rolls.
Changelog: 9/6/15: Scar Ally: limited to scarring allies with Rune Scars that you know.
Tattooist: You always have all tattooed spells prepared. You can know up to wizard level + int mod (until I find a better number for this which makes the class relevant to wizards but doesn’t make sorcerers irrelevant.)
Rune Scars: Ruse: Learn and illusion cantrip or 1st level spell.
Spellglyph: One glyph of warding maximum.
9/7/15: Tattoist: Edited again (I’m playing with the mechanics). Now Wizard level + 2*Int mod and gain 1 spell when you gain a level. Also, tattooed spells also explicitly count as spells in your spellbook.
