Tattoos and Conjuration

[cgodfrey7]

I have read several posts about the pros and cons regarding tattoos and how to classify them.  I would like to pose an idea, and get feedback please.

I have an NPC that creates tattoos using a special ink while he makes them and hums a ritual song for focus and infusing small bits of power into the tattoo (i.e. thaumaturgy).
Suppose another tattooist with the same powers tattooed a yakuza style tattoo of a dragon that covered the first tattooist's back, part of both arms, and chest.  I believe that it would take at least a week to finish this process, assuming at least 4 hours each day.  Since I don't think a ritual can be stopped and started, suppose that on the last day only the ritual is done, with everything leading up to that last day being preparation.  I believe that would allow for enough shifts of power to allow the tattoo to remain active for a mortal lifetime.  Add 4 shifts for 2 conditions to activate the dragon tattoo; verbal phrase, or tattooist receives 4+ points of damage from a weapon (btw, is that too specific a condition?) 

I would like to think of the dragon as a conjuration formed from ectoplasm, lasting 15 minutes (is this too long?), and I think the dragon would be about the size of a large dog with wings.  Would the dragon tattoo be able to attack with claws and do harm?  Would it be able to breathe flame also, and again, do harm?  To recharge the dragon tattoo, the ritual on the last day would have to be redone with the incantation and special ink being applied at certain intervals, but not redo the entire drawing again.  Comments please.  P.S.  Is there a summoning spell somewhere to summon insects, bats, rats, cats, etc. to aid the spellcaster?

[cgodfrey7]

Going way out on a limb here, trying to use the Enchanted Item rules (bending them here and there without breaking I hope):  Here is my attempt at the Tattoist stats, and my attempt at creating the Dragon Tattoo. 

The Tattooist-mancer (35 skill points)
Aspects: Ink Is Mightier Than The Sword

Superb: Discipline
Great: Conviction, Lore, Performance (Tattoo)
Good: Endurance, Resources, Scholarship
Fair: Contacts, Presence, Rapport
Average : Alertness, Athletics, Craftsmanship

Ritual[-2] p181 Focus Item, 2 Enchanted Items
Refinement[-1] p182 Crafting Specialization +1 Frequency, +1 Strength
Refinement[-1] p182 4 Enchanted Items

Physical: OOOO
Mental: OOO

Enchanted Item Dragon Tattoo:
Starting strength is 4 (from Lore), crafting specialization strength adds 1, using 3 enchanted items to raise the strength 3 more, giving a total of 8 strength. 
Frequency base is 1, crafting specialization frequency adds 1, 3 enchanted items adding 2 uses per session for each gives 6 more, for a total of 8 uses. 
Using the strength of 8, the dragon will get Breath Weapon (cost of 2), Claws (cost of 1), Wings (cost of 1), leaving 4 strength to attack with. 
So, using the 4 strength as essentially a Fists score, with Claws Weapon:2, and the Breath Weapon as Thrown Weapon:2 with Weapon score of 4.
Bending the rules here, the 8 uses would give the dragon 8 attacks, alternating between claws and breath, until target is dead, 8 attacks are used up, or Tattooist tells it a different target. The dragon flows back onto the Tattooists body, looking strangely flat and not as lifelike as before, until it can be recharged per my previous post. 

I am not sure if this is an acceptable interpretation, because I have several uses for tattoos in my game and so I would like to arrive at something that makes sense to most everyone.  I do know that the PCs will eventually want to have something like this if they can, hence trying to find something reasonable.  Thanks.

[Amelia Crane]

It sounds to me like you want to give the guy who has the tattoo a de facto magic power.  In which case, I think it would be best done by giving the tattooed guy an Item of Power.  You could cost it as [-2] Ritual (Conjuration), with a [+1] discount for being an item.  Although it isn't quite an item because it can't be taken away, you could say that if the tattoo is damaged, the dragon cannot be resummoned until it heals.  That and the fixed form of the conjuration would be worth the cost discount.

[Genhuman]

Personally, I would just treat the "magic tattoo" as flavor text on a background, and just make a "Were-Dragon."

[Belial666]

If you want the "Ritual" approach, the first thing to do would be to consider how much power the tattoo could have

a week to finish this process, assuming at least 4 hours each day

So, 7 days of preparation, 2-3 scenes per day makes for 20 or so scenes of preparation. Assuming his base effective Lore is 5, he gets 25 shifts. Plus 1 Fate Point for aspect invocation per day (those recharge every so often or you get compelled), plus 1 successful skill declaration/maneuer per day makes for another 28 shifts. Plus 2 mild consequences and 1 moderate consequence per day (those heal up between days) makes another 56 shifts.


That's a total of 109 shifts for a week-long ritual from someone without any supernatural powers other than thaumaturgy - or even just ritual. Even leaving 19 shifts to increase the spell duration from 1 scene to several mortal lifetimes, you still get 90 shifts worth of "oomph".  30 of those shifts must be a binding spell to prevent the summoned creature from escaping. 30 of those would be the controlling spell, 2 shifts would be used to add a trigger to the tattoo and 28 shifts would be used to the actual summoning.


Which begs the question;
What would the GM allow you to summon with 28 shifts worth of summoning?

[Ren]

I've still yet to fully delve into the rules, but I'm curious how the whole Tattoo thing would work as well as I am toying with a Concept that involves a man who has been "Improved" via Magic Tattoos, but tattoos that have permanent effects as opposed to triggered effects. As the character is planned to be an escapee from the Project that gave him his powers getting additional Tattoos would be more than a little difficult so I suspect that could be a factor in the cost of the actual tattoos.
If I go this route I'll probably steal some Tattoo ideas from Ise-zumi monks of the Legend of the Five Rings game. Each tatto had different effects but many had to be triggered by spending a void point and/or could only be acivate da limited number of times per day.
Lots of cool ideas there that would obviously have to be changed to put into DFRPG, but the ideas will work (One allows the user to breath fire themselves, but they take some damage form it as well).
Here's a possible idea or addition. A characetr gets a Tattoo(es), as they progress and grow the abilities and power of said Tattoos grow as well. At least that would be a suggestion for the character I am thinking about, but could be applied to others as well.

[Saedar]

Generally speaking, if you want permanent effects, just give the character appropriate powers and fluff away the background full of mystical rites or blessings or whatever. If you want a tattoo that gives fire breath, just give the character breath weapon and reflavor as needed.