Focus items

[narphoenix]

So I was trying to come with a biomancy focus item (4 slots) for my character, when I got an idea: what of the item wasn't an item, but a series of tattoos on his body, tracing different chi pathways of the body? Would you let this fly in your games?

[Deadmanwalking]

No. Focus Items need to able to be taken away.

Magic tattoos are cool, but should be bought as a power of some kind, not an Item.

Maybe a collection of acupuncture needles could work? They seem appropriate, and the collection as a whole could be about the right size...

[Wyntonian]

Didn't Elaine use tattoos as foci?

I know, it's not in the game, but at least there's in-universe precedent. Maybe a calligraphy pen and ink to trace them? Needles are good, too.

[Deadmanwalking]

No, Elaine has and had various jewelry as her main magical foci. It's mentioned both in White Night when she shows up and in her write-up in OW.

[UmbraLux]

Tattoos may work...and they're easy to take away.  Throw ink at them, cut or otherwise deface them, or deform the skin (disease, rash, swelling, breaks, etc) they're on. 

Personally, I'd want good thematic justification before allowing them.  Not really sure they fit into the world easily...

[nick012000]

Hmm. Judging by the way that wizards enchant staves by carving runes on them, I'd say that what would be enchanted would not be the runic tattoos, but your entire body. I suppose it'd provide justification for buying up Refinement, but I wouldn't let it be a Focus.

[Vairelome]

Hmm. Judging by the way that wizards enchant staves by carving runes on them, I'd say that what would be enchanted would not be the runic tattoos, but your entire body. I suppose it'd provide justification for buying up Refinement, but I wouldn't let it be a Focus.

I like this idea.  On your character sheet, your Biomancy bonuses would permanent and must follow the skill pyramid, but in-game they are "skinned" as a tattoo focus.  In this case, though, the tattoos should not be vulnerable to disruption via injury, since they have the mechanical skill pyramid restriction, not the removable restriction.

[Taran]

Tattoos may work...and they're easy to take away.  Throw ink at them, cut or otherwise deface them, or deform the skin (disease, rash, swelling, breaks, etc) they're on. 

Personally, I'd want good thematic justification before allowing them.  Not really sure they fit into the world easily...

That would be a good compel on a consequence.

[Haru]

If you give tattoos a similar restriction as focus items have, you can have them as focus items, sure. Maybe make it so you first need to touch them with your fingers, drawing the power out of them to cast the spell, things like that. People in the know can put duct tape over your tattoos then, paint them over, bandage you, tie you up so you can't touch them, etc. Those not in the know, who would not take a wizards amulet or bracelet, would not care for your tattoos as well. They might still tie you up, but a good athletics roll could allow you to stretch far enough to touch them for one spell to free yourself.

[narphoenix]

If you give tattoos a similar restriction as focus items have, you can have them as focus items, sure. Maybe make it so you first need to touch them with your fingers, drawing the power out of them to cast the spell, things like that. People in the know can put duct tape over your tattoos then, paint them over, bandage you, tie you up so you can't touch them, etc. Those not in the know, who would not take a wizards amulet or bracelet, would not care for your tattoos as well. They might still tie you up, but a good athletics roll could allow you to stretch far enough to touch them for one spell to free yourself.

Which would be very helpful, I'm sure, since they're biomancy foci.

[Haru]

Which would be very helpful, I'm sure, since they're biomancy foci.

Give yourself a boost of strength to rip through your bonds, shrink down your wrists to slip out of cuffs, make your finger malleable and use it as a wax key to open a lock. There are tons of things you can do, if you can transform your own body.

[narphoenix]

Give yourself a boost of strength to rip through your bonds, shrink down your wrists to slip out of cuffs, make your finger malleable and use it as a wax key to open a lock. There are tons of things you can do, if you can transform your own body.

Unless the enemy is someone like Nicodemus, who'll stick him under running water (although Nicky himself would actually support the character's aims, now that I think about it).

Although, he IS a water Mage, so.

[Haru]

Unless the enemy is someone like Nicodemus, who'll stick him under running water (although Nicky himself would actually support the character's aims, now that I think about it).

True, but then he is someone who would take away your focus items as well, since he knows about stuff like that.

[nick012000]

If you give tattoos a similar restriction as focus items have, you can have them as focus items, sure. Maybe make it so you first need to touch them with your fingers, drawing the power out of them to cast the spell, things like that. People in the know can put duct tape over your tattoos then, paint them over, bandage you, tie you up so you can't touch them, etc. Those not in the know, who would not take a wizards amulet or bracelet, would not care for your tattoos as well. They might still tie you up, but a good athletics roll could allow you to stretch far enough to touch them for one spell to free yourself.

Considering that unless you've got Seelie Magic, biomancy is Thaumaturgy, that's hardly a restriction, since if you're tied up, you can to the ritual stuff you need to get the Thaumaturgy working in the first place.

[Haru]

You can. It's going to be harder, sure, but not impossible entirely.

(click to show/hide)

Harry summoned an archangel and the queen of darkness, and he did the ritual entirely in his head.

If you need to get out of your bonds in a matter of seconds, I agree, that's not going to happen with thaumaturgical biomancy. But if you have a few minutes, it should work. You'll need to do some mental maneuvers and/or declarations and you're good to go.

You could also go for minor adjustments in your body with evocation style biomancy, if you have a power like that. Most of those would work by creating aspects like "supercharged muscles", "collapsing joints", "rubbery bones", and so on. You can then tag those on a subsequent escape attempt.