I don’t have a single tattoo on my body, and yet I had an absolute blast writing my latest book, Under the Skin. It’s all about incorporating tattoos into your tabletop roleplaying gameplay.
My obsession with imaginary tattoos started when playing Pathfinder 2nd Edition and leveling up my character so that he could “craft magical tattoos.” This was really exciting for me as a player who loves changing up and optimizing the narrative of the game I’m playing. I researched what that meant in both Pathfinder and Dungeon & Dragons 5th Edition and I found… very little.
My obsession took over, and I decided to create a framework for these magical tattoos that would supplement the meager rules and norms found in these popular TTRPGs. It was also designed to plug into any other tabletop game, such as our groundbreaking new system, EaldSmyth.
Not only does Under the Skin give you mechanics for becoming a reputable tattoo artist and enhancing your skills over time, but it gradually incorporates the element of magic to really make battles and roleplaying opportunities unforgettable. My book offers a lot of tattoo options of increased complexity, but it adds an additional component in its tattooed curses.
With this book in a Game Master’s hand, villains can not only capture the heroes, but they can also leave unforgettable marks on their bodies that make adventuring (and sometimes surviving) particularly challenging.
Of all the Game Master supplements I’ve written so far, I’ve had the most excitement brainstorming this one. Not that I don’t stand by both Off the Shelf and On the Table as equally-indispensable tools for GMs. I do. But Under the Skin scratched my itch as a player and really improved on my options in-game. And though my flittering mind can never settle on a satisfactory tattoo design in real life, it’s fun to enhance both my heroes’ looks and their abilities through in-game ink.
Wanna give this book a try? I’d love to hear your feedback if you do!
