Tattooed Mystic (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Tattooed mystics are renowned for both the artistry with which they adorn their bodies and the powerful magic they summon from these markings. Many learn the ways of tattooing from their forebears, the craft having been passed down through generations.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype focused on the magic of tattoos.

Prestige Class: Tattooed mystic from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige with elements from the tattooed sorcerer archetype from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Magic.

Build Classes: The tattooed mystic is built on the wizard, but the following alternate build classes are described below: Arcanist, psychic, sacerdote, sorcerer, or witch.

Role: Tattooed mystics develop a magic different from other spellcasters, but to their team they fulfill much the same role as any mage.

Alignment: Any. The personal nature of tattoo magic means many tattoo mystics are chaotic.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills

The tattooed mystic's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

These are all the class features of the tattooed mystic. The prestige archetype replaces all of the class features of whatever class it is taken with, except as noted below under weapon and armor proficiency, spells, and build class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A tattooed mystic gains the armor and weapon proficiencies of it's build class.

Spells

The tattoo mystic learns and casts spells exactly like the build class, including the effect of ability scores on spellcasting and cantrips, knacks, or orisons. Since the number of spells per day, spell slots, and known spells depend on the build class, these numbers are not given in Table: Tattooed Mystic.

Build Class

The tattooed mystic records his spellbook as tattoos, either on his own skin or on the skin of another living creature. These tattoos take the form of complex glyphs and can be deciphered and copied like a normal spellbook. They do not radiate magic or occupy any item slots or interfere with magical tattoos. A tattoo mystic must be able to study these glyphs like a wizard studies his spell book, which requires the tattoo to be visible and in a spot he can see—mirrors can be used.

Identifying the patch of skin that holds a particular spell requires a Spellcraft check (DC 15) as a full-round action when the tattoo is visible. The spellbook tattoo for a particular spell can be cut away as a full-round action that requires the target to be helpless and inflicts 1d6 hit points of damage and requires a Heal or Craft (leather) skill check (DC 20) or the tattoo is ruined. Such cut-away tattoos work just like pages from a spellbook.

Familiar Tattoo (Su)

A tattooed mystic gains a familiar like that gained from an arcane bond, as a wizard equal to his tattooed mystic level. His tattooed mystic levels stack with levels in classes that grant a familiar—this ability does not allow him to have multiple familiars or both a familiar and a bonded item.

Unlike most familiars, a familiar tattoo can transform itself into a tattoo that the tattooed mystic carries in his flesh. Transforming into a tattoo or back to normal familiar form is a move action for his familiar. In tattoo form, the familiar looks like a stylized version of itself, but does not count as a creature separate from the tattooed sorcerer. It continues to grant its special familiar ability, but otherwise has no abilities and can take no actions except to transform from tattoo into creature. A familiar tattoo cannot be erased or dispelled.

Mystic Tattoo (Su)

A tattooed mystic inscribes ancient symbols of power on his skin to enhance his spellcasting.

At 2nd level and every four levels thereafter, the mystic inscribes a new tattoo on his body, chosen from the list below. Mystic tattoos do not occupy magic item or tattoo slots. The mystic can select each tattoo more than once; the effects of multiple tattoos are noted in their descriptions.

Binding Trine: This triangular design allows the mystic to transform a hostile spell affecting him into a magical tattoo. When the mystic fails a saving throw against a spell of 3rd level or lower that targets only him, he gets a chance to identify it with a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level). If he succeeds at this check, he can sacrifice a prepared spell of equal or higher level as an immediate action to bind the spell, suppressing its effects and suspending its duration for a number of rounds equal to his level. Only spells with a duration longer than instantaneous can be bound this way, and only one spell can be held at a time. While bound, the spell can be dispelled or removed as normal. The maximum spell level this tattoo can bind increases by 3 each time it's selected, to a maximum of 9th level spells.

Blistering Bands: These glowing, angular markings encircle the mystic's arms. Whenever the mystic casts an evocation spell that deals energy damage, he can spend a swift action to surround himself with an aura of that same energy until the beginning of his next turn. Creatures adjacent to the mystic when he activates the ability or that end their turns adjacent to him take 2d6 points of damage of the same energy type as the evocation spell. A Reflex save for half damage is allowed (DC 10 + 1/2 the tattooed mystic's level + the tattooed mystic's Constitution modifier). If the spell deals more than one type of energy damage, the mystic must choose which of those types of damage his aura deals. Selecting this tattoo additional times increases the damage dealt by 6d6, to a maximum 1d6 per tattooed mystic level.

Flickering Eye: The skin beneath this stylized eye seems partially translucent and insubstantial. When the mystic casts a spell from the illusion school or spends a standard action to concentrate on an ongoing illusion effect created by one of his spells, he gains concealment (20% miss chance) until the beginning of his next turn. This also counts as concealment for using the Stealth skill. When this tattoo is chosen a second time, the miss chance increases to 50%, this allows the use of the Stealth skill even when observed. When it's chosen a third time, the mystic instead becomes invisible, as per the spell, until the beginning of his next turn. Effects that negate invisibility negate any miss chance granted by this ability.

Pouncing Beasts: These bestial pictographs seem poised to leap off the mystic's skin. The mystic can cast summon monster and summon nature's ally spells of up to 3rd level as a standard action, rather than a full-round action, provided all the creatures summoned enter play adjacent to him. The maximum spell level the tattoo can affect increases by 3 each time it's selected, to a maximum of 9th level.

Rune of Fangs: These jagged runes cover the mystic's face, giving him a bestial expression. While polymorphed or otherwise transformed into a form with natural attacks, the mystic gains an enhancement bonus on his attack and damage rolls equal to 1/4 his level (minimum +1) with one natural attack, chosen when he assumes that form. Selecting this tattoo twice allows him to apply the bonus to three natural attacks. Selecting the tattoo three times (the maximum allowed) applies the bonus to all natural attacks.

Swallowing Glyph: This ornate, shadowy glyph absorbs the souls of those the mystic slays. Any time the mystic slays a creature with a necromancy spell, he can spend a swift action to gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the spell's level. Temporary hit points gained from subsequent uses of this ability do not stack. The second time this tattoo is selected, the number of temporary hit points increases to double the spell's level. The third time it's selected, the number increases to triple the spell's level.

Twisting Script: The indistinct shapes that form this spiral tattoo twist into legible text when scrutinized. Creatures within 50 feet of the mystic that can see him are affected by his language-dependent enchantment spells, even if they do not understand the language he speaks. Creatures without a language are immune to this effect. The range of the effect increases by 50 feet each time this tattoo is selected, to a maximum of 150 feet.

Inscribe Tattoo

At 4th level, a tattooed mystic gains Inscribe Magical Tattoo as a bonus feat.

Tattoo Mastery (Ex)

At 8th level, a tattooed mystic can use his own ability score modifier and relevant feats to set the DC for spell tattoos he uses, and can use his own caster level if it is higher than that of the spell tattoo he is using (similar to a caster using a staff.)

Skillful Tattooist (Ex)

At 12th level, as long as a tattooed mystic is using his Craft (tattoos) skill to craft magical tattoos, he can do so in half the time it would normally take.

Potent Tattoos (Ex)

At 16th level, when a tattooed mystic uses his caster level with a spell tattoo, he does so at +1 caster level.

Enduring Tattoos (Ex)

At 20th level, when a tattooed mystic activates a spell tattoo on his own body, he can expend a spell slot or prepared spell of the same level or higher instead of consuming the spell tattoo. The spell tattoo remains and can be used again.

Table: Tattooed Mystic

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Build class, familiar tattoo	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Mystic tattoo	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	—	4	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Inscribe tattoo	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	—	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Mystic tattoo	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	—	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Tattoo mastery	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	—	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Mystic tattoo	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7	—	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Skillful tattooist	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—
13th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	—	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
14th	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9	Mystic tattoo	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—
15th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9	—	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—
16th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Potent tattoos	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	—	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Mystic tattoo	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	—	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Enduring Tattoos	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4

Alternate Build Classes

The tattoo mystic can be built on these alternate classes: Arcanist, psychic, sacerdote, sorcerer, or witch.

A tattoo mystic has the same base attack bonus, base saving throws, hit dice, and armor and weapon proficiencies as the build class. She only suffers from arcane spell failure if she casts arcane spells. She learns and casts spells exactly like the build class, including type of magic (arcane, divine, or psychic), the effect of ability scores on spellcasting and cantrips, knacks or orisons.

In addition, the tattoo mystic inherits the following class features from the build class. This replaces the build class ability, above.

Arcanist Same as the build class of the tattooed mystic, see build class above.

Psychic The tattooed psychic gains the psychic discipline class feature, including discipline spells and discipline powers. Because she lacks a pherenic pool, certain discipline powers do not work, notably those of the Enlightenment discipline.

Sacerdote The tattooed sacerdote keeps the advanced spellcasting, bonus languages, chaotic evil good and lawful spells, divine focus, domains, divine wrath, and manifestation class features. Her divine wrath counts as an evocation ability for the purpose of the blistering bands tattoo. This class is from Legendary Classes: Sacerdote also by Purple Duck Games.

Sorcerer The sorcerer tattoo mystic gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat at level 1. She chooses a bloodline and gains the bloodline spells and bloodline arcana of a sorcerer, but no other bloodline effects.

Witch A witch tattoo mystic uses her familiar tattoo to store spells. She gains the patron spells class feature.

Favored Class Bonuses

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever she gains a level as a sacerdote, the following races have the option of choosing an alternate bonus depending on their race.

• Dwarf:
• Elf:
• Gnome:
• Half-Elf:
• Half-Orc:
• Halfling:
• Human:
• Aasimar: ^ACG
• Anpur: ^HSD
• Avodim: ^FEC
• Dhamphir: ^ACG
• Dhosari: ^FEC
• Dragonblood: ^FEC
• Drow:
• Erkunae: ^FEC
• Eventual: ^FEC
• Samsaran: ^ACG
• Tiefling: ^ACG
• Qit'ar: ^FEC
• Xesa: ^FEC
• Zendiqi: ^FEC

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