After Extensive discussion with both Yuki and Doc, I will be playing Atsuko. I feel like I should explain the summary of what I explained to them surrounding my tattoos so that those of you who are still skeptical might understand.
Head: The social ability on this is very minor. A very slight shift in mood one way or the other. Being Famous (as OPGs character is) does -way- more adjusting of attitude, but at the expense of not being able to choose which direction that attitude goes. The difference being, I don't have the social skill to make use of it mine, where OPG -does- have the skill to manipulate the reaction to his being Famous into the direction he wishes. This makes this a support skill for people who actually have social stats. In combat, it's basically a very minor taunt, or aggro dump, for a little bit of battlefield manipulation. In short, this tattoo is -yours- not mine.
Arms: I have a magic spear. -Any- of you could have a magic spear. It's not that difficult a thing to make in world. The -only- advantage I have from it is barring some kind of intervention I'll never be without it. Said intervention is somewhat common since there are magic users with much more potent abilities that must be captured and imprisoned for various reasons. As for it being a summon, see Doc's summon, -way- more powerful than a spear. Used 2 slots.
Upper back: Primarily story. Almost no in game effect. (see "Downsides" below regarding stats.)
Lower back: I have magic armor. -Any- of you could have... [see the entry for Arms]
Torso Front: This is entirely combat based. Unlike suggested, it is -not- a stealth skill. If anything it would make me more noticeable. It is simply an illusion that makes precise strikes against specific parts of me nigh impossible, and will make predicting my attacks more difficult, therefore harder to block or parry or dodge or whatever. It is not nearly as potent as say, invisibility, which is an ability that has been in the game before. (Airgetlam)
Thighs: This is almost useless. The -only- purpose this serves is avoiding the situation where I don't really get to play for a (real time) year simply because I was stabbed. Used 2 slots.
Calves: These slots are wasted. They are empty, intentionally, because I didn't want to add even more questionable abilities when I already knew that the type of magic I was proposing would be intimidating to people who didn't understand it. This is going to change, because as pointed out above, I'm actually -less- powerful than even I had thought. These tattoos will be discussed and balanced in the same way the ones above have been.
Downsides to the tattoos I have:
All of my tattoos take an action (with specific triggers) to activate. This means that if surprised in my sleep it will take me (Armor + Spear + Illusions =) 3 turns to even be ready to fight. And without the sleep part, it will still take (Spear+Illusions=) 2 turns. This also means that if I'm prevented from using the triggers I also can't get the effect.
Any turn where I use the taunt/aggro dump, I can't do anything more than move. Any turn where I have to re-summon my spear because it was disarmed, I can't do anything more than move. Any turn I use to change the element on my spear, I can't do anything more than move. There are going to be a -lot- of combat turns that I pretty much have to skip.
I can't use, or have used on me any of the following magical items or spells: weapons, armor, illusions, healing, stat buffs. (The only benefit here is that stat reductions also won't work.) I can't use -any- magic at all that comes from myself outside of the tattoos.
And this brings me to the final statement. I'm -very- combat specialized, which means I'm -very- useless as more than a support Hex in social situations. The new calf tattoos will not change that. This character was built to be support, both in combat and in social situations, and the calf tattoos will follow that theme.
Head: The social ability on this is very minor. A very slight shift in mood one way or the other. Being Famous (as OPGs character is) does -way- more adjusting of attitude, but at the expense of not being able to choose which direction that attitude goes. The difference being, I don't have the social skill to make use of it mine, where OPG -does- have the skill to manipulate the reaction to his being Famous into the direction he wishes. This makes this a support skill for people who actually have social stats. In combat, it's basically a very minor taunt, or aggro dump, for a little bit of battlefield manipulation. In short, this tattoo is -yours- not mine.
Arms: I have a magic spear. -Any- of you could have a magic spear. It's not that difficult a thing to make in world. The -only- advantage I have from it is barring some kind of intervention I'll never be without it. Said intervention is somewhat common since there are magic users with much more potent abilities that must be captured and imprisoned for various reasons. As for it being a summon, see Doc's summon, -way- more powerful than a spear. Used 2 slots.
Upper back: Primarily story. Almost no in game effect. (see "Downsides" below regarding stats.)
Lower back: I have magic armor. -Any- of you could have... [see the entry for Arms]
Torso Front: This is entirely combat based. Unlike suggested, it is -not- a stealth skill. If anything it would make me more noticeable. It is simply an illusion that makes precise strikes against specific parts of me nigh impossible, and will make predicting my attacks more difficult, therefore harder to block or parry or dodge or whatever. It is not nearly as potent as say, invisibility, which is an ability that has been in the game before. (Airgetlam)
Thighs: This is almost useless. The -only- purpose this serves is avoiding the situation where I don't really get to play for a (real time) year simply because I was stabbed. Used 2 slots.
Calves: These slots are wasted. They are empty, intentionally, because I didn't want to add even more questionable abilities when I already knew that the type of magic I was proposing would be intimidating to people who didn't understand it. This is going to change, because as pointed out above, I'm actually -less- powerful than even I had thought. These tattoos will be discussed and balanced in the same way the ones above have been.
Downsides to the tattoos I have:
All of my tattoos take an action (with specific triggers) to activate. This means that if surprised in my sleep it will take me (Armor + Spear + Illusions =) 3 turns to even be ready to fight. And without the sleep part, it will still take (Spear+Illusions=) 2 turns. This also means that if I'm prevented from using the triggers I also can't get the effect.
Any turn where I use the taunt/aggro dump, I can't do anything more than move. Any turn where I have to re-summon my spear because it was disarmed, I can't do anything more than move. Any turn I use to change the element on my spear, I can't do anything more than move. There are going to be a -lot- of combat turns that I pretty much have to skip.
I can't use, or have used on me any of the following magical items or spells: weapons, armor, illusions, healing, stat buffs. (The only benefit here is that stat reductions also won't work.) I can't use -any- magic at all that comes from myself outside of the tattoos.
And this brings me to the final statement. I'm -very- combat specialized, which means I'm -very- useless as more than a support Hex in social situations. The new calf tattoos will not change that. This character was built to be support, both in combat and in social situations, and the calf tattoos will follow that theme.
