Companion Tattoos

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Companion Tattoos


Aura faint (varies); CL 5th
Slot —; Weight —

Companion Tattoos are magical sigils permanently inscribed into the flesh using rare alchemical inks and subtle arcane binding techniques. Each tattoo depicts a stylized animal and grants the bearer a continuous supernatural benefit reflective of that creature’s nature.

A creature may bear up to five Companion Tattoos at one time, and no creature may benefit from more than one of each type. These effects are continuous and function as magic items. Companion Tattoos cannot be removed without destroying the affected flesh (such as by burning, excision, or loss of the body part).

Tattoo Effects

Each tattoo grants a continuous benefit as described below.

Common Beasts

  • Bat: +3 competence bonus on Listen checks — 600 gp
  • Cat: +3 competence bonus on Move Silently checks — 600 gp
  • Goat: +3 competence bonus on Survival checks — 600 gp
  • Hawk: +3 competence bonus on Spot checks — 600 gp
  • Lizard: +3 competence bonus on Climb checks — 600 gp
  • Monkey: +3 competence bonus on Tumble checks — 600 gp
  • Octopus: +3 competence bonus on grapple checks — 600 gp
  • Raven: +3 competence bonus on Appraise checks — 600 gp
  • Shark: +3 competence bonus on Swim checks — 600 gp
  • Snake: +3 competence bonus on Bluff checks — 600 gp

Resilience & Defense

  • Dragon: +3 resistance bonus on saves against fear — 3,000 gp
  • Rat: +2 resistance bonus on Fortitude saves — 4,000 gp
  • Weasel: +2 resistance bonus on Reflex saves — 4,000 gp
  • Turtle: +1 natural armor bonus to AC — 1,000 gp
  • Armadillo: +2 natural armor bonus to AC — 4,000 gp
  • Toad: +3 enhancement bonus to hit points — 3,000 gp
  • Alligator: +2 enhancement bonus to Constitution — 4,000 gp
  • Bullfrog: +2 enhancement bonus to Constitution — 4,000 gp

Movement & Physicality

  • Horse: +5 enhancement bonus to land speed — 2,500 gp
  • Crawfish: +2 competence bonus on grapple checks and +2 competence bonus on Fortitude saves — 800 gp
  • Nutria: +4 competence bonus on Swim checks and +2 competence bonus on Fortitude saves against disease — 1,200 gp

Perception & Subtlety

  • Owl: +1 enhancement bonus to Wisdom — 4,000 gp
  • Fox: +2 enhancement bonus to Intelligence — 4,000 gp
  • Bobcat: +2 competence bonus on Hide checks and Move Silently checks — 800 gp
  • Roseate Spoonbill: +2 competence bonus on Spot checks and Balance checks — 800 gp

Strength & Power

  • Black Bear: +2 enhancement bonus to Strength — 4,000 gp
  • Wild Boar: +2 enhancement bonus to Strength — 4,000 gp

Construction

Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, Scribe Magic Tattoo, caster level 5th, appropriate spell (see below)
Cost: 1/2 market price
XP Cost: 1/25 of market price

Each tattoo requires a spell appropriate to its effect:

  • Skill bonuses: guidance, cat’s grace, or similar
  • Ability score bonuses: bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, fox’s cunning, owl’s wisdom
  • Saving throw bonuses: resistance
  • Natural armor: barkskin
  • Speed increase: expeditious retreat
  • Hit points: false life
  • Fear resistance: remove fear
  • Disease resistance: delay poison or endure elements

The DM may allow thematically appropriate substitutions.

Lore

The art of Companion Tattoos is said to have originated in the borderlands where civilization presses uneasily against the wild. Early practitioners - often itinerant hedge-wizards and spirit-talkers - developed the technique as a way to grant travelers small, reliable blessings without burdening them with fragile enchanted gear. Over time, the practice spread, evolving into a specialized discipline blending arcane precision with primal symbolism.

In many regions, Companion Tattoos are deeply personal, reflecting not only desired strengths but aspects of identity. Hunters favor hawks and bobcats, laborers choose bears, boars, or horses, while survivors of harsh environments often bear creatures known for resilience - turtles, armadillos, alligators, and even the ever-present bullfrog. In wetter climates, especially along rivers, marshes, and swamps, tattoos of crawfish, nutria, and spoonbills are common, their magic shaped by water, silt, and slow decay.

Despite their usefulness, Companion Tattoos remain controversial among certain magical traditions. Critics argue that binding magic directly into living flesh risks eroding the boundary between body and enchantment. Stories persist of individuals who bore too many such markings and began to change - subtle at first, then more pronounced - adopting instincts, habits, or even physical traits reminiscent of their chosen animals. Whether these tales are warnings or exaggerations, most who bear the tattoos agree on one point: the magic does not merely rest on the skin - it sinks deeper.

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