Greetings,

I just wanted to give Monks a heads up about an ability we're planning for them. It is not yet released, but it is approved and is actively being coded, but the details are still subject to change. We wanted to hear your feedback. I'll be monitoring this folder over the next couple weeks, but you can also join in the conversation on the official Discord in the #mechanics channel. Here's the ability:

Monks (of at least level 20) will be able to ink mundane tattoos on themself and others.

Monks can enhance non-special tattoos into Mystic Tattoos. Mystic Tattoos have 5 circles (a.k.a. tiers), with each circle providing +1 stat bonus (i.e. +2 stat base) of your choice (but the stat selection is locked in when first applied). Making these requires earning Motes of Tranquility by absorbing experience (via an exp pulse or offline exp absorption). Experience absorption modifiers such as Gift of Lumnis and RPAs apply, but instant exp absorption such as BOOST ABSORB or Rings of Lumnis brooches do not. There is a weekly cap of 50,000 Motes of Tranquility and a total cap of 200,000. It takes 50,000/75,000/100,000/125,000/150,000 Motes of Tranquility to reach circle 1/2/3/4/5. Thus, to go from a mundane tattoo to a Mystic Tattoo of the fifth circle requires 10 weeks of capped Motes of Tranquility.

A Mystic Tattoo is a normal, non-crumbly enhancive with 100 charges, but can only be recharged by a Monk. A character may only have one Mystic Tattoo at a time. There is a skill check based upon expected monk training, such that the circles are achievable around levels 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100. Each also costs ink doses equal to the circle, where a dose is 50k silvers. Failure to create a Mystic Tattoo results in a loss of 10% of the required Motes and one dose of ink. Monks automatically recharge Mystic Tattoos every time they upgrade the tattoo; also they can charge them at a cost of 1000 Motes of Tranquility per charge. Note that a typical 100-charge enhancive lasts a very long time. For comparison, Premium Point enhancives have 200 charges and often last most players many years before needing to be recharged.

GameMaster Oscuro

Overall, this is an awesome change. Really love the idea and glad its something for the character rather than another thing to add to items.

Only concern I have is the temporary nature of it - yes 100 charges can last for a while but since these are on the character, they'll always be draining even if you're just sitting around doing RP or goofing off. How will we be able to check the charges if they can't be loresung to? Speaking as a player, I hate the maintenance of checking charges and worrying where it is.

I would really like to see a base permanent effect that stays on regardless of charges. One suggestion I saw is that it'll always have a base T1 level of capability when out of charges. I like that idea and +2 to one stat would hardly change things much to worry about balance-wise.

Love this design. Thank you for coming up with, designing, and sharing with us.

Enhancive pauses won't limit enhancive stat/recovery.

They were given away in giftboxes, you now get simucoins every month if a subscriber to purchase, they drop daily while hunting, they are gien freely for logging in as boost rewards, they are given out at events as prizes/rewards, they are incredibly cheap in the store and as a result of events are likely available in playershops and/or could be negotiated from a player for silvers.

Neat new professional ability!

I'm feeling some Grimnoir kanji effects!
(Larry Correia's series of books, available on Baen's website: https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/2126 )

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Do they count as worn?

If so, do they count as Functional?

Love this idea, hope it gets implemented very soon!

Valdarrow

Is the stat bonus from the tattoo limited by the +20 stat bonus cap on enhancives? or is it it's own seperate entity?

A couple of thoughts:
1) Rather than "One Mystic Tattoo" (with a max cap of Tier5, having gone through 1/2/3/4), would you be at all amenable to "a maximum of 15 points' of TierValue"? Maybe this particular character wants 5x Tier2 to boost up a bunch of stats by a small amount. (== 5x (1+2) == 5x 3 == 15, as opposed to 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 == 15)

and

2) Are these considered 'items'? How will they work with, for example, some HESS goodness?
"an old enhancive max paper" - 10,000bs - The bearer of this paper is entitled to have their enhancive MAX CHARGES increased by +50 up to a max of 500. (Current charges will also be increased by 50.)
"a stained enhancive stat papyrus" - 50,000bs - The bearer of this papyrus is entitled to have a single enhancive BASE STAT (NOT bonus) -- increased by +1. (Cap at +20; can't add a non-existing bonus) Limit to 2 of these services per item.

"We're not going to increase this from +5 max to +15" -- Oscuro

You mis-read my question; I was describing the costs similar to a Seed1 progression, and then amortizing those costs across multiple, smaller benefits.
Though I agree that it would have netted out to a higher total amount of bonuses, they would not all have been on the same stat. <shrug>
(And the total cost would have been commensurately higher, as well.)

"and we're not letting it spread across different stats." -- ibid

Well, phooie. :(

"Yes, tattoos are items in the sense that they count towards inventory limits, etc. No, they can't be worked on by any kind of merchant service outside of just altering their description. HESS services don't apply, merchant recharging doesn't apply, they can't become specially scripted tattoos, etc. etc." -- ibid

Good clarification, thanks!