Is it possible to hold the ethereal while firmly rooted in reality? The "Ghost Step Tattoo" in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition offers a tantalizing glimpse into this very possibility, granting its wearer the fleeting power of incorporeality.
The Ghost Step Tattoo, as detailed in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, represents a potent blend of defensive and tactical advantages. This magical inscription, etched directly onto the skin, provides a limited but crucial ability to phase through the physical world. Understanding its mechanics, limitations, and potential applications is key to effectively utilizing this intriguing item. The tattoo itself is a single-use item that allows a character to cast spells without using a spell slot, with the added benefit that the spell need not be on the character's class spell list. Furthermore, this mystical art offers a degree of resistance to physical harm.
Heres a breakdown of the key features, the Ghost Step Tattoo:
Core Mechanics
- Charges: The tattoo has 3 charges.
- Regeneration: It regains all expended charges daily at dawn.
- Activation: As a bonus action, the wearer can expend 1 charge to become incorporeal until the end of their next turn.
- Vanishing: If attunement ends, the tattoo vanishes, and the needle used to create it reappears.
Benefits of Incorporeality (for the duration)
- Resistance to nonmagical weapon damage.
- Immunity to grappling and restraint.
- The ability to move through creatures and solid objects as if they were difficult terrain.
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Name | Ghost Step Tattoo |
Sourcebook | Tasha's Cauldron of Everything |
Rarity | Rare |
Charges | 3, replenishes daily at dawn |
Action | Bonus Action |
Effect | Become incorporeal until the end of your next turn, gaining resistance to nonmagical weapon damage, immunity to grappling and restraint, and the ability to pass through creatures and objects |
Cost | 1,000 gp + 5,000 gp in materials + 2 days of crafting time |
The creation of a Ghost Step Tattoo is a process, starting with a needle. When the attunement is complete, this needle transforms into the ink, which then appears as the tattoo on the skin. The tattoo itself is described without excessive detail, providing an aesthetic direction but without being too restrictive, allowing for individual interpretation and customization.
The Ghost Step Tattoo can act as a strategic "get out of jail free card." When faced with a dangerous situation, such as a melee combat or being surrounded, a character can use it to phase through enemies and walls, buying them time and creating opportunities for escape or repositioning. It is important to remember that while the tattoo grants incorporeality, the character is still physically moving. They are not teleporting. While the character gains the ability to move through objects and creatures, if they end their turn inside an object, that can lead to unfortunate outcomes.
The Ghost Step Tattoo offers a degree of protection. It provides resistance to nonmagical weapon damage, and immunity to grappling and restraint. This can be invaluable in a tight spot, allowing the character to shrug off blows or escape bonds. The user also gains the ability to pass through creatures and solid objects, offering significant advantages in both offense and defense. This also allows the user to be more mobile. The wall of force extends into the ethereal, so the tattoo does not specifically say you are achieving your incorporeality by becoming ethereal, that's the most likely case.
However, there are important considerations regarding how this works in practice. A common question is whether a character can attack or cast spells while incorporeal, or target other creatures. While the rules on this are not completely clear, the common interpretation is that the character can move and act, but they are still subject to the limitations of their form.
While the Ghost Step Tattoo is considered a rare item, there's been discussion around the pricing, with some suggestions that items with comparable effects to resistance rings or armor should have a similar value. This could influence how a Dungeon Master prices the tattoo within their campaign. The price can also be affected based on the materials used.
Other magical tattoos, such as the Absorbing Tattoo, offer specific resistances and are associated with a specific damage type, further expanding the variety of options available to players.
The Ghost Step Tattoo, within the context of D&D 5e, represents an elegant piece of magical design, offering a powerful ability with well-defined limitations. It's a potent tool for both tactical maneuvering and enhanced survivability, making it a valuable asset for any adventurer.
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