Sorcerous Origin: Magical Tattoos

You have discovered magical runes and symbols of power, and have learned to harness their power by carving them into your flesh. As you gain levels and learn spells, you inscribe them onto your flesh and absorb their power. In addition, your tattoos strengthen your body against physical hardship, and provide a buffer against damage.

The forms that these tattoos can take varies from sorcerer to sorcerer. Some prefer abstract, monochromatic designs; others inscribe runes and words of power; and still others represent animals, or scenes from mythology or the bearer's life. The form the tattoos take does not affect their power.

At 1st level, your tattoos can be hidden under normal clothing, but as your power increases, and the amount of your body covered by these symbols increases, they become increasingly more obvious. By 6th level, it is no longer possible to hide them up without full-body covering, and by 18th level your body is completely covered.

Because your tattoos are the source of your power, if your physical form is transformed in such a way that they are not present (polymorph, the Wild Shape class feature, etc), you cannot cast spells more powerful than cantrips, assuming the form you inhabit allows you to cast spells at all. This does not include illusions such as disguise self, but does include spells that alter your form like alter self. This does not affect effects you are already concentrating on.

Magical Tattoos Features

Sorcerer Level Feature 1st Protective Ward, Aura of Protection, Bonus Proficiency 6th Aura of Resistance 14th Improved Aura of Protection 18th Aura of Invulnerability

Protective Ward

Your tattoos provide extra toughness and resiliance. At 1st level, your hit point maximum increases by 1 and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class.

Bonus Proficiency

Also at 1st level, you gain proficiency with Calligrapher's Tools, and you have advantage on Performance (Charisma) checks when using them on flesh.

Aura of Protection

You learn to draw upon the Protective Ward created by your tattoos to protect yourself from harm. As a bonus action, or as a reaction to being hit by a weapon attack, you can spend 1 sorcery point to cause your tattoos to form an aura of protection around your body. As long as you are not wearing armor, your Armor Class becomes 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier, including against the triggering attack. If you are proficient with shields, you can use a shield and still gain this benefit. This protective aura lasts for one minute or until you dismiss it as a bonus action, and persists even if you are unconscious.

Aura of Resistance

At 6th level, when you activate your Aura of Protection, you can spend 1 additional sorcery point to gain resistance to all damage except psychic.

Improved Protective Ward

Starting at 14th level, when your Aura of Protection is active, whenever you must make a saving throw, you gain a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1).

Aura of Invulnerability

Starting at 18th level, you learn the invulnerability spell, if you don't already know it, which is a sorcerer spell for you and does not count against your number of sorcerer spells known. When you activate your Aura of Protection, you can choose to spend an additional 5 sorcery points to cast the invulnerability spell on yourself at the same time. Casting invulnerability in this way does not expend material components or require concentration, and lasts until your Aura of Protection goes away.