The Ink Witches

[I feel like I should note up front that I know nothing about how tattoos work in the real world.]

The Ink Witches live in a ramshackle house not far beyond the curtain wall that separates Castle Vyzor from the village.  Some people say they're sisters from a weird family, some say they're simply business partners, a few claim they're in a polyamorous relationship.  But you know how gossipy adventurers get.  One known fact is that adventurers from far and wide come to the Ink Witches for tattoos.  A normal tattoo that can be completed in a single session will set you back d6 x 50gp.  But each Ink Sisters can also weave a bit of magic into their creations.

found on Pinterest

Gwenno is a half-elf, though she usually wears her hair to cover her pointy ears.  Her tattoos tend to look like they came out of the metal or punk scenes of the late seventies.  Her specialty is the creation of tattoos that hold spells.  A standard BX spell costs 1,000gp per spell level.  That over and above the normal cost per session and it generally takes one session per spell level.  Each PC can hold up to 6 magic tattoo 'slots,' with each spell level taking up a slot.  (Filling the sixth slot means basically all your skin is tattooed.  You had to shave your head and pubes to get that last slot.)

After the tattoo is complete, the spell becomes available as a daily power, but each time it is used there is a 1 in 6 chance the ink fades.  If that happens, there's a 50% chance it can be touched up at d% times the original cost.  Otherwise the spell is gone and cannot be repaired or replaced with another spell.  Nonstandard spells can be inked as well, but you must provide a copy that is destroyed in the process.  Furthermore, there's a 1 in 6 chance the spell just won't work properly each time it is activated.

The first time you get a tattoo from Gwenno, she demands a small bit of whatever clothing you are wearing, which she sews into her patchwork frock.

Rockabilly Witch by tumblr
user magraithepeachyguyart.

By all accounts Mary is a human.  Her tattoos are aesthetically in line with the artwork of Coop.  Her specialty is the Tattoo of the Useful Item.  These tattoos usually depict a flirtatious rockabilly devilgirl holding some sort of object.  The owner of the tattoo can peel the tattoo object off their skin and it turns into the real deal thing.  It can then be used for up to 1 hour (6 turns) and returned to the owner's skin.  If the time elapses or the object is used up/destroyed, the power is lost and the devil girl goes from winking wantonly to scowling and flipping the bird.  The following objects cost 500gp to ink and take up 1 tattoo slot (of the 6):

• dagger
• lantern (filled and lit)
• full length silver mirror
• 10' pole
• 50' rope
• empty large sack

These objects cost 1,500gp per tattoo, take up 2 tattoo slots, and require 2 sessions at the normal rate:

• bag of 100gp
• silver coffer (small chest) worth 500gp
• iron dungeon door
• gem of 100gp value
• wooden ladder, 24' long
• mule with saddle bags
• 10' pit
• potion of healing
• rowboat 12' long
• scroll with a random 1st level spell (for your class, if you're a spellcaster)
• 2-headed wardog
• window (2' x 4')
• small bonfire
• cask (contains 1-3 water, 4-5 wine, 6 brandy)
• 6 caltrops
• iron crowbar
• silver dagger
• mallet and 3 stakes
• haunch of meat (unknown animal)
• oak tree (30' tall)
• miner's pick
• rooster
• shovel
• wasp's nest w/~200 wasps

On a successful reaction roll Mary will design a custom tattoo for some other item.  This will cost 3,000gp, takes up 3 slots, requires 3 sessions, and the customer must supply the object in question.  The reaction roll is +1 if you have an interesting recipe to share, as Mary is always looking for new things to make in the kitchen.

Lost or damaged Useful Objects may be replaced at half the original cost, but there's a 1 in 6 chance that the touch-up work involved ruins the magic of the tattoo.

Lady Orc by Jaasif

The half-orc Gretcha is the youngest of the three and the other two call her the baby of the bunch, but she's also 6'3" and looks like she could bench press a Mack truck.  Her best tattoos are abstract, some featuring non-Euclidean geometry that seems to highlight extradimensional body parts that you didn't even know you had.  She's much more pleasant than her Resting Orcface would suggest, and chats merrily away with customers as she works.  Gretcha will discuss nearly any topic, possessing a wide-reaching knowledge of the world and its affairs that seems odd for someone so young.  One thing she will not discuss is her magical tattoos.  You pay d6 x 500gp, it takes d6 sessions and slots, and you take your chances on a random chart that you don't get to see.  Think of it as a Tattoo of Wonder.