This is my second challenge for the HP fandom. I'm toying with using a similiar set-up for a Buffyverse fic, but my current HP fic is far too much fun for me to think about trying my hand at this one, so I lay it out to the fine authors and readers of the DLP.

*****​

#2: "Dude, Cool Tats!"

This challenge is a crossover with Palladium's Rifts RPG, specifically using the sourcebooks:

Rifts World Book 2:Atlantis
Rifts World Book 21: Splynn Dimensional Market
Rifts Book of Magic (All Tattoo Magic can be found in this compilation book)

The premise is that At some point post-GOF or post-OotP, Harry is somehow sucked into a dimensional portal (author's choice on how, why, and when this happens) into the world of Rifts Earth. He is captured by the Splugorth (transdimensional slavers that look kinda like Cthulhu, but smaller and bipedal) who train him as a Tattooed Man, a magical warrior slave (often unruly and rebellious, but prized as gladiators, guards, and thugs) whose magic powers are channeled through magic tattoos on their skin. This removes his ability to channel his magic in any other way, such as through a wand or with conventional HP methods. After several years (2-5, author's choice), Harry escapes and makes his way home through another dimensional vortex. At this point, he is older, wiser, perhaps angier or traumatized, but a hardened warrior ready to go after Voldemort and willing to be no one's pawn. Tattoo Magic is partially explained below.

Rules:
1.) No slash.
2.) Harry must leave and arrive back on his home dimension alone.
3.) Harry can bring nothing back from Rifts Earth other than his clothing, small inconsequential equipment, and himself.
4.) Harry was a slave, treated much like a prized attack dog, and this has marked him. (Somewhat like Backwards Compatible, without the weird-ass globe thingy and the Hermione obsession)
5.) Harry's friends are unable to relate to him after he comes back.
6.) Harry can do no magic that his tattoos do not allow. His magical potential is now tied inextricably to his tattoos.
7.) Harry is not a True Atlantean. (For those of you familiar with the game and setting).
8.) Harry can have no more than thirty tattoos in total, at least half of which have to be animal or monster tattoos (see below).
9.) Harry can have no more than five Monster tattoos, one of which must be a mount and not used for combat.

Tattoo Magic is a powerful form of channelling the innate magical power of a human into special tattoos, which take symbolic or stylized forms of the powers they represent.

The majority of tattoos are representations of animals or monsters. By touching or concentrating on the tattoo (which is permanent and can be used indefinitely), the tattoo disappears and reappears as a real-life animal or monster, the exact size and intelligence of a normal creature of that type, grey in colour. All animals or monsters "summoned" in this way retain all of their natural abilities. They look, feel and act just like real creatures. Once they are killed or if the magic is cancelled by the T-Man, they disappear and revert back to tattoos on the skin. Examples of animal tattoos include: African Lion, Wolf, Eagle, Poisonous Snake, Horse, Elephant, Dog, Raccoon, Bumblebee and any other mundane, normal animal.

Monster Tattoos include gryphons, unicorns, pegasi, and any magical creature from the Potterverse or the Rifts Megaverse. Monster tattoos are extremely powerful, but there is a drawback. Once a monster has been "killed" violently, the magical backlash hurts the T-man, so it hurts him a bit and can ruin his concentration in battle. Once a Monster or Animal has been killed, rather than cancelled, the tattoo cannot be used for an hour. All creatures created in this way are completely loyal to the T-Man, and will understand and follow any orders, though they function more as extremely well-trained pets than familiars. Creatures such as Acromantulas with intelligence or sentience comparable to humans cannot be chosen as tattoos, only creatures of normal, animal intelligence. This can be a judgement call when it comes to magical creatures in the Potterverse that are unnable to communicate with humans (for example, Phoenixes) or that can communicate but are not shown to be particularly sentient (for example, serpents). Dragons cannot be a tattoo.

The other side to Tattoo Magic are Power Tattoos. With these, a single symbolic tattoo gives the bearer a single magical power, such as flight or a healing touch. Further examples include: poisonous touch, shadow meld, temporary super-strength, temporary invulnerability, psionic immunity, see through illusions, casting lightning bolts, fire projection and immunity to fire, super-vision, etc. These powers are temporary, and must be activated to be benefited from.

Anyway, that's Mr. Merriman's Challenge #2. While not quite as fun as #1 (IMO, of course), this one would also make an exceptional, somewhat unique story if done justice by the right author. I'd really like to see this one, but I don't have the time to write it myself. Creativity can also make up for lack of familiarity with the source material that I drew these concepts from, so if you haven't heard of, played, or read any of the Rifts books, don't worry too much about it. I prefer to leave the majority of the real nuts and bolts of a story to the author anyway in my challenges.
There's another challenge using concepts from Nightbane that I was thinking about putting out, but for now I'll keep the details for that one under my hat, in case my muse strikes when I'm not looking. (Sneaky bitch does that a lot. Should have the first chapter of my HP fic out soon for review.)

*****​

 

Interesting. I am completely unfamiliar with the universe you are talking about, but it does sound good.

I can see the author using Harry's scar as a Power Tattoo. I can also see a large variety of serpent tattoo's coming down the line.

Easy to over power Harry in this, but twould be good if well done.

 

Mr. Merrimen, it is indeed an exceptional challenge, and as a rifts player I would like to see it done. I would also like to see it done "well" being the key word.

 

Hmm, while I am not particully knowegable about Rifts Earth, I was under the impression that since a Tatto attaches to more than the body, i.e. it attaches to the soul only a limited amount can be added on in a certain time frame. More importantly other people imprint the tatto's onto the Tattoo warrior, so Harry could not create his own Tattoos.

Its an interesting concept though and I would read it.

 

As to the number of tattoos, I simply used the template from the basic T-Man character class in Rifts, who has around two dozen or so. A T-Man is a character whose main power is his tattoos. Also, Harry did not put his own tattoos on, they were forced on him by the Splugorth slavers. In actuality, most tattoos are seen by the T-Men as brands, marks of slavery and indignity, no matter how much power they grant. Buying or downloading the Rifts Book of Magic is a great idea, since it has an in-depth explanation of tattoo magic and all tattoo powers. Of course, using the basic outline I've provided and a little creativity can suffice just as well.


Also, a category of Tattoo Magic that I forgot to put in the brief summary above is Weapon Tattoos. These can be any simple or archaic hand-to-hand weapon, such as a sword, dagger, staff, mace, etc. Adding flames to the weapon tattoo creates a weapon that does magical damage, and adding wings to the tattoo creates a weapon that returns to the hand of the T-Man after being thrown.

 

I just looked through the Rifts: Book at magic at the Tatoo section. While the concept itself is good, there is one thing about this challenge that I do not like. It is quite simply the fact that Harry cannot channel his magic through anything other than his Tattoo's. While I understand you did this to make the Tattoo's central the plot, and prevent moderatlly easy escape from wherever he ended up (most likely Atlantis), the fact that when Harry escapes it basiclly spells the end of his magical progression. While he can grow in power, the fact that he cannot learn/use conventional magic means he is limited to the say two dozen magical powers that correspond to his magic Tatto's. And while this is all well and good for him kicking Voldemorts ass, having him unable to make new magic tattos or something would just spoil it for me, it would remove the potential for growth that I like so much in stories.

(another note, If this takes place in Rifts Earth (where he is enslaved), you should take into account the vastly more powerful ambient magic in the world in comparison to the HP world. You could make that an interesting point if you wanted to. Perhaps Harry comes back feeling all confident that he could easily defeat Riddles Death Eaters, only to find that with the lower ambient magic level that He is not as powerful as he thought (still powerful but not able to take on all or even most of the Death Eaters at once?)

One thing that could be good is after Harry defeats Voldemort. What does he do? With the way you wrote it he is no longer really a wizard. He is a hardened warrior, and the 'Wizarding World' probably is not well suited for him. Does he go back to Rifts Earth, this time trying to take the fight to others?

 

The main reason that I decided to take his wizard magic away after giving him the tattoos is to limit the possibilities of Super!Harry, as well as following the rules for the T-Man character class. He gains a powerful and unique form of magic but loses his ability to perform "wizard magic."

An optional rule for this challenge could be that Harry loses his ability to progress or learn new spells in wizard magic, but keeps the ability to cast the spells he had already known. If using this rule, I would suggest limiting the tattoos even more than the original challenge, perhaps restricting it to simply animal and monster tattoos, without the weapon or power tats.

 

Yeah I can understand that. However if he escapes back to HP-earth, then his progression in magic is pretty much dead. Only the Sluggoth(sp?) really have the ability to inprint new tattoos, and if he escapes I doubt he would go back for new ones.

Im going to havea have another look at the class rules for T-Men, I did not see the part about loosing other magics.

I do like the idea of him loosing his 'wizard magic' though the fact that he looses the ability to do all magic kinda disapoints me. I understand why it is nessasary, its just that a Rifts Earth style spellcaster can be so cool at higher levels.

THough this challenge does bring up an idea of what a Harry growing up on Rifts Earth would be like if he returned to Hogwarts as a teenager(I think ill kick that idea around for a bit).