The problem of a fertile imagination

We have just a single set of the old tattoos, and Sue has it with her at the Con (Epic Confusion). So, I am here remaking them to fit the new 2.0 way, which is a magic item needs to be playable without having to lay your hands on a spell card to make it work.

The tattoos are pretty straight forward and convert by shortening the text to fit in the box, but they work the same.

The tricky one is the Mark of the Shadows. The user is sliding into the shadows between the physical and spirit worlds and using it to see into both the physical world and into the spirit world, yet they are in neither, so they can not effect either, or be effected by either. It makes this tattoo into a way to survey enemy camps, bases or rooms, or to gather information. This is different than the classic spell, but I can fit it on a card. GM's will need to use 3.14 to make specific calls that will come up when the card is used, but that is what we have GM's for.

Are these shadows a nice safe place? Well, what happened to those who failed to get back out? Plus I know there is at least one monster in there with you. Their are also totally alien native shadow creatures in there. Wherever there is a space, something uses it. It may not turn out as slick and safe as you want. For the time being we are going to let the GM populate the shadows with creatures from their imaginations, just be aware, we will be adding some "stuff" in the distant future.

I have no idea what I could write on a card to help the GM, and the player, understand that chaos can strike anywhere.

Try this:
When someone enters Shadow Walk, by tattoo or spell, have them run into a crying man sitting on the floor. He watched his wife and family grow old and die, he watched his children, grandchildren and more, live and die. He watched the vast majority of the world die in the storms and wars after Deathday. He is mad, he wants just one thing, and that is to get out of the shadows so he can die too.

This should give the player an idea that all is not well in the shadows. I do not have a solution to the mans problem, but if a player comes up with a good, creative idea, let them get lucky and succeed. In my games good role-playing trumps dice rolls.