Cursed Portrait (D20 Modern Equipment)

Have you ever read The Picture of Dorian Gray? If you have, you know exactly where this is going. Otherwise, go read the story, but read this first.

Cursed Portrait

To create a Cursed Portrait, one must first procure a portrait of themselves. This portrait must have a wealth DC of 15 or more, and must have been created by a person with at least 5 ranks in Craft (Fine Art). Once this picture has been procured, the subject must become enthralled with their appearance in said picture. In effect, the character must have a Charisma score of at least 16. After this point, the character must bleed upon the portrait, and must wish never to grow old or ugly, and will that the picture take their pains and sorrows for them. This process deals 1d2 damage to the character and takes 10 minutes. They sacrifice 4 points of Wisdom and 2 points of Constitution in the process, but afterward they gain several outstanding abilities, listed below:

• The character ceases to age, becoming effectively immortal.
• The character gains DR 40/+2. Any damage avoided from this ability is transferred to the portrait.
• The character always succeeds on fortitude saves. The effects of whatever inspired the fortitude check are transferred in full to the portrait.
• The character gains 2 points of charisma.

Despite all of the profound benefits of the portrait, each and every one has a terrible curse. If the DM is running the sanity point system, then the character loses 40 sanity points for the duration of the portraits existence.

If not, the character takes a permanent -6 to all will saves. Also, the character loses all allegiances and gains one to the picture. If given a choice, they will act in the best interests of the picture instead of themselves.

When the picture is threatened, the character becomes an NPC until the picture is safe (DM's discretion).

Also, because the picture takes damage for the character, it becomes hideous to look at. Any person who fails a DC 20 will save when looking at it takes 10 sanity damage or a -2 to all will saves for the next four hours. Also, when the damage reduction of the character has absorbed more than 5000 damage, the portrait bursts into flames, instantly dealing 90 points of sanity damage to the subject and transferring all damage taken back to the character.

If the painting is ever damaged beyond repair, the character instantly takes however much damage the picture has absorbed and 10 points of permanent sanity drain. A character that dies as a result of this damage can never be raised, by any means. If the character goes insane as a result of sanity damage from viewing the picture on a regular basis, no amount of care or treatment can cure them.

Note: When the painting is destroyed, the body of the subject becomes horribly disfigured, becoming an unholy object. The area in a 15 foot radius of the body has an unhallow effect on it, as per the spell, and viewing the body deals 20 sanity damage or a -4 to all will saves for the next 24 hours. Characters who fail a DC 15 will save are unable to sleep for the next 1d10 days and are nauseated for that period.

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