The Vayne Portrait
This trap takes the form
of an oil painting housed in an ornate gilt frame. The painting is a
portrait, but the subject of the painting appears differently to each
viewer. When initially encountered, the portrait is veiled by a
sumptuous red curtain. The ground immediately at the foot of the
portrait acts as a pressure plate; anyone stepping into that area
activates a hidden mechanism that unveils the portrait.
Once unveiled, the
portrait appears to be an aesthetically-pleasing image of the viewer.
At first, they see themselves in the prime of their youth; even if
they never possessed physical beauty, the painting shows hidden
aspects of their comeliness that they never imagined possible.
However, the beautiful
portrait soon turns foul and degenerate. Before the viewers' eyes
they see the weight of their secret sins corrupt their visage. Each
round that a person is exposed to the Vayne Portrait they must make a
saving throw vs. poison or lose one point from an attribute. The
first round a save is failed means that the viewer loses a point of
constitution, on the second they lose a point of wisdom, on the third
they lose a point of strength, and then the cycle begins anew.
Characters who fail their initial saving throw are enthralled by the
painting and unable to act as it siphons-off their mortal vitality.
If any of the viewers'
attributes drop to 0 because of the portrait's effects they lose
their humanity entirely and become a monster under the control of the
GM. A character who passes their saving throw at any point may act
freely and can break the portrait's power over other viewers by
veiling it, obscuring it from view, or blinding the viewers. Note
that attacking the portrait is ill-advised; any attack against the
canvas means that the remaining enthralled viewers must make a saving
throw vs. poison or die immediately—anyone who fails this save will
have their body contorted into the wrecked visage they saw displayed
on the canvas as a record of their hidden sins.
Oh how cruel for me to know
ReplyDeleteEach breath will take beauty away
If I stayed young and the picture turned old
For that I would give everything
When our eyes first met I should have left the room
I was growing cold and pale
Fatality, the picture's a mirror
But to whom does it belong?
Somehow I had never heard that before.
DeleteDemons and Wizards - Touched by the Crimson King
DeleteBest album I've ever purchased based on cover art alone. Always gets me hungry to roll dice.