Tuesday Magic Item – Portrait of a Heroine

“Our new commander seems willing to take great risks,” said Voddick as he oiled the bow of his crossbow.

Gollaon finished tying a new grip on his dagger.  “Yes, but I think she has an angle.”

“The mysterious healing?”

“Exactly, I think someone is watching over her from afar.”

“Ah, your are thinking she has one of Cossalo’s portraits,” said Voddick waggling a bolt at his friend.

“Exactly and I had heard he was working in Eosiant.”

“And his apprentice was getting quite skilled as well.”

Portrait of a Heroine

These life-sized portraits are painted with the highest skill and usually present their subject in minimal clothing, it always presents their current physical state, showing wounds and injuries quite clearly. The backgrounds are vague and change as the subject travels, giving a clue to the subjects current location but never enough information to pinpoint it.

Beyond the obvious, the portrait acts as a conduit to its subject, allowing healing and curative spells cast on the image to effect the subject of the portrait.  This effect can reach anywhere on the same plane but not across them.

When the subject is slain, the image shows their death for a full day and then the portrait returns to the portrait first painted of the subject.  Once a day, the portrait may be asked a single question as if using a Speak with Dead spell.

Aura strong conjuration and necrourgy; CL 15th
Slot none; Price 35,000 (+250 per level of the subject when painted); Weight 70 lbs (or more, depending on frame)
Construction Requirements
Create Wondrous Item, clairvoyance, simalacrum, speak with dead, teleport; Cost 17,500 +250 per level of the subject when painted

For D&D 5E:

Wondrous item (portrait), very rare (requires attunement by subject)

As above.

Notes: Not enough has been done with magical artwork, so here is an attempt to change that.  I admit, I am unsure as to the pricing though.

Photo of Judith – 1504 – by Giorgione from the Hermitage Museum by Dennis Jarvis and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.