Which Creatures Hate Self Portraits?

[unseenmage]

Once upon a time I had a gnome artificer with infinite gold. He'd go around sketching blueprints of any creature he saw so he could make an effigy or clockwork or whatever of it later.

He talked a shadow dragon, the Simbul, and even an aboleth on a mechanical landsled into posing for him.


Was reminiscing and started wondering; which creatures as written would actually take offense at his hobby?


Common criminals come to mind, no one wants to pose for a portrait, even a weird artificer's blueprint portrait, when they're on the run.

Beholders too. One doubts that any likeness drawn by an inferior humanoid hand could satisfy their self aggrandizement.

How would NPCs in your games react to a little gnomish blueprint portraiture?

[Deophaun]

Oh, I think beholders would love self portraits. The problem is, no portrait would ever come close to capturing their perfection, so they would be forced to disintegrate the being that created the insulting rendition.

[smetzger]

Vampires. Or maybe Vampires like portraits because they can't see themselves in a mirror?

[HouseRules]

Selphie's (https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Selphie_Tilmitt) Selfie (https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/726550-selfie)

Vampire cannot take selfie since it is not possible to capture their image. But Vampires want to have selfies.

Beholder hate Self Portraits because a self portrait would cause the beholder to spawn a child (another beholder) and they would try to kill that child.

[Ruethgar]

Off the top of my head, an Allip. If it killed itself in suicidal madness, I can't imagine it would be terribly appreciative of the artificer recreating it. There are probably other forms of undead that would act similar. A lot of this I feel would be up to individual preference. Volodni are a specific one that would probably attack you for asking, similar with the Ashborn of Eberron. Other nature themed creatures might take exception to it, but I suppose it might also have to do with your intentions for them. For example making a zoo of robots instead of actual creatures could be viewed as less cruel and a good thing to promote education about the natural world.

[Eldaran]

Why do you call them self portraits when they're clearly not of your self?

[the_david]

A medusa would love to have a portrait...

[Malphegor]

I reckon most privately minded people wouldn’t be happy. Knowing the likeness of something allows someone to scry on that person more easily... So if something intelligent has an accurate effigy of itself made, then those who see that effigy could then use a crystal ball to watch that person forever.

[unseenmage]

I reckon most privately minded people wouldn’t be happy. Knowing the likeness of something allows someone to scry on that person more easily... So if something intelligent has an accurate effigy of itself made, then those who see that effigy could then use a crystal ball to watch that person forever.
That... had not occured to me. I rarely dabble in the divinatory so I missed this angle completely.

[hamishspence]

Or maybe Vampires like portraits because they can't see themselves in a mirror?

That's certainly how Warhammer did it - with the Von Carstein castle Drakenhof being lined with portraits of the vampires, made for them by a great painter.

[Torpin]

these are portraits, not self portaits

[hamishspence]

these are portraits, not self portaits

Despite the title, the OP seems to be referring simply to portraits:


Once upon a time I had a gnome artificer with infinite gold. He'd go around sketching blueprints of any creature he saw so he could make an effigy or clockwork or whatever of it later.

He talked a shadow dragon, the Simbul, and even an aboleth on a mechanical landsled into posing for him.


Was reminiscing and started wondering; which creatures as written would actually take offense at his hobby?


Common criminals come to mind, no one wants to pose for a portrait, even a weird artificer's blueprint portrait, when they're on the run.

Beholders too. One doubts that any likeness drawn by an inferior humanoid hand could satisfy their self aggrandizement.

How would NPCs in your games react to a little gnomish blueprint portraiture?

[Remuko]

these are portraits, not self portaits

portraits of themself not made by themself. its arguing semantics when it should be clear what the OP actually meant.

[Xania]

Oh, I think beholders would love self portraits. The problem is, no portrait would ever come close to capturing their perfection, so they would be forced to disintegrate the being that created the insulting rendition.


That also applies to dragons.

Mites would probably think that a portrait is making fun of them.

[St Fan]

Any especially vain or deluded creatures thinking they're a paragon of beauty would be offended by a realistic portrait. Hags notably come to mind.

Other might have religious objections about it.