Help with a Spell: Hide To Parchments

[Dunia]

In the Covenants Book (Page 96) there is a spell called Hide to Parchments. I am curious if this spell creates Vellum or ordinary parchments. Both words are mentioned, but it can come from any animal hide, not just calves and kids. So my question is this: Can I use any hide to make vellum with the use of this spell?

I do not wish to post the entire spell here, as it is not mine

[Berengar]

@Dunia

In the Covenants Book (Page 96) there is a spell called Hide to Parchments. I am curious if this spell creates Vellum or ordinary parchments. Both words are mentioned, but it can come from any animal hide, not just calves and kids. So my question is this: Can I use any hide to make vellum with the use of this spell?

I do not wish to post the entire spell here, as it is not mine

The spell Hide to Parchment is a craft spell (see box on Covenants p.49, spell Guidelines on p.50), hence its result is determined by the raw materials it processes. Covenant p.84 gives the common definition of vellum: "made from the skins of calves and kids".
So if the result of Hide to Parchment is to be vellum, the input needs to be "skins of calves and kids". Since the spell's description talks of vellum all the time, we may assume it is made to process "skins of calves and kids". Using the spell on asses' hides instead would then result in poor quality parchment.

Cheers

[Dunia]

@One Shot

The spell Hide to Parchment is a craft spell (see box on Covenants p.49, spell Guidelines on p.50), hence its result is determined by the raw materials it processes. Covenant p.84 gives the common definition of vellum: "made from the skins of calves and kids".
So if the result of Hide to Parchment is to be vellum, the input needs to be "skins of calves and kids". Since the spell's description talks of vellum all the time, we may assume it is made to process "skins of calves and kids". Using the spell on asses' hides instead would then result in poor quality parchment.

Cheers

Thanks.

But it would be possible, wouldn't it, to create a Muto Animal ritual to permanently change say pig hides to that of calves and kids so that the pig skins you have become calf skins, and then use "hide to Parchment" and get vellum. Though it is a costly thing, Vis-wise, but some covenants do not have the ability to buy or produce vellum.

[Tellus]

@Dunia

But it would be possible, wouldn't it, to create a Muto Animal ritual to permanently change say pig hides to that of calves and kids so that the pig skins you have become calf skins, and then use "hide to Parchment" and get vellum. Though it is a costly thing, Vis-wise, but some covenants do not have the ability to buy or produce vellum.

The 5th edition isn't too happy with permanent Muto effects.
But if you're willing to spend Vis anyway, just use Creo - more specifically CrAn T: Group and get lots of finished Vellum.

[Ramidel]

Permanent Muto breaks the Limit of Essential Nature, to be precise. An ass will always be essentially an ass, even if changed into a calf, unless you want to get fancy with non-Hermetic effects.

[Berengar]

@Tellus

@Dunia

But it would be possible, wouldn't it, to create a Muto Animal ritual to permanently change say pig hides to that of calves and kids so that the pig skins you have become calf skins, and then use "hide to Parchment" and get vellum. Though it is a costly thing, Vis-wise, but some covenants do not have the ability to buy or produce vellum.

The 5th edition isn't too happy with permanent Muto effects.
But if you're willing to spend Vis anyway, just use Creo - more specifically CrAn T: Group and get lots of finished Vellum.

Quite so.
Given the near omnipresence of goats in the middle ages, I would, however, wonder about a covenant spending Vis to transform or create hides instead of increasing their herds of sheep or goat. Yes, a small deserted island might not feed a herd of goats - but even dense woodlands our mountaineous regions would.
Goat kids make fine vellum, just as lambs. The problem is rather the number of skins needed for a single book, and the resultant size of herds and pastures.

Cheers

[Lamech]

Permanent Muto affects are totally possible with a well placed botch! Maybe an area of original research...

You can also do an until duration with something like "until slain" or "until dispelled" or "until someone who isn't supposed to tries to copy from the book". This is actually probably a good reason to spend the vis. Turn a pile of leaves into vellum, with the terminating condition of "someone tries to copy the writing". Then issue the book under calf and cow.

[Tellus]

@Lamech

You can also do an until duration with something like "until slain" or "until dispelled" or "until someone who isn't supposed to tries to copy from the book". This is actually probably a good reason to spend the vis. Turn a pile of leaves into vellum, with the terminating condition of "someone tries to copy the writing". Then issue the book under calf and cow.

I like this one!
D: Until is fun

[Lamech]

It gets even better when you realize transforming the soul and transforming the body mean that the other two potential conditions, Death and Twilight, never need to happen to a Merinita.