skinchanger and clothes

[ezzelino]

@OneShot

It is specified for Bjornaer heartbeasts on HoH:MC p.22 Changing Form: "The clothes and possessions of the magus do not transform with him." So you can derive the effects of the weaker kinds of shapechanging from it.

I would disagree, in the sense that I don't think one can automatically derive the mechanics of skinchanger from those of heartbeasts. For at least three reasons:

1. The skinchanger effect is closer to that enacted by Hermetic spellcasting than that enacted by a Heartbeast, and Hermetic spellcasting does allow minor stuff to change along.

2. Having a Heartbeast is generally superior to being a Skinchanger. Since they are both Minor Virtues, you might want to give Skinchanger a little slack and allow clothes to change.

3. For what it's worth, in old editions of Ars Magica shapeshifters' (N.B. not skinchangers', but still...) clothes and small items did explicitly change along.