Manuscripts

[phphorse]

Has anyone figured out where these are/what they do yet? They were mentioned in the newsletter announcing the release of the expansion, but I'm yet to see hide nor hair of them in game. Interested in what they're used for and how they're acquired.

[Hound Archon]

You can make one by slotting a skill, an ink and a bunch of paper into a desk. The visitors will accept them instead of books if you don't have a book that satisfies their request, and the story resolutions can sometimes accept them too.

[beaver201]

Haven't had to write one yet, but the "spoiler-light" intro says they are for when guests want super-focused insight into a specific subject.

As for how (based on the little I've played around with them yet), grab some paper and ink, slot it in with a skill and BOOM, show off your intellect.

[AK]

Someone's suggested you should be able to use non-standard paper for them as well. There are a couple of design kinks here I need to think through, but I'll probably enable it in a patch.

[NathanHoltBeader]

So you don't need a soul aspect to make a manuscript? It never occurred to me to try it without one.

[beaver201]

Originally posted by NathanHoltBeader:

So you don't need a soul aspect to make a manuscript? It never occurred to me to try it without one.

I've written two so far, but it looks like a normal craft that requires an Element of the Soul card. It seems not to default to creating a Manuscript, meaning you will need to select that option, but it appears to always be the very first option in the crafting panel, even before recipes that have been in the game far longer. I haven't played around yet with whether you can force the Manuscript to be of a certain aspect or if it defaults to the primary aspect of the skill you're writing about or not (since skills have two aspects, of course)

[alvarofreitas]

In regard to Manuscripts, it seems you can use ink to double the skill level... but i tried it with one of my end game saves (Drums & Dances 9, marakat as ink), but just got a Manuscript with Nectar Mystery 9, whilst I hoped to get a Nectar 18 book (not for me, obviously, just for "NOW READ THIS BLOODY HIGH LEVEL MANUSCRIPT AND LEAVE ME ALONE, AUNTIE")

any chance it's not doubling as intended, or did i just misunderstand the tip?

[Hound Archon]

Originally posted by alvarofreitas:

In regard to Manuscripts, it seems you can use ink to double the skill level... but i tried it with one of my end game saves (Drums & Dances 9, marakat as ink), but just got a Manuscript with Nectar Mystery 9, whilst I hoped to get a Nectar 18 book (not for me, obviously, just for "NOW READ THIS BLOODY HIGH LEVEL MANUSCRIPT AND LEAVE ME ALONE, AUNTIE")

any chance it's not doubling as intended, or did i just misunderstand the tip?

The ink should match the skill's primary aspect. You'd have gotten a Heart 18 manuscript if you had used Perhibiate, Houndsgall or Orpiment Exultant instead.

[alvarofreitas]

OOOOOH i'm such a dumdum

Thank you, Hound Archon, may you get promoted to Sword Archon

[beaver201]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but in the two times I've written a Manuscript, it seems to spit out a value 1 fewer than the current Aspect level for that skill. The one time I tried it with an ink with a matching Aspect, it did indeed double it, but only after taking into account that (x-1) operation. This may only apply to the primary Aspect of the skill, but others may have tested this more than I.

My example: using Path & Pilgrim 2 (3 Rose, 2 Scale), I used an ink with Rose Aspect which gave me a Manuscript at Rose 4.

I have to think that's to keep manuscripts in line with the fact that most books seem to cap at difficulty/Aspect value 18, outside of multitudinous books, if memory serves.

[Hound Archon]

It checks the skill level, not the skill aspect power.