For those obsessed with RAW this is the description of scrolls copied from the DMG:
"Most scrolls are spells stored in written form, while a few bear unique incantations that produce potent wards. Whatever its contents, a scroll is a roll of paper, sometimes attached to wooden rods, and typically kept safe in a tube of ivory, jade, leather, metal, or wood. A scroll is a consumable magic item. Whatever the nature of the magic contained in a scroll, unleashing that magic requires the user to read the scroll. When its magic has been invoked, the scroll can’t be used again. Its words fade, or it crumbles into dust. Unless a scroll’s description says otherwise, any creature that can understand a written language can read the script on a scroll and attempt to activate it."
...and this is the description of the feat Keen Mind:
"You have a mind that can track time, direction, and detail with uncanny precision. You gain the following benefits.
Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You always know which way is north.
You always know the number of hours left before the next sunrise or sunset.
You can accurately recall anything you have seen or heard within the past month."
With those two passages in mind, would it be plausible that a caster having photographic memory from the Keen Mind feat, be able to read a scroll (not cast from it), then later adding it to a spellbook from his accurate memory of the scroll's contents? Rules state that when a scroll is copied into a spellbook, the scroll is rendered blank, so I can see that if the caster scribes the scroll from memory, that knowledge from his mind is similarly forgotten to maintain balance, but the original scroll, since it was not used in the copying process, is left untouched.
Not looking to do this, btw... just a logic puzzle to wonder if it's possible, which of course anything is with DM approval. Just interested in hearing thoughts about it.
There are defined ways to scribe a spell into a spellbook, and "from memory," even with Keen Mind, is not one of those ways.
Scribing a scroll into a spellbook is evidently some kind of ambiguous magical process that requires more than just the knowledge of the spell. Otherwise the scroll wouldn't be destroyed after being transcribed, since that's generally not how words work. Scrolls aren't just receptacles for knowledge about spells, they're magical items in and of themselves.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
For those obsessed with RAW this is the description of scrolls copied from the DMG:
"Most scrolls are spells stored in written form, while a few bear unique incantations that produce potent wards. Whatever its contents, a scroll is a roll of paper, sometimes attached to wooden rods, and typically kept safe in a tube of ivory, jade, leather, metal, or wood. A scroll is a consumable magic item. Whatever the nature of the magic contained in a scroll, unleashing that magic requires the user to read the scroll. When its magic has been invoked, the scroll can’t be used again. Its words fade, or it crumbles into dust. Unless a scroll’s description says otherwise, any creature that can understand a written language can read the script on a scroll and attempt to activate it."
Just keep in mind that this "description of scrolls" comes from a section of the DMG which is listing and providing some initial information about the various Magic Item Categories that exist in the game. Scroll is one category of magic items. The list of such categories is this: "armor, potions, rings, rods, scrolls, staffs, wands, weapons, or wondrous items."
The point is that not all scrolls are magic items such as spell scrolls, just like not all rods or staffs or rings in the world are magic items. The above description is a description of all scrolls that are magic items, including but not limited to the spell scroll item.
While not everyone agrees with this, there is a valid interpretation that the information for a magic spell can exist on a scroll that is not magical. A Wizard could copy this spell into his spellbook and the mundane scroll is not destroyed in the process. However, such a scroll can not be used to cast the spell directly, since only a consumable item such as a spell scroll has that capability.
Under this interpretation, a creature with the Keen Mind could simply write down what he has memorized onto a blank mundane scroll and then use that written information in his spell scribing process to add the spell to his spellbook.
As a general rule of thumb, the answer to "can this feature that tangentially relates to text information or ink bypass the printed requirements for scribing a spell in a spellbook" is "no"; the description of the components is a mixture of abstraction of the concept of applied research and fluff while the time, cost, and source requirements are RAW. Only the Wizard subclass features that explicitly refer to points in the process alter that process. Anything that doesn't explicitly say it alters the process does not, by RAW.
One common bit about spell scrolls is that what's written on the scroll is the equivalent of shorthand or an executable derived from a source code- anyone who meets whatever requirements are set by the edition can pick the scroll up and use it because most of the work has been done ahead of time. You can think of the Arcana check you make as attempting to reverse engineer the setup from running the effect of the spell in a controlled way.
Basically, what's written on a spell scroll is not the same as the entire formula you'd find in a spellbook.
I agree with the answers given. Just to add here a tweet from the Dev (link to sageadvice.eu):
@attacop Does a wizard with the Keen Mind feat have unrestricted prepared spells? @JeremyECrawford The Keen Mind feat isn't meant to change how a wizard's spell preparation works.
And this one (link to sageadvice.eu) from Matthew Mercer (Critical Role), just for curious readers:
@GaiGazimon How do you balance Keen Mind with Wizards? By reading what Keen Mind does, it would allow for a Wizard to just see a spell being used and then can use it themselves. @matthewmercer There is MUCH MORE to casting a spell beyond a gesture and a sound. The mind of the mage has memorized elaborate equations and glyphs they weave in their mind’s eye as they cast it. Just seeing a spell be cast wouldn’t enable you to.
For those obsessed with RAW this is the description of scrolls copied from the DMG:
"Most scrolls are spells stored in written form, while a few bear unique incantations that produce potent wards. Whatever its contents, a scroll is a roll of paper, sometimes attached to wooden rods, and typically kept safe in a tube of ivory, jade, leather, metal, or wood. A scroll is a consumable magic item. Whatever the nature of the magic contained in a scroll, unleashing that magic requires the user to read the scroll. When its magic has been invoked, the scroll can’t be used again. Its words fade, or it crumbles into dust. Unless a scroll’s description says otherwise, any creature that can understand a written language can read the script on a scroll and attempt to activate it."
...and this is the description of the feat Keen Mind:
"You have a mind that can track time, direction, and detail with uncanny precision. You gain the following benefits.
With those two passages in mind, would it be plausible that a caster having photographic memory from the Keen Mind feat, be able to read a scroll (not cast from it), then later adding it to a spellbook from his accurate memory of the scroll's contents? Rules state that when a scroll is copied into a spellbook, the scroll is rendered blank, so I can see that if the caster scribes the scroll from memory, that knowledge from his mind is similarly forgotten to maintain balance, but the original scroll, since it was not used in the copying process, is left untouched.
Not looking to do this, btw... just a logic puzzle to wonder if it's possible, which of course anything is with DM approval. Just interested in hearing thoughts about it.
There are defined ways to scribe a spell into a spellbook, and "from memory," even with Keen Mind, is not one of those ways.
Scribing a scroll into a spellbook is evidently some kind of ambiguous magical process that requires more than just the knowledge of the spell. Otherwise the scroll wouldn't be destroyed after being transcribed, since that's generally not how words work. Scrolls aren't just receptacles for knowledge about spells, they're magical items in and of themselves.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Just keep in mind that this "description of scrolls" comes from a section of the DMG which is listing and providing some initial information about the various Magic Item Categories that exist in the game. Scroll is one category of magic items. The list of such categories is this: "armor, potions, rings, rods, scrolls, staffs, wands, weapons, or wondrous items."
The point is that not all scrolls are magic items such as spell scrolls, just like not all rods or staffs or rings in the world are magic items. The above description is a description of all scrolls that are magic items, including but not limited to the spell scroll item.
While not everyone agrees with this, there is a valid interpretation that the information for a magic spell can exist on a scroll that is not magical. A Wizard could copy this spell into his spellbook and the mundane scroll is not destroyed in the process. However, such a scroll can not be used to cast the spell directly, since only a consumable item such as a spell scroll has that capability.
Under this interpretation, a creature with the Keen Mind could simply write down what he has memorized onto a blank mundane scroll and then use that written information in his spell scribing process to add the spell to his spellbook.
As a general rule of thumb, the answer to "can this feature that tangentially relates to text information or ink bypass the printed requirements for scribing a spell in a spellbook" is "no"; the description of the components is a mixture of abstraction of the concept of applied research and fluff while the time, cost, and source requirements are RAW. Only the Wizard subclass features that explicitly refer to points in the process alter that process. Anything that doesn't explicitly say it alters the process does not, by RAW.
One common bit about spell scrolls is that what's written on the scroll is the equivalent of shorthand or an executable derived from a source code- anyone who meets whatever requirements are set by the edition can pick the scroll up and use it because most of the work has been done ahead of time. You can think of the Arcana check you make as attempting to reverse engineer the setup from running the effect of the spell in a controlled way.
Basically, what's written on a spell scroll is not the same as the entire formula you'd find in a spellbook.
I agree with the answers given. Just to add here a tweet from the Dev (link to sageadvice.eu):
And this one (link to sageadvice.eu) from Matthew Mercer (Critical Role), just for curious readers: