Hemalurgy Plus Sandmastery would be OP

[Trusk'our he/him]

I just thought of this a little earlier, but if a skilled Sandmaster were to learn Hemalurgy, they could be very dangerous; they could use their ribbons of sand to wield spikes to stab with great speed and precision (from a relatively safe distance) and charge those spikes, allowing them to cause spiritual injuries to opponents and to simultaneously charge their spikes for personal use.

Very powerful combo.

[Treamayne]

42 minutes ago, Trusk'our said:

I just thought of this a little earlier, but if a skilled Sandmaster were to learn Hemalurgy, they could be very dangerous; they could use their ribbons of sand to wield spikes to stab with great speed and precision (from a relatively safe distance) and charge those spikes, allowing them to cause spiritual injuries to opponents and to simultaneously charge their spikes for personal use.

Very powerful combo.

I think that either assumes a stationary/unconcious target or a level of skill unseen by anybody thus far. For example, it takes Kenton (the most skilled Sand master with a single ribbon in precision and speed), who can reliably hit 2 dozen Lak (presumably about 1" diameter, based on the images in the omnibus) on the fly with his one ribbon multiple tries to strike the Ka'Rak in the sword wound to get passed the Terken carapace. A hemalurgic bind point is a target less than the 1/4 that size and missing by fractions of an inch changes the result or fails altogether - the chances of hitting a 1/8 inch spot (or smaller) on a moving target with a sand-wielded spike - especially when those bind-points are biogically derived, and therefore not a direct correlation person to person seems. . . rather slim.

Spoiler

Quote

Brandon Sanderson

So, since I was doing other things.  Hemalurgy-when you spike, you place the spike in a place that determines which charge the spike gets.  

Kythis

Through the heart seems to pick up universally.

Brandon Sanderson

It depends on where in the heart. It's like acupuncture. This was designed from acupuncture and you get very specific on which nerve you're hitting and things like that

This is the resource I studied to become a Tai Chi instructor (don't let the name fool you - it's not based on bad dubbed films)

• The Encyclopedia of Dim Mak

For example, the basic measurement for finding most meridian points is the cun, which may be based on either the width of the thumb at the knuckle or the length of middle bone of the middle finger (Medial Plalange). A point like Sp19 (possible location of Zane's spike that did not pierce his heart) is the third intercostal space - 6 cun lateral to the midline (Conceptor Vessel (Cv) meridian)

So, finding and hitting a point the size of a pencil eraser (or smaller) on a clothed and moving target would take a very specialized set of skills and is still likely to be unreliable at best.

Edited October 19, 2023 by Treamayne
SPAG

[alder24]

9 hours ago, Trusk'our said:

I just thought of this a little earlier, but if a skilled Sandmaster were to learn Hemalurgy, they could be very dangerous; they could use their ribbons of sand to wield spikes to stab with great speed and precision (from a relatively safe distance) and charge those spikes, allowing them to cause spiritual injuries to opponents and to simultaneously charge their spikes for personal use.

Very powerful combo.

I thought the same but about Awakening - Awaken a Mistcloak and attach a thin metal spike to the end of each ribbon - with a proper command and visualization, the cloak might be able to steal some attributes/abilities by precision striking the heart (it can catch an arrow midair, it can definitely put a spike a proper binding point), and your visualization might be the provider of intent, if the Awaken cloak itself can't provide it.

That's a good way to steal Breaths and identity of your opponents, or tbf just kill them and take a little souvenir with you - like a whole bunch of Breaths so they won't get wasted with their death.

Of course, if the intent can be provided here in some way.