Shardweapon damage

[Maximus]

So I was thinking about different types of shardweapons. So far we have only seen swords, but I believe we have WoB that other types are possible. 

 

Let's look at the kind of damage a shardblade inflicts. If it's a living object it doesn't affect the physical, but it seems to either cut the spiritual/cognitive aspect or perhaps it severs the connection between the physical and the spiritual or something. This brings up several interesting questions:

 

1) What is the fundamental definition of "living" that it uses to distinguish?

 

2) Would thunderclasts, for example, count as living?

 

3) Does it cut spren?

 

Furthermore, all this damage seems directly related to cutting, for example, the effects happen if the blade passes through a limb, or through the spine. This brings up questions related to other types of damage:

 

4) What happens if you hit someone with the flat of a shardblade?

 

5) Is it the same as if you hit them with a shardhammer?

 

6) What about poking them with a shardspear?

 

Finally, a shardblade can cut through nonliving matter nearly effortlessly. How does it do this?

 

7) Is just a supermagically thin and strong physical blade?

 

8) or is it perhaps separating the cognitive manifestations of the objects and transmitting that change to the physical plane? Or something 

 

Thoughts?

[bartbug he/him]

I've always thought about stuff like that, especially flat of shardblade. Equally important, I think, is the hilt. Is it invincible? Because there are a whole host of possibilities that could come with that.

[stratix]

One thing I am pretty sure on.  Brandon Sanderson always limits his magic.  I am just excited to see what the limitations of these shardblades are.  So many unknowns about them!

[el_warko he/him]

Also, if a shardbearer were use the weapon on themselves, would it do the whole soul cut thing or are they attuned to the weilder and consequently could be used to from blood pacts?

 

I for one, am not prepared to be a guinea pig in this important science experiment.  I nominate Araman to conduct teh research adn post his findings to the group.

 

So I was thinking about different types of shardweapons. So far we have only seen swords, but I believe we have WoB that other types are possible. 

 

Let's look at the kind of damage a shardblade inflicts. If it's a living object it doesn't affect the physical, but it seems to either cut the spiritual/cognitive aspect or perhaps it severs the connection between the physical and the spiritual or something. This brings up several interesting questions:

 

1) What is the fundamental definition of "living" that it uses to distinguish?

 

2) Would thunderclasts, for example, count as living?

 

3) Does it cut spren?

 

Furthermore, all this damage seems directly related to cutting, for example, the effects happen if the blade passes through a limb, or through the spine. This brings up questions related to other types of damage:

 

4) What happens if you hit someone with the flat of a shardblade?

 

5) Is it the same as if you hit them with a shardhammer?

 

6) What about poking them with a shardspear?

 

Finally, a shardblade can cut through nonliving matter nearly effortlessly. How does it do this?

 

7) Is just a supermagically thin and strong physical blade?

 

8) or is it perhaps separating the cognitive manifestations of the objects and transmitting that change to the physical plane? Or something 

 

Thoughts?

 

My own thoughts:

 

1) living is somthing that touches both the cognitive and physical planes

 

2) yes, pretty sure they would as they were/will be used extensively against them. see thunderclasts cousins, chasmfiends

 

3) possibly, as spren are mostly cognitive they might not, most spen would be pretty hard ot hit regardless.  Bullseying Womp rats and all that.

 

4) it would hurt

 

5) it would hurt lots and point 6 below

 

6) localised death i.e. organs/muscle groups and the like

 

7) i think you're right with 8.

 

8) see 7.