The definition of savant

[Stormgate he/him]

Due to Spook's POV's in HoA, there has been some confusion about what exactly a savant is.

It is generally accepted that an Allomantic savant is someone who has burned a metal for a long period of time, warping their soul and giving them increased power from that metal.

However, there is some issue about the implied dependence of the savant on their metal. In HoA, Spook says that without tin, he seems blind, deaf. However, he also says something along the lines of "this was how normal people sensed the world."

Spook only was dependent on tin because he was used to the sensations, painful though it was.

There are likely more savants than Spook in Mistborn. Clubs may have been, Breeze almost certainly was, and Marsh was almost said outright as a savant.

Waxillium Ladrian is a steel savant. His 'steel bubble' is something that few Coinshots have been able to do. I believe that there is a WoB confirming as much, but I don't know where it is.

A savant does not have dependence on their metal, only increased precision and strength in it.

[hoidhunter he/him]

It's both.

I have a lot to say on this subject...but I'm mobile.

All behavior is habit forming...and fueling your super power is going to be no different.

So even with no physical cost...you can get used to having a crazy ability...and feel naked without it.

Like (assuming you can hear) if you suddenly went deaf. You're not addicted to hearing (chemically)...but NOT being able to hear would mess up your day.

In allomancy, it depends on the metal. Flaring pewter all the time can make you die when you stop...but flaring copper all the time just makes your bubble bigger...(unless it also makes you grouchy and paranoid...look in at you clubs)

That being said...there is definitely a pattern of characters describing the actual danger of depending on investiture.

Kaladin internally mentions several times that being without stormlight feels "bad".

Just sayin'

[Yata he/him]

Maybe just the metal that affected the body will change it deeply through the Savantism.

 

One example is Spook with the Tin, another is the "no pain" of a Pewter Savant, probably a Pewter Savant don't feels pain never, not only while he burned the metal.

[Bugsy he/him]

Maybe just the metal that affected the body will change it deeply through the Savantism.

 

One example is Spook with the Tin, another is the "no pain" of a Pewter Savant, probably a Pewter Savant don't feels pain never, not only while he burned the metal.

You'd think they'd feel much more intense pain without the metal burning, as they'd be used to having a painkiller on 24/7 in the form of pewter, making them much more sensitive when they lacked it

[Necromancer he/him]

Breeze almost certainly was

 

I believe when he curled up in the battle of Luthadel, Breeze's coherency yet inability to so much as move to run away was evidence that he is a savant. Perhaps all that soothing constantly occurring made him susceptible to trauma more easily or he was just emotionally detached, able to see the situation clearly through his break-down.

[Stormgate he/him]

Or he just had a breakdown.

[Necromancer he/him]

Just as possible, if not more likely. 

 

I just thought that because his thoughts were so calm and he was still able to soothe the soldiers around him. Almost as if his body was being controlled by a separate mind. 

[hoidhunter he/him]

I have this really long analogy that I use to describe savantism to friends who are not into the cosmere.

 

I'm not going to repeat the whole thing.  But...

 

Using allomancy is like flowing water.  The more you use it, the more it erodes the ground, the more water can flow.  Eventually a ditch becomes a river and can move incredible amounts of water...however...where a few tens of gallons of water a minute fills the ditch, only a few tens of gallons a minute seems like a bare trickle in a river.

Edited March 23, 2016 by hoidhunter

[Muzgrob]

Wax was confirmed as a savant in one of the Alloy of Law annotations. Here

He gives a brief little definition that they're people who have burned their metal so often and for long that they have an almost instinctive control over the abilities.
An epigraph in HoA states that most bronze mistings end up becoming savants, so Clubs almost certainly was. Especially given the stated effect was an increased range and Clubs is one of the best 'Smokers' in Luthadel(I would assume).

 

So, from what I can see all savants aren't necessarily dependant... But the changes to certain ones physiology such as pewter and tin would almost certainly make them dependant on the metal. Savantism is more an adeptness with the metal from constant flaring/practice.

[natc]

I think we jumped a logical step here. Smokers burn almost nonstop for a job, so most becoming savant is pretty likely. But they aren't bronze mistings anyhow, so that line has no impact on proving the savant state of Clubs.

[Bugsy he/him]

I have a feeling he meant copper mistings, but bronze mistings likely became savants too as they worked for the ministry to find Skaa allomancers or worked for the Skaa trying to sense any incoming Allomantic attack, both of which would require a near continuous burn

Edited March 24, 2016 by Bugsy6912

[Muzgrob]

Apologies, I did mean Copper. That's what I get for not proof reading.

[Stormgate he/him]

But bronze Mistings pare probably commonly savants, since they can easily tell which metal a pulse is coming from. Vin could easily, but she had the spike. And occasionally duralumin.

[natc]

Bronze mistings are commonly savants, it's a known fact.

Not exactly something anyone would try to discuss.

[Your3rdShadow he/him]

When you get the Mistborn Adventure Game rulebook pdf, it comes with a loosely related collection of short stories that take place in the Final Empire era, one of them is about a metallurgist that supplied savants, most suffer withdrawal like symptoms after going so long without burning their metal, and exhibit either more power, or control with their particular metals. The metallurgist had only ever met one electrum savant(he quit helping shortly after, too dangerous) that could see a couple days into the future and chat with himself about events in between. Could you imagine how useful that would be?

[Oversleep]

Seeing several days into future is probably impossible. Rusts, we don't even know if it's possible with duralumin! Elend saw at least an hour into future, but we don't actually know how far. Savantism or no savantism, it's non canon.