Millions of metals

[Just another guyn]

I assume Every shard can combine with the regular 16 metals to form 16 new alomantic alloys (as can every shard combination because harmony and harmonium) then there are a total 1,048,576 possible alomantic metals and powers if all sixteen shards and their combinations are used. This includes the known god metals.

this is based on the facts that: It has been confirmed by Brandon that what ruin is to atium, Honor is to shardblades

Based on the formula

File:Https://www.mathsisfun.com/combinatorics/images/cn.svg

Where N is the number of shards and are can equal any whole number between 1 and 16 (sixteen shards) plus the additional non god metals as one more combination, the following determines the maximum number of allomantic alloys

(65535 + 1) * 16 = 1,048,576

[Pagerunner]

Objection!

1. Without the Shard in question actively Investing in Scadrial, it's possible that a god metal is Allomantically inert. So, because Honor is on Roshar, an Allomancer burning a piece of a Shardblade might give you nothing at all, and same for all potential 'Tanavastium' alloys.
2. Furthermore, we suppose that we have seen a new god metal on Scadrial in Shadows of Self. But, its Hemalurgic properties appear very similar to atium's. So, maybe the different god metals don't all do different things.
3. And also, there is a distinct possibility that an alloy of god metals does not itself have alloys with regular metals. I speculate that harmonium is a nuclear combination of atium and lerasium, not an atium/lerasium alloy, but we don't even know if harmonium alloys exist.

So, while the mathmatical potential is indeed there for an obscene amount of metals and alloys, I say we'll need to think much smaller than that. Brandon says the actual number of metals is closer to 50.

But it can be a fun avenue to explore, although I wouldn't want to try to figure out over a million different powers. (Oh, and then you need to triple that for Feruchemy and Hemalurgy.)

Oh, and by the way, welcome to the Shard!

[DarkJester]

0_o *watches as @Pagerunner drops the mic and walks away...* 

Ummm... Welcome to the shard... Have a cookie?

[Just another guyn]

In response to 1.

 

 

https://www.tor.com/2016/02/05/brandon-sanderson-answers-your-audible-live-chat-questions/

Question: Is the metal on Scadrial specially invested? Can an Allomancer use metals from other planets?

Brandon: Metal is a key, not the source of power itself. Most is not specially invested. It glows because of the power seeking to come through it, not because of the power within it.

 

this means that metal on non invested planets can be burned. There are other quotes to support it. This also means that the shard doesn't need to be around for its metal to be burned, thus if one were on roan are, atrium would still work.

 

In response to 2 . 

The new God metal can steal multiple properties, where areas atium can steal any one ability. But even so, something having similar hemelurgic properties, doesn't indicate anything of its allomantic abilities.

in response to 3:

im talking about the equivalent of harmonium for other shard combinations. E.g. Dominion and devotion combined to make Unity,  would have it's own metal separate from its individual shard metals, and so it's not an alloy (in the normal sense) it's essentially a new shard metal from a new shard.

finnaly, that could be metals available on scadrial, not including other planets. Millions of powers allomantically grants each bit of the powers of creation, I would assume, and that could explain why some of the known powers seem more random.

sorry if that doesn't make sense, I'm terrible at typing