(OB) What if Szeth and Kaladin switched tasks

[Milkncookies]

Seems to me that Kaladin is better in the sky, (windspren seem to worship him), and Szeth is better at killing. 

Kaladin could have played arial rugby better and got the gem to his holiness quicker. 

And Szeth versus Amaram.... he could have nightblood slashed Amaram easily, being perhaps the best overall fighter in the series other than Dalinar. Heck, he can take a nick from Amaram in exchange for a nick with Nightblood, which will consume the most hated man AND permanently end the main powerhouse unmade. It might take a few minutes but nightblood is that awesome and will eat the unmade (IMO, no resurrection possible)

It makes sense that the tasks were assigned this. This is a what if conjecture. 

(Warbringer spoiler but very minimal if you’ve read Oathbringer)

It started when I was thinking of how powerful nightblood is. It consumed a full stormlight charge in seconds. In Warbringer, it may have consumed hundreds of thousands of invested soul fragments, and it was consuming those in alarming rates too. So if you imagine if the consumed power adds to the size of its spren, it may dwarf the unmade in size and may be closer to stormfather. Hence I believe if it was used more fully in Oathbringer, it could have devastated Odium’s forces. It is the only confirmed way to end the Fused as well. 

PS, first post but read all Brandon’s books twice at least. 

Edited December 13, 2017 by Milkncookies

[A Dopey Spren he/him]

I'm not sure that Dalinar would want his brother's murderer, as well as attempted assassin, to be covering his back. Also Szeth had to get through many Parshendi to get to the gem (Kaladin isn't as efficient at killing as Szeth). Also as far as we know, Dalinar does not know of Nightblood. 

To sum it up, Dalinar doesn't know Szeth or anything relating to him, such as NB, so he wouldn't make the decision to have him defend himself, rather than his rusted bodyguard. 

[aemetha he/him]

I think Kaladin was better for the role. You're making the mistake of thinking Kaladin's job was to kill Amaram, it wasn't. Kaladin's job was to stop Amaram and anyone else from killing Dalinar. If the role was to kill Amaram, Szeth would have been better for the task because he has a better weapon for the job and mindset for the task. Dalinar probably would have died though.

Szeth is an assassin, or now, a lawman. He has a laser focus. He doesn't set out to kill a lot of people, but he kills anything that gets between him and his target - anyone that gets in his way.

Kaladin is a bodyguard. He has a wide focus. He doesn't set out to kill a lot of people, but he gets in peoples way and has to defend himself and his charge.

[Milkncookies]

Hey friends, this is a what if. If I’m Dalinar, I would have made the same assignment as his. So it’s just musing what would happen if....

It makes sense to assign Kaladin as the protector. No one othe than Odium knows that Amaram would become an unmade, or that taking the gem would become an arial chase. 

But! What if! Szeth may be the better bodyguard if he fights Amaram then draws Nightblood when his feet get stuck. Wham down goes an unmade. The other Fused run because that sword ends their Soul!