what are your epectations for nightblood in rythm of war

[The Cardinal of Death]

this is me simple wondering what other people expect or want to see related to or involving nighblood in rythm of war it can be anything from character interactions mechanical concepts like nightblood hiitng shard plate for example any other big wants or expectations are allowed as well im just curious to hear what i want to see is how szeths new spren reacts to nightblood 

[Ciridae]

It could be pretty fun if Lift got a hold of Nightblood for a little while at some point during the book. 

[Ascended]

I'd like to see vasher azure and nightblood reunite

[The Cardinal of Death]

8 minutes ago, Ciridae said:

It could be pretty fun if Lift got a hold of Nightblood for a little while at some point during the book. 

i can definatly see several interesting ways that could play out i wonder how wyndle would feel about it though espically since nightblood nearly killed lift once before 

[Karger he/him]

I am hopping that that Nalthis plot gets concluded there with Vasher, Azur, Nightblood, all finally hashing things out.

[SwordNimiForPresident the sword/that sword]

I'm hoping that since Szeth now has a Shardblade from his oaths, that he passes Nightblood to Dalinar. The Stormfather refuses to be a blade, so Dalinar will need something to fight with. Since taking his oaths Dalinar has left all of the physical combat to other Radiants, and taken the role of leader, both Spiritual and martial as his primary duty. At some point he will need to fight a physical combatant IMO and when this happens he will need a weapon. I also think that Dalinar might be the only person that could "safely" use Nightblood given that one of his powers lets him summon a perpendicularity.

Nightblood is part of Edgli's long game, so I can't help but wonder if she foresaw Dalinar using it to destroy Rayse.

[The Cardinal of Death]

28 minutes ago, SwordNimiForPresident said:

I'm hoping that since Szeth now has a Shardblade from his oaths, that he passes Nightblood to Dalinar. The Stormfather refuses to be a blade, so Dalinar will need something to fight with. Since taking his oaths Dalinar has left all of the physical combat to other Radiants, and taken the role of leader, both Spiritual and martial as his primary duty. At some point he will need to fight a physical combatant IMO and when this happens he will need a weapon. I also think that Dalinar might be the only person that could "safely" use Nightblood given that one of his powers lets him summon a perpendicularity.

Nightblood is part of Edgli's long game, so I can't help but wonder if she foresaw Dalinar using it to destroy Rayse.

thats really interesting im honestly curious about this now it could be an interesting situation with dalinar being an intemediary between nightblood and the stormfather this makes me wonder what the stormfather would think of nightblood his stance of not being a shardblade and not wanting dalinar to use a dead blade are quite obvious his feelings on nightblood would be fascinating to see  

[NameIess]

4 hours ago, SwordNimiForPresident said:

I'm hoping that since Szeth now has a Shardblade from his oaths, that he passes Nightblood to Dalinar. The Stormfather refuses to be a blade, so Dalinar will need something to fight with. Since taking his oaths Dalinar has left all of the physical combat to other Radiants, and taken the role of leader, both Spiritual and martial as his primary duty. At some point he will need to fight a physical combatant IMO and when this happens he will need a weapon. I also think that Dalinar might be the only person that could "safely" use Nightblood given that one of his powers lets him summon a perpendicularity.

Nightblood is part of Edgli's long game, so I can't help but wonder if she foresaw Dalinar using it to destroy Rayse.

That would either end really well for Dalinar, *Kills Rayse and saves the world* or very, very badly. *Honor's perpendicularity gets eaten, along with the Stormfather*

 

The one thing that I am 99% certain that Nightblood will do is DESTROY EVIL.

[SwordNimiForPresident the sword/that sword]

1 hour ago, Nameless said:

That would either end really well for Dalinar, *Kills Rayse and saves the world* or very, very badly. *Honor's perpendicularity gets eaten, along with the Stormfather*

Nightblood has already been inside of Honor's perpendicularity, so I don't really see that as a threat. He couldn't even eat Szeth and Lift, I can't see him threatening the Stormfather.

 

[NameIess]

39 minutes ago, SwordNimiForPresident said:

Nightblood has already been inside of Honor's perpendicularity, so I don't really see that as a threat. He couldn't even eat Szeth and Lift, I can't see him threatening the Stormfather.

Well, if you keep Nightblood out for long enough, he would eventually absorb investiture so fast that it would eat your spiritweb no matter how much investiture you have:

Quote

Just another guyn

If a Shard were to wield Nightblood more directly, like Odium's champion and Odium channeling his power through Nightblood, would we see a lot of world ending stuff from that?

Brandon Sanderson

That-- What you just described would work no differently from a Knight Radiant wielding Nightblood

Just another guyn

Okay. And that would be scary powerful?

Brandon Sanderson

No. No, they'd feed off the Investiture and eventually would either run out or be drawing it so quickly that it would dissolve the person's soul.

Just another guyn

So souls are made of Investiture?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, in the cosmere, souls are. So you'd have a little while, but eventually the person would just die and get eaten.

And even if Dalinar managed to avoid that, repeatedly sating Nightblood with a perpendicularity can't help but increase his strength. He's already in the same realm of investiture as the Stormfather, and more invested than the unmade:

Quote

Questioner

You've previously said that Nightblood is the most powerful non-Shardic being in the Cosmere. Is he more powerful than the Unmade or Stormfather in terms of raw Investiture?

Brandon Sanderson

Raw Investiture? Here's the thing, when you say powerful, it can mean lots of different things. More raw Investiture than the Stormfather... probably not. Than the Unmade, probably. I would have to look, I don't have the numbers on this. But the Stormfather is very restricted in what he can do.

 

[SwordNimiForPresident the sword/that sword]

6 hours ago, Nameless said:

Well, if you keep Nightblood out for long enough, he would eventually absorb investiture so fast that it would eat your spiritweb no matter how much investiture you have:

And even if Dalinar managed to avoid that, repeatedly sating Nightblood with a perpendicularity can't help but increase his strength. He's already in the same realm of investiture as the Stormfather, and more invested than the unmade:

 

There is no evidence for a correlation between how invested Nightblood is and how powerful he is. Nightblood seems to be exactly as strong as he was in Warbreaker. People like to overinflate Nightblood's power and make him out to be some Universe ending super diety. The truth is that he couldn't kill two Radiants while they were in Honor's perpendicularity without getting drunk. The idea that he is somehow going to jump to 1000x power and eat a perpendicularity is silly IMO. If you just leave him in one unsheathed for a few year maybe it will collapse, but unless Brandon writes something to the contrary into the stories, he isn't strong enough to do it in a reasonable amount of time.

[Karger he/him]

57 minutes ago, SwordNimiForPresident said:

There is no evidence for a correlation between how invested Nightblood is and how powerful he is. Nightblood seems to be exactly as strong as he was in Warbreaker. People like to overinflate Nightblood's power and make him out to be some Universe ending super diety. The truth is that he couldn't kill two Radiants while they were in Honor's perpendicularity without getting drunk. The idea that he is somehow going to jump to 1000x power and eat a perpendicularity is silly IMO. If you just leave him in one unsheathed for a few year maybe it will collapse, but unless Brandon writes something to the contrary into the stories, he isn't strong enough to do it in a reasonable amount of time.

People are scared of NB because...

Quote

Questioner

What would happen if Nightblood was drawn inside of a perpendicularity?

Brandon Sanderson

It depends on the perpendicularity. It has a good chance of collapsing it.

Starsight Release Party (Nov. 26, 2019)

and more importantly

Quote

Questioner

If it's possible for Nightblood to actually interact with a Shard, what would happen?

Brandon Sanderson

A Shard would try to stay very far away from Nightblood. Nightblood could not plausibly destroy an entire Shard but the Vessel could be in danger.

Starsight Release Party (Nov. 26, 2019)

 

[BasementDwellingRadiant]

I don't know what "epectations" are.

That said, I expect fun things. Bad, bad, evil destroying fun things. What I hope for? Lift is given Nightblood for safekeeping while Szeth is in jail because... reasons. Maybe they just start a conversation about food or something. And, when she goes crazy with Nightblood battle fun time and they both get really hungry, is when Azure and Vasher reunite. BUT! That would likely ruin the chances of a Dalinar, Lift, Szeth adventure to Shin in the next book. So... I don't know what I want to happen? For context on that idea: I'm thinking Dalinar is the straight man of the trio, wondering how he got involved with the guy who wants to start a crusade and a politically-ignorant friend of the emperor. (No, this wasn't my idea. It's from Shardcast. But, I still want it...)

Not very original I guess, judging from previous posts. And, sorry if this ended up being more about hopes for book five than book four...

"Book Four" Is that the Windrunners' new bookstore?

[Naurock]

On 4/13/2020 at 10:48 AM, SwordNimiForPresident said:

I'm hoping that since Szeth now has a Shardblade from his oaths, that he passes Nightblood to Dalinar. The Stormfather refuses to be a blade, so Dalinar will need something to fight with.

This is a definite possibility, but I feel like Dalinar's arc in Oathbringer would lead him to reject Nightblood. He's realized that he's old and not the strongest anymore.

Can we just see what happens when Szeth fights Nale in Book 4? Although, I suspect it won't be a satisfying conclusion. I think the fight would extend into book 5. Like either Nale's Honor Blade gets eaten or his spren blade and he  successfully flees and regroups for another fight on a different day. 

[Frustration]

21 hours ago, BasementDwellingRadiant said:

"Book Four" Is that the Windrunners' new bookstore?

Alright this is the Shards new name for RoW instead say B4.

[+Q10fanatic]

I want to see Nightblood take on an Unmade. We know that he can destroy the strongest of the Fused (at least so far) so lets see him move up in the world. Maybe Team Radiant gets another shot at The Heart of the Revel. We've already seen that the Pattern-blade did nothing against that so it could provide a good measuring point.

[agrabes]

On 4/13/2020 at 11:24 PM, SwordNimiForPresident said:

There is no evidence for a correlation between how invested Nightblood is and how powerful he is. Nightblood seems to be exactly as strong as he was in Warbreaker. People like to overinflate Nightblood's power and make him out to be some Universe ending super diety. The truth is that he couldn't kill two Radiants while they were in Honor's perpendicularity without getting drunk. The idea that he is somehow going to jump to 1000x power and eat a perpendicularity is silly IMO. If you just leave him in one unsheathed for a few year maybe it will collapse, but unless Brandon writes something to the contrary into the stories, he isn't strong enough to do it in a reasonable amount of time.

I'm with you.  Nightblood is the favorite of people who really love the theoretical mechanics of the Cosmere which go far beyond what has been shared in any book or officially published material.  Sanderson has provided a lot of information on the theoretical upper limits of the power of Nightblood which makes these people really excited.  Nothing wrong with this, people can like whatever they want to like.  If it's fun to think about those possible mechanics for you by all means do, it's just not my thing.

But like you said, in actual appearances on page Nightblood can't actually achieve his theoretical upper power limits.  And think of how lame that would be if it did happen.  Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar, Adolin, Jasnah, your efforts and struggle against Odium were all irrelevant in the end.  Just bring in a superpowered semi-sentient sword from another planet and he'll wipe out Odium in one hit!  I highly doubt that Sanderson will write it that way.  Nightblood will probably play a part, but it'll remain limited.  In my view, the less Nightblood the better.

My personal expectation is that Szeth will decide the drawbacks of using Nightblood are too great vs. his regular shardblade.  He'll keep Nightblood in a safe place to keep him from falling into the wrong hands but not use him in normal combat.  He may pull him out once or twice in a moment of dire need, but won't use him continually.

[Frustration]

25 minutes ago, agrabes said:

But like you said, in actual appearances on page Nightblood can't actually achieve his theoretical upper power limits.  And think of how lame that would be if it did happen.  Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar, Adolin, Jasnah, your efforts and struggle against Odium were all irrelevant in the end.  Just bring in a superpowered semi-sentient sword from another planet and he'll wipe out Odium in one hit!  I highly doubt that Sanderson will write it that way.  Nightblood will probably play a part, but it'll remain limited.  In my view, the less Nightblood the better.

1. Nightblood can get more powerful, in early Warbreaker he just left blackened wounds now he disintegrates people into smoke.
2. Why would using Nightblood be cheap? It would be EPIC.

[agrabes]

5 minutes ago, Frustration said:

1. Nightblood can get more powerful, in early Warbreaker he just left blackened wounds now he disintegrates people into smoke.
2. Why would using Nightblood be cheap? It would be EPIC.

1) I don't doubt that's true.  It doesn't mean he still doesn't have practical limitations.  That's Sanderson's entire concept of magic - the limitations and weaknesses of magic are more important that the powers.  That's what makes his magic systems so great.

2) Because bringing in Nightblood makes the work and struggles of all the Rosharan characters less meaningful.  If it really is only Nightblood who can defeat Odium or some other major enemy, then it means nothing any of the Rosharan characters did was meaningful at all.  The entire story of SA1-5 could have been replaced with one book where Nightblood arrives and immediately kills Odium.  All the training, all the struggles, the pain and suffering could have been avoided if they'd simply stayed home and waited for Nightblood to arrive.  If Nightblood can solve every problem, then no one needs to do anything other than rely on him.  That's just not interesting, imo.

[Frustration]

Just now, agrabes said:

1) I don't doubt that's true.  It doesn't mean he still doesn't have practical limitations.  That's Sanderson's entire concept of magic - the limitations and weaknesses of magic are more important that the powers.  That's what makes his magic systems so great.

2) Because bringing in Nightblood makes the work and struggles of all the Rosharan characters less meaningful.  If it really is only Nightblood who can defeat Odium or some other major enemy, then it means nothing any of the Rosharan characters did was meaningful at all.  The entire story of SA1-5 could have been replaced with one book where Nightblood arrives and immediately kills Odium.  All the training, all the struggles, the pain and suffering could have been avoided if they'd simply stayed home and waited for Nightblood to arrive.  If Nightblood can solve every problem, then no one needs to do anything other than rely on him.  That's just not interesting, imo.

1. The limit is that you die if you use him too much, or eventually at all.
2. Have you read Wheel of Time because you just summed up the first three books. Additionally you could say well Gandalf should have known it was the one ring, and cast it into Mt. Doom as soon as it was found, and boom, no more story that's not interesting. Just because it can be resolved quickly doesn't mean it isn't satisfying.

[agrabes]

Just now, Frustration said:

1. The limit is that you die if you use him too much, or eventually at all.
2. Have you read Wheel of Time because you just summed up the first three books. Additionally you could say well Gandalf should have known it was the one ring, and cast it into Mt. Doom as soon as it was found, and boom, no more story that's not interesting. Just because it can be resolved quickly doesn't mean it isn't satisfying.

Yeah, it's true he has the life draining limit.  But in my opinion that limit is not enough of a limit to justify infinite power.  That limit would still allow a random peasant to grab Nightblood and kill Odium, then die 5 seconds later.  Sacrificing one life to defeat the ultimate evil is an extremely small price to pay.

I have read the Wheel of Time.  I don't really see that as a similar situation at all.  At a high level, the story of the Wheel of Time is Rand & Company gradually building up their own power so that they can conquer the ultimate evil.  They get help along the way from people who are more powerful than themselves at the time, but that help is never up to the challenge of defeating the Dark One and the forces of evil.  In the end, it's Rand who defeats the Dark One and reseals him in his prison.  They don't have another person from another planet with limitless power come in and suddenly defeat the enemy.

I'm not really sure I'm following your LotR example.  Sure you could argue that Gandalf should have recognized the Ring's true nature in the Hobbit, but Gandalf didn't have the ability to just teleport himself to Mt. Doom and drop the ring in.  If he did, he would have done that when he finally did discover the Ring.  He formed the Fellowship of the Ring because he needed support to make the long, hard journey there.  So, even if Gandalf had recognized the ring sooner, there still would have had to be a similar effort to destroy it.  

NIghtblood coming in to save the day makes it feel unsatisfying because his (possible) ability to destroy Odium is not a product of the work of the main characters.  Him being the weapon used to defeat Odium feels like a Deus ex Machina.  If Nightblood were a magic sword that was created by the Heralds or Honor and Cultivation as the ultimate anti-Odium weapon of legend and the entire story of the front 5 books was an epic quest to find him and training to use him safely, then that might feel satisfying.  What actually happens is he just randomly appears one day.

[Bookish Ocelot she/her]

How nightblood could affect surgebinding. Could he corrupt spren or turn them into deadeyes?

[SwordNimiForPresident the sword/that sword]

2 hours ago, Frustration said:

1. Nightblood can get more powerful, in early Warbreaker he just left blackened wounds now he disintegrates people into smoke.

Nightblood has always disintegrated people and/or objects that were struck by the blade. The people that died with blackened wounds were killed with the sheath.

[trav]

knowing that Nightblood is able to off Fused for good is going to make them reconsider if a truce isn't such a bad idea after all.

[Master Silver]

has it been confirmed that those who puffed away of the fused were dead dead? I know the Alethi soldiers puffed away, but can't recall about the fused or if it says that their spirits didn't simply return to the everstorm