Recent entries

    Orem Signing ()
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    Snipexe

    Are lighteyes or darkeyes dominant?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um... Depends.

    Snipexe

    Okay, and how do mixes work?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Different things can happen, but on Roshar, heterochromia is usually indication of a mixed parentage.

    Orem Signing ()
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    Snipexe

    Would a primate be turned into a koloss if the spikes were placed in the correct bindpoints?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Something like a koloss, but you would not call it a koloss.

    Snipexe

    Would they lose intelligence or gain, if they were?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You could do it either way.

    Orem Signing ()
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    Questioner

    My thought is, you know how the Stormfather in Oathbringer says he's not able, or he's never seen Dalinar be able to create the bridge. Does that mean Honor could be reborn?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So, there are things standing in the way, but cosmereologically, it is fully possible that another person could become Honor. The Vessel that was holding Honor before is gone. Though the Stormfather is kind of his Cognitive Shadow at this point, in a way. But the power, something else could be done with it. Or it could remain in the state it is now. Your answer is yes, but there are some hindrances along the way.

    Orem Signing ()
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    Snipexe

    Does Hoid's Lightweaving produce light?

    Brandon Sanderson

    *After a very long pause* He has used different types of Lightweaving, or he has access to different types of Lightweaving.

    Snipexe

    Does the Yolish Lightweaving produce light?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yolish Lightweaving could produce light.

    Orem Signing ()
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    Questioner

    Are you going to make another Warbreaker book?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Someday I will. It probably won't happen until after Stormlight 5 is out, because I want to keep those Stormlight books moving along.  But once Stormlight 5 is out, Ill take a little breather from Stormlight before doing number six to do some things. Maybe like this.

    Orem Signing ()
    #4311 Copy

    Wyndlerunner

    You've mentioned in the past aluminum savants being able to somewhat heal their spiritweb, healing them of the cracks, sort of healing them of Allomancy. Could a chromium savant do this to other people, kind of like in the Avatar [The Last Airbender] finale where he seals bending?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I will say RAFO, but I will say you're theorizing along correct directions.

    Orem Signing ()
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    Questioner

    With aluminum resisting Shardblades, could you plate Shardplate with aluminum and have extra resistance, or would that be too thin to really even do anything?

    Brandon Sanderson

    This would probably not be very effective. Maybe in modern times, you could, but honestly you'd be better off just building aluminum armor for someone else. It's not gonna add too much to the Shardplate and to what the Shardplate's already doing and it might just interfere too much with what you're trying to do anyway. It would be worth experimenting with, but I don't think it's gonna end up doing too much.

    Orem Signing ()
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    Questioner

    How would the city of Boston change over time in the Cognitive Realm, because its harbors have been constantly filled in with dirt?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Right, right, right. It will change to match, but there will be a time lapse, right? They'll be lagging behind. 

    Questioner

    So, you could dump it full of dirt, and then it might take like five or ten years before it actually appears as land.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, that's exactly about how it would go.

    Orem Signing ()
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    Questioner

    Is [Hoid] ever actually what he's actually like in any of the books? I thought Way of Kings would be it, but I'm not sure.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Wit is very similar to the real Hoid. He's worked a long time to build a place for himself where he can kinda be himself. I mean, when you see his book from his viewpoint, he'll feel very like Wit from Stormlight.

    Orem Signing ()
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    Questioner

    When in the books do you think is Hoid's most genuine moment?

    Brandon Sanderson

    When Shallan hugs him... maybe. You get him out of sorts there. He doesn't quite know what to do. I don't know if that counts as genuine. He often would consider himself as being very genuine. But you rarely catch him with his guard down.

    Orem Signing ()
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    Questioner

    Can Hemalurgy be used to steal other...like, the Stormlight...

    Brandon Sanderson

    It could. It's very complicated, particularly with surgebinding, because the bond with the spren is a voluntary thing. So, you could steal the power, but you would also be stealing the sprenbond which the spren then has autonomy over. So, it might not turn out really well for you. It might not turn out well for anyone involved. Much easier to steal things where there isn't an autonomous being involved in your gaining of the magical powers.

    Orem Signing ()
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    Questioner

    Does the M in M-bot actually stand for anything?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He says it stands for Mushroom-bot. Spensa thinks it stands for Massacre-bot. Let's just say they have a difference of opinion on that. It's not going to get answered. She started calling him that and he was like, "Oh Mushroom-bot! Mushroom-bot sounds right!"

    Orem Signing ()
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    Bluebar

    How does [Bloodsealing] actually work with [the skeletals]? Does it trap something inside the bones like a Command?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, it works very similar to making Lifeless. Slight variations, but you are basically animating the bones by using Investiture that doesn't actually belong to them and tricking them into thinking that it does for a little bit of time and making it think it's alive again. And the fact that it's bones is really important for that, for Bloodsealing. But it's working in a similar way. The distinction is that with Lifeless you are actually using part of their own soul, right? And with Bloodsealing you're not.

    Orem Signing ()
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    Bluebar

    Is there any requirement for how [a Bloodseal] is made, like location, like where the seal comes from?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, there is some tradition tied to it, and that tradition is steeped in fact, but not all the traditions are necessary, if that makes sense. So they have more baggage to it than it actually needs, but some of the baggage has... Like the type of bone you're using, where you get the bone, and the location, and stuff is relevant, but some of the other things they put on it are not and also, it's not one hundred percent necessary.

    Bluebar

    So they think it might be necessary, but it's actually not?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, yes.

    Children of the Nameless Reddit AMA ()
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    huriel19

    Maybe it's something that you cannot answer or confirm, but do you consider that the Raven man or the Chain veil are some kind of Entity?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I came up with the Entities on my own, but I was aware of some of the similarities between this story and Liliana's story when writing it. I toyed with using some more direct connections, then decided to back out of them for various reasons.

    Children of the Nameless Reddit AMA ()
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    Gadmond

    Since you knew you were writing for Magic the Gathering, did you ever think about what kind of abilities a hypothetical Davriel planeswalker card (Spoilers: or Tacenda planeswalker card) would have?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Davriel would, I hope, have the ability to exile a card from a player's hand, then at some point in the future play that card using black mana.

    Tacenda would be tougher. Emotional manipulation is hard to capture in MTG, other than as threaten effects. But I'd want something that could mimic this.

    Children of the Nameless Reddit AMA ()
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    EndlessKng

    I know you were instructed to not be as concerned with replicating game mechanics, but were there any particular cards or concepts that inspired you as you worked?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Rage Thrower shows up in a quite obvious moment, and I imagine the dismissal spell that Davriel uses to be Silent Departure. (My interpretation of a blue unsummon effect, as opposed to an actual creature destroying spell.) There are a few other things, like the "summon equipment" spell he learns.

    Children of the Nameless Reddit AMA ()
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    NPDgames

    What plane would you LEAST want to set a story on?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Hmmm. You know, I hadn't even thought of that. I don't really think any of the settings are bad, and most are quite good. Probably something like the Arabian Nights plane, as I think there would be a lot of problems with trying to do a story like that--not the least of which being Wizards probably hating the idea.

    Children of the Nameless Reddit AMA ()
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    mbue

    I understand that your novella will stand very well on its own, but I'm sure there will be references to existing lore. Could you point out any existing MtG novels that would particularly increase our understanding and enjoyment of some details in yours?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Davriel is partially a contrast to Liliana, a main-line character who also has had dealings with demons (but has done it much differently...) and who is a necromancer (exactly of the sort Davriel would hate.) I think reading about her might make for a fun contrast. She's heavily involved in the previous Innistrad story, which you might enjoy if you liked this one. You can find it on Wizards site: https://magic.wizards.com/en/content/shadows-over-innistrad-story

    General Reddit 2019 ()
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    Pathian Symbol Fanart.png

    Nixeris

    [image of Pathian symbol concepts]

    Brandon Sanderson

    You're right in that I don't have an official version; I haven't had Isaac take the time to do one yet. (I tend to keep him busy with loads of things.) I'd say these are very nice, and along the lines of what I was considering--but I don't have a full decision on what I want yet. We might have to wait a little longer for a canon answer, but I do think these are close to what I'll eventually want.

    General Reddit 2017 ()
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    Peter Ahlstrom

    The first three [Stormlight] books are a continuous narrative, but it's now looking like there will be an in-world gap between books 3 and 4, similar to the year that was skipped between each book in the Mistborn trilogy.

    Drathus

    Even with that, isn't the plan for SA for it to be two related five-book arcs with more of a major gap in between?

    Peter Ahlstrom

    Yep. Previously I thought that would be the only timeline gap, but Brandon has leaned more toward this new gap while writing Oathbringer.

    General Reddit 2017 ()
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    Peter Ahlstrom

    Rights to the Reckoners books do not include the entire multiverse. (Which I have argued could also be construed to include the Alcatraz books and The Rithmatist!)

    WeiryWriter

    I'd be curious to hear your argument for that. Is it just that a true quantum multiverse would contain all possible iterations (even weird and wacky ones like Alcatraz and Rithmatist) or is there some underlying mechanical commonality we don't necessarily know about?

    Peter Ahlstrom

    It's only because the plans for this as-yet-unnamed multiverse all involve different versions of Earth in some type of crisis. And that description fits both The Rithmatist and the Alcatraz books.

    Brandon does plan some of these Earths to be pretty wacky.

    WeiryWriter

    Since you mention its namelessness, will it actually get a name at some point?

    Peter Ahlstrom

    It would surprise me if it didn't get a name eventually.

    vim_vs_emacs

    Had never heard about this, but this fits so well! Is this the first time you're confirming it? Or is there WoB on this as well?

    Peter Ahlstrom

    What I said above was that I have argued for this to be the case. It doesn't mean that Brandon agrees.

    General Reddit 2016 ()
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    Phantine

    I believe /u/peterahlstrom mentioned that Mistings can only detect sufficiently close versions of their metal, and burning non-Allomantic stuff is a Mistborn-only risk.

    Peter Ahlstrom

    I don't remember saying that, though it sounds reasonable.

    Except I don't know what happens when you start involving god metals. How important is the alloy percentage then?