Savantism

Savantism is a condition caused by the overuse of Investiture, so much so that it distorts one's spiritweb.

Savants can use allomantic strength more efficiently than other Allomancers because they are more Connected to the Shard of each their worlds (i.e., closer to the Spiritual Realm).

However, using the power so much that it permeates one's soul can be dangerous, a kind of uncontrolled version of a spren bond. (Kaza is one such individual who sought a cure for her Soulcasting savantism, yet slowly gave in to the desire of smoke transcendence while Soulcasting rather than dying.)

On the other hand, if one is a Knight Radiant, the event of Soulcasting, potential savantism, and how Soulcasting affects one who is a Soulcaster is much less pronounced. Still, to cause savantism is a process of years or even decades, depending upon how often one Soulcasts and upon each person individually.

The magic changes individual souls over time. It's physiological in a cosmere sense, but that can also involve one's cognitive and spiritual aspects. Similarly, a Soulcaster's spirit is slowly being merged and infused with Investiture that is having physical ramifications when s/he Soulcasts. Being a savant also has to do with using Investiture a lot, and that is what permeates one's soul.

According to Brandon, a savant happens because persistent use of the power warps one's soul.

Types and Effects

Aluminum savants are able to somewhat heal each their spiritwebs, healing them of the cracks, sort of healing them of allomancy. However, one would have to be burning aluminum consistently, and aluminum just kind of goes away in a burst ... .

A cadmium or bendalloy savant is able to impact the amount of time that they can compress or expand.

No one has found out the effects of being an atium savant. However, if one was to become an atium savant, s/he could see further into the future than normal.

It is possible for a Seeker savant to tell the difference between regular allomancy and compounding.

Savantism can be simulated through hemalurgy, as in if one were to be spiked, one would be able to call it savantism. However, when one is spiked, one is also always harmed (via each their spiritweb) despite however much one might benefit from such a spike as a savant. Still, an allomantic savant cannot actually be transferred through hemalurgy.

Brass and copper Allomancers can become savants and never even notice. Despite that most savanthoods have extreme effects, some of them are just not as noticeable. It can warp one's soul without one really even paying that much attention to it. In this case, these are two that one could become that would not be very debilitating in one's life.

Notes

Brandon has said that he is tweaking savantism. He suggests readers watch how it evolves in future books.

“

The more I dig into savants in the later outlines, the more I feel that I'm in a dangerous area ... in that I'm disobeying their original intention. And so, I don't want to let myself just start making people savants right and left. It needs to be a specific thing. Wax is the troubling one, as I have him burning so much steel that he's well on his way, but isn't showing any side effects. If I'm going to give him savant-like abilities, he needs savant-like consequences. That's the danger, just falling back on savanthood to do some of the things I want, so often that it undermines the actual point and purpose of them in the cosmere lore. So if I backpedal, it will be to contain this and point myself the right way, sharply curtailing my desire to make people savants without their savanthood being an intrinsic part of their story and conflict in life. (Like it was for Spook, and is for Soulcasting savants on Roshar.) ... I haven't decided on anything yet. It's mostly consequences for the future - just a kind of, "be aware I'm not 100% pleased with how Wax turned out, re: savanthood and allomantic resonance." * The idea of resonance is that two powers, combined, meld kind of into one single power. This is a manifestation of the way Shards combine. Wax was intended as a savant of the two melded powers. But without consequences in his plot, I'm not confident that I'll continue in the same vein for future books.

”

* Wax is really good at sculpting bullets and things away from him via the allomantic bubble. His abilities as a Crasher - a Coinshot and Skimmer Twinborn - make this happen - readers are invited to theorize on why - but it's just an enhancement to what he can do. He is becoming a steel savant, but this is what it's coming from.

Trivia

• Hoid's spiritweb would be weirder than that of a savant.

• A savant would look different in the Spiritual Realm than a human.

• A bronze savant should be able to pierce copperclouds, though this depends on the strength of the coppercloud and the strength of the savant.

• There were other savants before Spook.

• The Lord Ruler lived long enough and used his metals enough (particularly Soothing) to become nearly a savant in every area, if not a full savant.

Q&A with Brandon

Q: So say you go to Roshar and you give somebody a hemalurgic spike for some allomantic power, don't care what, and you use it to become a savant. Does that qualify them as 'broken' enough to become a Radiant? As long as they are also following the Ideals to attract a spren.

A: So becoming a Radiant is a spectrum of terminologies. It ... probably, but you would have to find a Radiant who would, or a spren who would be willing to touch that, okay? It's going to drive them back.

Q: So would it also affect your probability of becoming an Elantrian?

A: Yeah, it would affect your ability to become anything else, yes.

Q: Okay, so would it be a positive effect, negative effect ... ? Because I was like, it gives you cracks in your spiritweb.

A: It does give you cracks in your spiritweb.

Q: So it's easier for Investiture to get in. Does it make it easier for other Investitures to get in?

A: It would make it ... yes. It's going to drive spren away. So what it's really going to make easier for, there, is spren and Investiture that doesn't care.

Q: Okay, so Investiture doesn't care but spren do.

A: Investiture might care depending on if it's part of a Shard - if it has Intent and things like this.

Q: So it might let Stormlight in easier than a Breath, type thing.

A: I'm saying it might let Odium in easier than Syl. Because Syl would care, and Odium would not care.

Q: What about a lerasium savant? Or would that require so much lerasium that the person attempting it would ascend to become a new Shardholder?

A: Basically, this is what Ascension is.