Spoilers (for Issola, at least) ahoy!
Ian sympatico writes:
>I can't remember which Vlad book it is or even if it is Aliera or Morrolan
>who mentions that a GW can hold the soul of it's owner and thus prevent a
>Morganti weapon from destroying it.
Several; certainly true in Jhereg (when Morollan gets killed).
But the fact is that that's Just One Trick -- it certainly won't
protect you from a knife in the back (though having a jhereg lookout
can help with that last).
and,
Robert Opramolla writes:
> Joshua Kronengold wrote:
>>Mind, I've never been sure -how- a GW protects its wielder -- will it
>>actually stop pointy things thrown at you or increase your fencing
>>skill? Or is it simply that it makes you a lot harder to touch/stop with
>>magic, and the whole "kill with a scratch" thing?
>
>Great Weapons do not make you an unstoppable killing machines.
Well, the jury seems to be out on this -- Morrolan is taken out by a
serious magical blast, taken by surprise...but Vlad seems pretty
confident that with Godslayer at his side he can stand down pretty
much anything the Jhereg are willing to throw at him, in the heart of
their power.
This -may- be hubris. OTOH:
He's immune to Morgani weapons.
He's immune to magic.
He can cut through any magical defense, now matter how strong.
He's openly carrying a Morganti weapon (effectively, legally,
since Great Weapons are not restricted in the way normal
Morganti weapons are -- or is he likely to be arrested?),
which limits the number/type of people who are willing to go
against him.
-His- magic still works, and with Spellbreaker at his side he
may be able to cut through a teleport block.
He's still got his traditional defense against knives in his
back, flying and scaly as it is.
and,
Even if he does get killed unrevifiably, Sethra can probably make him
a new body, like she did Aleira. Maybe.
So I guess Vlad -is- pretty difficult to touch...but I can guess where
the next "normal chronology" book is likely to start, and it's not
more than a few minutes after the last one ended.
>I believe that each GW has a purpose. Pathfinder obviously finds things.
Godslayer, despite its name, seems to do anti-magic.
--
Joshua Kronengold (mneme at io.com) "I've been teaching |\ _,,,--,,_ ,)
--^--him...to live, to breathe, to walk, to sample the /,`.-'`' -, ;-;;'
/\\joy on each road, and the sorrow at each turning. |,4- ) )-,_ ) /\
/-\\\I'm sorry if I kept him out too late"--Vlad Taltos '---''(_/--' (_/-'