Aes Sedai using the power to defend themselves

[Oras Ghar]

The books are not so fresh any more in my mind, so I need some help in how the oath the Aes Sedai say about not using the power to harm anyone except if it is to defend themselves can be interpreted.

 

Here is the situation (WoT RPG, a game I'm GMing): can an Aes Sedai whose group is attacked (but not her directly, as the group is split in two, a little way apart one from the other) by a damane and her suldam use the power (like a simple fireball) against them? If not, is Shielding considered a harmful way of using the power and thus fobidden by the three oaths?

 

I hope I've been clear enough, thanks for your answers ;o)

[Kaznen]

The third oath is "not to use the One Power as a weapon except except against the shadow or in defense of my life, my warder, or another sister."

 

So (now, I don't game anything anymore) if said Aes Sedai's warder was in group two she can use the OP to protect him. If she feels in danger with the damane she can use the OP. And shielding another channler at anytime, or binding them with air etc., is not considered using the OP as a weapon. Using the OP to hurt and/or kill is a weapon but using it for non lethal purposes during a fight isn't using the OP as a weapon.

[Luckers]

Actually an Aes Sedai can use her power to protect anyone at any time. It's only a weave that might result in anothers persons death, or used in a way that can be construed as a weapon that is blocked. (aes sedai can cause pain with the power, and not be stopped... its a blurry line)

[Oras Ghar]

Ok thanks a lot for the hints guys!

[algspkr]

If she has a warder or another AS is in the second group she can go nuts.

[bcxanth]

Just remember that it would really have to be another AS. I'm not even sure if an Accepted or Novice would pass muster there. The Oath uses the exact term of "Sister" and that's only used to address a fellow AS. But then that might also keep them from being able to use the OP as a weapon to defend the Amyrlin since she's "Mother." But it's possible that both of those instances might be able to be slipped by depending on how the AS doing the channeling perceives the situation.

[Guest cwestervelt]

If she has a warder or another AS is in the second group she can go nuts.

 

That is correct, except...

 

In the aftermath of Dumai's Wells, Perrin is talking to Kira and Biruna. (I think it was them). They used the line that it was necessary for them to close with the Shaido in order for them to do anything. They knew there were other Aes Sedai within the circled wagons that were under attack. The Oath shouldn't have been preventing them.

[algspkr]

That is correct' date=' except...

 

In the aftermath of Dumai's Wells, Perrin is talking to Kira and Biruna. (I think it was them). They used the line that it was necessary for them to close with the Shaido in order for them to do anything. They knew there were other Aes Sedai within the circled wagons that were under attack. The Oath shouldn't have been preventing them.[/quote']

It may have been becuase they were planning on fighting the AS who had Rand, or it may simply be an RJ oversite. Or they may have used that as an excuse to do what Perrin believed they were doing.

[Eve]

They needed an excuse because they wanted to be the first ones to get to Rand. They wanted to free him so that they could win his trust. Good thing it didn't work out that way. They told Perrin that when indeed they could've used the power from where Perrin left them.

[BenTGaidin]

They needed an excuse because they wanted to be the first ones to get to Rand.

 

Yeah, quite possibly.

 

Also, consider that it's in the interests of smart Aes Sedai to portray themselves as more bound by the Oaths than they actually are; it gives you an ace in the hole that your opponents might not suspect. Also, even if you _can_ bend the Oaths six ways to Sunday, it'll be easier to trick/convince people to go along with you if they think that you can't. Eg, people worried about Aes Sedai attacking them (say, Asha'man, who the Aes Sedai would _really_ want to be calm) will feel safer if they think an Aes Sedai "can't attack without being directly attacked first," then if they think the Oath means "well, unless I feel a bit threatened, and then it's fireballs for everyone!"

[Jonn]

Their ultimate goal though, was to engage those Sisters within the circle of wagons, and to free Rand.

There were soldiers, non-warders, within the ring of wagons. The Aes Sedai with Perrin had to close in to feel threatened by them and to fight them. Also, if worse came to worse, and they had to fight Sisters, even to the death...they had to force the issue and get close otherwise it would have been a difficult task to protect their soldiers when the enemy's weaves were closer to their troops. With them stuck on a hill trying to pick off weaves from a distance, it would have been harder. It was illustrated quite well in Knife of Dreams in the battle of...Maderin, I think it was, when Perrin took on teh Shaido again. The Wise Ones in the encampment had a hard time defending their spears who were farther away from the tents. Their problems were compounded when the damane started attacking their flanks. The Seanchan soldiers stay close to their own channelers.

 

As Bera and Kiruna are experienced in battles, I would expect that they are familiar with such tactics and their advantages.

[Inara]

i may have misinterpreted, but cwest implied that the AS didnt do anything because they chose not to, but the oath specifically said in defence of another sister to defend the sisters in the wagons they would have needed to kill their own men, ie the men attacking the sisters....

that would be bad

to feel threatened , they needed to feel in direct danger from the shaido, which they didnt, so they were pretty useless

[Guest cwestervelt]

i may have misinterpreted' date=' but cwest implied that the AS didnt do anything because they chose not to, but the oath specifically said [i']in defence of another sister[/i] to defend the sisters in the wagons they would have needed to kill their own men, ie the men attacking the sisters....

that would be bad

to feel threatened , they needed to feel in direct danger from the shaido, which they didnt, so they were pretty useless

 

Their own men weren't attacking the Sisters in the wagons, at least not yet they started the fight. They were trying to get through all of the Shaido first. The Shaido where attacking the Sister's in the wagon, so the Oath, as it is spoken, would have allowed Bera, Kiruna and Co. to attack the Shaido, which the could have done without endangering there own people. And from where they were supposed to stay, they had a vantage that showed them the whole battle and would have allowed them to use the Power to a greater affect by targetting Shaido strong points.