Has anyone ever survived a lightning strike from a channeler?

[Andhaira]

A curious question: Has anyone or anything (such as a Trolloc) in the novels survived a direct lightning bolt hit when targeted by a channeler? Do you think it's possible that if an Dreadlord calls down a lightning bolt on a Shienarian armsman, could the armsman survive the initial bolt?

[Luckers]

We've not seen it, but channeled lightning is normal lightning for all that it is incited by the Power (which we know due to Lightning working on Mat not just in tFoH but in KoD too, with Joline's use of the Seanchan electrical web).

 

As such--people survive lightning strikes. This is normal lightning, whatever generated it--ergo, yes people likely survive channeled lightning attacks.

[FarShainMael]

IIRC, Sammael called down lightning on Rand's tower during the Cairhien battle and topples it, but Rand, Egwene and Avi are all there and all survive (TFoH44).

[Luckers]

I think the point was a direct hit--lightning to man.

[FarShainMael]

Gotcha. (As in ISWYM)

[Andhaira]

Are you sure that it is similar to natural lightning? Naturally, lightning cannot come from a clear, cloudless sky, unlike channeled lightning.

[Kahsm]

Are you sure that it is similar to natural lightning? Naturally, lightning cannot come from a clear, cloudless sky, unlike channeled lightning.

 

Nynaeve remarks in tGH that she saw how to pull/create lightning from a clear sky after the Damane that chase her were doing it (suggesting they usually use clouds, or at least she would have) All the stuff to make lightning is still up there, just have to do a little more work to get it to go. Given how the five powers work, I think they do induce it, it's not somehow artificial. Though they could probably make it more 'potent' than normal lightning I suppose if they were that refined. And to make it go where you want, you just need to give it a path of least resistance through the air.

 

However, I believe it was lightning that Rand shot at Perrin in the wolf dream in TDR. Perrin wakes himself up right away and just has a small burn on his chest, but technically, I think that's a yes... assuming it really was only lightning.

[Asgard Thorin]

Are you sure that it is similar to natural lightning? Naturally, lightning cannot come from a clear, cloudless sky, unlike channeled lightning.

Actually, normal lightning has been recorded striking as far as twenty miles from the nearest cloud. That's where the phrase "bolt out of the blue" comes from. I think it is normal lightning from the descriptions in the books. I think I read at least one hair standing-on-end description, and since we know from the Bowl of Winds that channeling can be weather-effecting i don't think it's a special form of lightning, unlike Force-lightning from Star Wars.

[Luckers]

Are you sure that it is similar to natural lightning? Naturally, lightning cannot come from a clear, cloudless sky, unlike channeled lightning.

 

It can, actually--though its quite rare.

 

The point was simply that 'channeled lightning' is still just an electric charge. Electrons excited to the point that they leap to the nearest grounded point. The channelers excite the electrons, and direct or target them in some manner, but the lightning is still just lightning, the same as a lightning bolt that's result from a buildup of atmospheric preasure.

 

Unlike a fireball, wherein the weaves have gathered or are supplying the heat, the lightning is itself a thing--and using lightning is more akin to throwing a rock than a fireball.

[Arkane101]

It's possible that it is much less likely to survive it because it has a higher electrical charge, meaning it will cause more damage/produce more heat when someone/thing is struck by it. But then theres only been a certain number of on screen electrical strikes, and some times after a long battle with thousands of deaths, theres been described as several survivers that are just injured not dead that they have to go around making sure are dead, they could be possible lightning strike survivors.