Iron and Steel and "anchored" Allomancy, do you need the Multiple Targets stunt?

Question

The Physical External Metals, Iron and Steel, give the two most well-known and visible forms of Allomancy - the ability to Pull or Push metals around you. The descriptions both mention "anchoring" by using a second large metal object to help you Push or Pull something too heavy for you to manipulate normally; both descriptions do so in their general rules areas, not within the stunt section, so clearly this action can be taken by any Mistborn, Coinshot, or Lurcher, not only specially trained ones.

However, their rules also state that you can only choose to Push or Pull either a single object, or else every object in range, and nothing in between without the use of the Multiple Targets stunt. The parts on Pushing and Pulling heavy objects don't specify anchoring as an exception to this rule, leading to an obvious question:

To perform an anchored Pull or Push without the Multiple Targets stunt, must you also Pull or Push every eligible metal object within your range? I'm leaning toward "yes, you do" but I'm not familiar with the book series (yet) nor do I have much experience playing or running Mistborn, so I'm not sure if there are canon examples or other rules I missed somewhere that would make it easier to use anchored Allomancy without needing to preemptively clear every scrap of metal from a 200 foot radius first.

(Just a note: there is a slight mismatch between the title question and the question in the text. Those really irritate me when I don't catch them, but in this case felt right to leave, so this is just a disclaimer so you notice it!)

Answer 1

I would say, based on the mechanics and on the character sheets provided for the NPCs from the books, that you would need the Stunt yes - that is the point of the Stunt. Otherwise, it wouldn't need to be included. :)

Vin and Kelsier's sheets are given on pages 486 & 492 respectively. Both of them have the Multiple Targets stunt to represent their abilities as given in the books.

Answer 2

In the books, yes, it is very specifically mentioned that they anchor themselves against a single other item at times, and against two or more at others (such as when Kelsier was training Vin in pushing with the metal ingot at the wall; and when they used the allomancer road to travel between cities, using two anchors at a time to keep themselves going the right direction).

So in this instance, I would say work with your GM on it, because either option is plausible. As a GM myself, and with knowledge of the series (epic reads, I highly recommend it!), I'd say you can use the anchoring against a single or multiple other items without needing the Stunt.

Answer 3

I agree with Steffan McBee, general Anchored Steelpushing (and Ironpulling) should not require a Stunt as its a basic use of the Power in the setting. Furthermore, from the book, the note in Iron Allomancy "From Brandon" (p307) indicates that in Powers, as with everything, the narrative takes precedence and further implies that Stunt-like effects can be accomplished.

We call objects being Pulled or Pushed “anchors,” and a very large anchor — say, the copper roofing of a building — might let an Allomancer Pull or Push from much farther away, even without the appropriate Stunt.

Furthermore, in the Steel section, "anchor" is mentioned 3 times in the body of the Power (including a reference to using more than one coin as 'stilts' to hover) description but never in the Multiple Targets Stunt.

Pushing along these lines lets the character send an unanchored object of equal or smaller weight away, or sends him or her in the other direction from an anchored or larger object.

Pushing against anchored or larger metal objects (or smaller objects on the ground directly below the character) is a favorite mode of Allomantic travel. By dropping a coin or two on the ground and Pushing against them, a skilled Allomancer can “walk” on stilts of Allomantic force, or hover dozens of yards in the air.

Multiple Targets: You have finer control of your Steelpushing and may simultaneously Push a number of individual metal objects, or attack a number of different targets, up to your Steel rating. When attacking multiple targets, make a single Steel roll which each target must defend against individually. Nudges are ignored (they may not be gained) when using Iron [sic] to attack multiple targets.

I think the key word of the ability is "targets"... you can only effectively push more than one (but less than 'all') metal object if you have the Stunt... that doesn't mean you're not anchoring your Pushes when you don't have it.