Magical Staff Weapons as Implements

[Akaiku]

Would this mean that you can not take weapon focus:staff to get bonus damage as a wizard or druid for your spells/invocations?

 

[Caliban]

Would this mean that you can not take weapon focus:staff to get bonus damage as a wizard or druid for your spells/invocations?

It is intended that you use the astral fire, burning blizzard, etc. feats to get bonus damage with certain spells, not one feat to get bonus damage to all spells.

There are certain ways to get around it (pact weapons for a warlock, longsword for a wizard of the spiral tower, any blade for a swordmage, and certain magic weapons for clerics/paladins).

It is not clear that using a Staff/Quarterstaff for your implement is one of the ways to use a single weapon focus feat to get bonus damage to all your spells. To me, it's seems that it is not, but others disagree.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Well, ambiguity aside, I'd say by the intent of weapon focus you'd have to be using a power with the weapon keyword.

 

[Caliban]

Well, ambiguity aside, I'd say by the intent of weapon focus you'd have to be using a power with the weapon keyword.

Unfortunately, the feat is not that specific.

 

[Starglim]

Unfortunately, the feat is not that specific.

Even more unfortunately, neither is the text for magic weapons and enhancement bonuses, which refer to "attack and damage rolls with the item".

 

[Saeviomagy]

It is intended that you use the astral fire, burning blizzard, etc. feats to get bonus damage with certain spells, not one feat to get bonus damage to all spells.

It is not clear that using a Staff/Quarterstaff for your implement is one of the ways to use a single weapon focus feat to get bonus damage to all your spells. To me, it's seems that it is not, but others disagree.

Either way, I don't believe that there's a strong reason to disallow it, and there would seem to be a number of points for it (it makes staves a slightly stronger implement choice, it adds diversity without increasing power). The only possible negative is that the elemental damage bonus feats have an alternative: but since I think those feats are fairly badly put together, that doesn't come across as a negative to me.

 

[juggler434]

Thanks for the replies. I'll bring it up with my DM.

 

[gribble]

While it could be argued it's a bug, the DDI Character Builder adds Weapon Focus (Staff) damage to spells...

It doesn't add Weapon Proficiency bonus to hit, as expected.

Oh, and getting back to the OP, it also adds a Holy Healers Quarterstaff (i.e.: the weapon, not implement) to spell attack and damage.

 

[DDogwood]

I don't believe that there's a strong reason to disallow it

This. The "RAW" argument could go either way, but I'm a proponent of reasonableness over RAW.

 

[Caliban]

(it makes staves a slightly stronger implement choice, it adds diversity without increasing power).

Staves really don't need any help.