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Scythe. :)

Another note: It's in the PHB2 that things start to get messy; the Invoker is a Chain-wearing Controller that uses the previously-only-for-warlocks rods and not holy symbols, meaning that when trying to find an appropriate rod, one has to painstakingly look at each description to make sure it's...

I think you're on the right track with the class balance angle. Looking at the base PHB, the controller's in cloth, the strikers are in leather/hide, the leaders are in chain, and the two defenders have the two heaviest armors. Obviously, they started experimenting with later classes, but if...

It's not about what was introduced later, it's what was included at the start. Hammers vs axes vs heavy blades very much stood out in the PHB, with some light blade and polearm on the side. Keeping certain effects away from Sneak Attack dice is interesting; that is indeed a mechanical reason...

That seems to be more of a flavor thing, then, precisely because the feats for weapon groups already do the job of differentiating the weapons.

I'm not seeing a mechanical reason for why, say, an enchantment that gives a weapon bonus damage when you have combat advantage should be limited to light blades. Or why the traditional Holy Avenger was expanded to possibly be an axe or a hammer instead of just a traditional sword, but couldn't...

Oh, I think also if a power is particularly accurate (weapon vs NADs or flat bonus), it's worth one weapon die for every +2, but I haven't checked all instances.

You actually covered most of them in your analysis. One I've noticed is that multiple attacks tend to halve the dice for each attack. Before splatbooks added a ton of static damage, that was fairly reasonable. Using Rage Strike as a baseline, it looks like most weapon powers lose a W if...

That sounds like a solid principle: more variable damage the more consistent the other parts of a power are. Thanks for the in-depth analysis; I'd figured out weapon powers for the most part, but implement powers were throwing me.

It seems awfully arbitrary. Why is Lightning Serpent (Wizard 9) 2d12 while Prismatic Beams (Wizard 15) ends up being 4d6? What determines when a d10 is used? I've tried to account for disabling effects, AoE, etc., but I can't seem to find any recognizable pattern. Were they perhaps just...

Thanks, that's exactly what I wanted!

What does the phrase "attack effectively" mean in the offhand rules, if not that you cannot make attacks unless the weapon is an offhand weapon?

Well, when you hold a shield, you don't gain any bonuses without the requisite proficiency. One wonders about the rules for other items with special rules regarding them. Do a weapon's properties still apply if you're incapable of using it to attack (e.g. Dragonslayer Weapon, Pact Blade)...

That's the problem in a nutshell. I'm looking for something explicit, because the implicit leads to anybody's guess (as demonstrated by the responses, all of which are possible approaches). I was hoping there was something explicit I'd missed.

A simple attempt to compile all my house rules has taken on monstrous proportions, and while thumbing through the Player's Handbook for 4E, I can't seem to find anything that describes what happens if you're not a Ranger and hold a non-offhand weapon in your offhand. Is there some sort of...

I would have said that Defender and Controller are similar in that the focus of their class is limiting enemy actions. Likewise the Striker and Controller are similar in putting damage where it needs to go. If anything, I would put the Leader in a separate spot as the role that's about helping...

@EzekielRaiden That is what ended up happening, to be sure. I think the original design intent is closer to what I've described. Most of the options for Fighters/Paladins in the PHB fall under the heading of "Soft" control. I also agree that strict pigeonholing is detrimental. I don't think...

I've heard it distinguished as "hard" and "soft" control. And that is how Defenders work, and should be considered the functional difference between the roles -- a Defender will punish you for taking an action, but a Controller will prevent you from taking an action. Edit: To further...

I would even contest the punishing aspect. If they're still doing what they want, even at a cost, you're not controlling.

How would you categorize the more common riders by role? I think, for example, that a penalty to the target's defenses, though a debuff, would not count as control because it doesn't directly impede the enemy's ability to do things, but rather makes allies more capable of hitting, and is...