Can a Ranged Weapon be an Implement?

[AbdulAlhazred]

You CAN do this. Use Arcane Implement Proficiency to get a warlock implement (either rods or wands will do). Get a Pact Throwing Hammer. Pact Hammer CAN be a throwing hammer as its a 'hammer' restricted enchantment and hammer is a weapon GROUP, not a specific weapon, of which throwing hammer is a member.

Now, MAYBE you also need to take Pact Initiate warlock MC feat to make this work. Its really not spelled out in the rules. Pact Hammer can be used by anyone who can use warlock implements, but does being able to use one specific warlock implement give you the ability to use it? That's open to interpretation. Obviously its not the ideal situation as you need to burn 2 feats to get there if it works this way, but at least Pact Initiate has ancillary benefits. You'll have to be careful about the ability score prereqs though.

The other way to do it would be to hybrid artificer|warlock. Seems like that would be an OK combination though obviously it might not be what you want to do.

 

[Destil]

No he's trying to have a ranged weapon and an implement, and save some feat-tax from Expertise so he doesn't have to double up.

Note: In this specific case (and many others) I think expertise is the design problem. They've made two goes at it and it's still wrong, hopefully wizards will just kill the feats somehow in the future.

EDIT- Further note: What's your Dex? May be worth doing something like throwing hammer/wand for two-implement spellcaster at higher level when the enhancement bonus to damage will count for more.