Changing a power's damage type

[Hedgemage]

I'm making a theme character, an ice sorcerer, and I've run into problems where once I get out of the heroic tier there are levels where there are no cold damage type spells.

Also, at level 1, there is only one cold damage at-will.

Is there any way via feats to change the damage type of a power? I'm trying to keep everything by-the-book, otherwise I'd just ask the DM for a houserule.

 

[abyssaldeath]

I'm making a theme character, an ice sorcerer, and I've run into problems where once I get out of the heroic tier there are levels where there are no cold damage type spells.

Also, at level 1, there is only one cold damage at-will.

Is there any way via feats to change the damage type of a power? I'm trying to keep everything by-the-book, otherwise I'd just ask the DM for a houserule.

Arcane Admixture would let you add the cold keyword to one power. Otherwise you could use a Frost Weapon dagger to change your powers cast through it to cold damage.

 

[DracoSuave]

I'm making a theme character, an ice sorcerer, and I've run into problems where once I get out of the heroic tier there are levels where there are no cold damage type spells.

Also, at level 1, there is only one cold damage at-will.

Is there any way via feats to change the damage type of a power? I'm trying to keep everything by-the-book, otherwise I'd just ask the DM for a houserule.

Quarterstaff of Frost will allow you to change all the damage to Cold.

Or yes, the dagger.

 

[mneme]

Also, you actually want some powers (likely, just a single at-will) that don't have your damage type. Because every once in a while, you'll run into a monster that's immune(cold), like a 23rd level iceling slasher (admitedly, immunities to non-poison/petrification/gaze/fear seems vanishingly rare) or just has a higher resistance than what you pierce, in which case it's nice to have something else in your toolbox.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Also, you actually want some powers (likely, just a single at-will) that don't have your damage type.

From an in-game perspective, that's 100% correct.

From a character development angle, though, its not quite as true. That PC's facility and obsession with ice & cold has many analogs (Iceman, Mr. Freeze and Captain Cold spring immediately to mind), converses & conceptual cousins in fiction, esp. comics, and can make for some interesting situations.

The question of how does an Ice-Mage deal with a foe immune to cold is, to me, very interesting. "Run!" may be the answer.

In general, any character who is immensely powerful in one area of specialization can be quite interesting, not just for his power, but also how he overcomes his weaknesses...his "blind spot."

 

[Jhaelen]

The question of how does an Ice-Mage deal with a foe immune to cold is, to me, very interesting.

He becomes an Ice-Sorcerer - problem solved!

 

[The_Fan]

He becomes an Ice-Sorcerer - problem solved!

Good idea. I think the Storm Sorcerer is a good place to start. With minor adjustments, of course. I'd recommend changing the damage type for his resistance to cold and thunder (with the thunder representing a forceful blast of wind). You could reflavor some powers that key off storm magic to do cold damage instead of lightning, and the option of also doing thunder damage through arctic winds should give you more versatility.

Incidentally, this is actually a slight nerf for the storm sorcerer instead of a boost, because nearly twice as many monsters resist cold as resist lightning.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

Is there any way via feats to change the damage type of a power? I'm trying to keep everything by-the-book, otherwise I'd just ask the DM for a houserule.

Why muck around? Just ask the DM for the change to a standard power. The benefit that you get from stacking up cold related feats (if you did) will be offset by the cold resistant monsters you fight.

 

[Pelenor]

Why muck around? Just ask the DM for the change to a standard power. The benefit that you get from stacking up cold related feats (if you did) will be offset by the cold resistant monsters you fight.

I gotta agree with this one here. I've run into this once or twice as a DM and haven't seen any serious negative effects from allowing it. If nothing else it's an easy we to completely reflavor a class without a lot of effort.

In fact in one game I had a character change their racial damage resistance to a different type to create what was essentially a different racial variant.