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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WalterKovacs" data-source="post: 5535819" data-attributes="member: 63763">Actually, as of PHB1, not only was staff the only "weapliment", but only Staff enchantments counted as staff implements (while also being a magic quarterstaff). A weapon enchantment on a quarterstaff would not be a magic staff implement. So, until the swordmage (and then sorceror, etc) there were no implements able to switch the damage type of implement powers, and the fact that there are basically no implement echantments that do that (except for a few like Staff of Acid and Flame, or Hellfire Staff, that are much more restrictive than frost weapons and the like). The "idea" behind a flaming weapon (or similar elemental weapons) seem to be that the weapon damage would become fire ... it also seemed a bit "cheesy" to have it work as an implement modifer (especially since they seem to go out of their way to NOT give those kinds of properties to 'normal' implements). The 'flavor' of the flaming weapon fits better now, I could see them doing that with all the other elemental weapons. The keywords on powers aren't just fluff ... they interact with feats and class features AND the riders on the powers are often thematically tied. A cold power is more likely to slow or immobilize. A fire or acid power will often have ongoing damage. Poison weakens. Radiant blinds, etc ... Having a pyromancer, for example, grabbing just the best damage dealing powers for a wizard, and then turning all the damage types to fire would get MUCH better rider effects than having to pick natural fire powers. Natural fire powers generally deal damage, with some ongoing damage or conditional damage riders. They aren't likely to throw out blinding, stunning, dazing, and other great control effects. Even Acid powers (that they can get via Staff of Acid and Flame) or melee/close powers (Hellfire Staff) at least leaves some powers that can't be made into fire powers. Not to mention the other effect ... the "all damage is cold damage" of the frost weapon also means that it removes the previous damage type. So necrotic/fire/poison damage types, which are expected to run into resistance on occaision suddenly gets to get around that easily. People may like that, but it does presume that no one even considers the damage type issue when creating powers (which might be quesitonable).  I will say, however, that the stealth errata where it just gets put in there without telling anyone OR explaining the change, is not the way to go about it. If it is something they want to change, go all the way and explain why ... because if it is "we don't want implement users to have this", than we at least know. (The whole "weapons as implement benefiting from stuff meant for weapons" thing has always seemed like something unintended they let slide, so a lot of things were designed on what turned out to be false assumptions.)</blockquote>

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