How Does Dual Implement Expertise Interact with Inherent Bonuses?

[Kinneus]

I'm currently playing in a Dark Sun campaign that uses inherent bonuses and tends to TPK a lot, so I'm naturally thinking ahead about my replacement characters. Sorcerers are one of my favorite classes to play, and Dual Implement Expertise is obviously a very attractive feat for that class, what with being Arcane Strikers and all.

So I was wondering... how would inherent bonuses interact with this feat? It's sort of hard to count on getting two magical implements in a Dark Sun campaign. I want to sort of get a general consensus from people on EN World before I broach the subject with my DM.

 

[Selganor]

If you are wielding an implement in each hand both implements get any inherent bonus you got.

But for "Dual Implement Spellcaster" to work you really need to have two implements (though they don't need to be magical by themselves if you got an inherent bonus), it isn't enough to wield just one implement.

 

[Doctor Proctor]

First off, there's the caveat that the DM always has the final word on stuff like this. I don't think that the rules are super clear on this, and I know that my old DM told me that it wouldn't count in our game.

However, I would think that as long as you're wielding an implement in each hand, that the feat should work as advertised. Otherwise, how do you explain the two bladed Ranger? Or the Tempest Fighter? The opposite ruling, that inherent bonuses only apply to a single weapon/implement invalidates whole builds, not just this feat. So in that light, I would assume that the designers intended it to apply to each hand if they were wielding a weapon/implement, in which case the feat should work just fine because you'd just use your inherent bonus instead of your enhancement bonus.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Is there a new feat called Dual Implement Expertise, or do you mean Dual Implement Caster? If the former, what I'm about to say may or may not apply.

I DM a game with inherent bonuses, and I've gone over this quite a few times in my head.

Intuitively, inherents should count for the purpose of DIC because it counts for similar purposes. (Dual-weapon builds, like Doc Proc mentions.)

On the other hand, DIC is clearly better than the similar Implement Focus feat, and I'm fairly sure that the cost of a second magical implement is intended as a counter-balance. So inherents shouldn't count for DIC because it makes a great feat too easy to benefit from.

My ruling so far has been that inherents don't count for DIC. Take that for what you will.

 

[SSquirrel]

If it helps any, I just made a 12th level sorcerer. Threw a staff implement in one hand and a dagger in the other. I also tried training wands and having a wand and staff combo. DIC does not add extra bonuses for having a non-magical implement in your offhand, but if it was magical it would add those bonuses. You're already gaining the Inherent bonus once, so it won't let you add it a 2nd time