Look Ma- Rules Updates!

[Mirtek]

Weapon Focus no longer gives you a bonus to attacks made with a staff as an implement. This affects my invoker and I'm PISSED!!! Just kidding. It seems reasonable to me.

How? That's nothing but a feat tax for swordmages & co. Now that they finally managed to offer implement focus they at the same time forgot everything they learned from the farce around weapon expertise and implement expertise and focused expertise and versatile expertise.

Hopefully this is only so that they can sell us the versatile focus feat as a brand new improvement and hopefully they do it fast.

This is an errata preview.I think the Two-Weapon Fighting and Weapon Focus weapliment fix was rather elegant. I play an invoker, too, but I like the way they fixed it.

What did they fix? They just told you "here, you're class sucks, you'll have to take two feats to get what every other class now gets for one feat". And while they were at it, they also gave a slight buff to the poor underpowered TW-ranger.

The change is logical b/c it puts the staff on line with the other implements.

The change comes at the same time as they finally create focus feats for the other implements. The change to WF now does nothing to bring the staff in line with anything.

 

[corwyn77]

A sad consequence is that he must now choose between the +2 to Str so he can hit more often and the +2 to Wis for his Combat Superiority. Personally, for a Dwarf Fighter, I'll probably stick with Con/Wis.

Um, huh?

There's no losing consequence here.

You'd rather have +2 Wisdom, which will give you +1 to hit with OAs only, than +2 Strength, which gives +1 to hit with all attacks?

 

[Stalker0]

As far as the rogue sneak attack bonus I'm fine with it. I've seen a few rogues built, and so far none have impressed me.

I've had sorcerers that did amazing area damage, avengers that did wonderful crits with terrific speed and durability, and rangers that just....win the game.

Rogues do a lot of damage but they are squishy as heck and really have to keep working to get their bonus.

 

[ObsidianCrane]

I know my Cleric is happy... with the change to Lightning Ref things will actually need maybe a 6 to hit her ref... (or at least a 3 instead of a 2...)

Now I just need HotFL so I can update my Dwarf Fighter to a Slayer build (if that doesn't remove the RP of some of his powers entirely).

 

[Aspeon]

On the other hand, doesn't Implement Focus obsolete Astral Fire, Raging Storm, and the other +damage for elements feats? I guess that those feats were all somewhat underpowered to begin with, but it just means more clutter in the Character Builder. (and thematic feats being replaced by less flavorful ones)

 

[Drakhar]

On the other hand, doesn't Implement Focus obsolete Astral Fire, Raging Storm, and the other +damage for elements feats? I guess that those feats were all somewhat underpowered to begin with, but it just means more clutter in the Character Builder. (and thematic feats being replaced by less flavorful ones)

Unless they go the route of the weapon expertise feats and make the elemental damage feats have other effects then just a damage increase.

 

[Obryn]

On the other hand, doesn't Implement Focus obsolete Astral Fire, Raging Storm, and the other +damage for elements feats? I guess that those feats were all somewhat underpowered to begin with, but it just means more clutter in the Character Builder. (and thematic feats being replaced by less flavorful ones)

I think they've been obsolete since PHB1 was released. They're subpar when pretty much ever caster had a Weapliment as one of their Implement choices.

But yes, they're completely redundant now, along with the Human-only saving throw feats.

-O

 

[RigaMortus2]

the poor underpowered TW-ranger.

That made me giggle a little bit inside...

 

[DracoSuave]

A sad consequence is that he must now choose between the +2 to Str so he can hit more often and the +2 to Wis for his Combat Superiority. Personally, for a Dwarf Fighter, I'll probably stick with Con/Wis.

Actually this is a no brainer.

+1 to attack and damage with all rolls including opportunity attacks

vs.

+1 to attack with opportunity attacks and +1 to damage if and only if you take pitfighter.

Unless you need the Wisdom for Polearm Gamble, there's really no question. Go with Strength.

 

[CelticMutt]

Rogues don't get Rapier proficiency for free yet. The change to military weapon will only effect classes that have access to all military weapons, like Fighter. I'm glad that I can now play a Rapier wielding fighter without it costing an extra feat.

Or Ranger or Swordmage or etc. Sadly, the one class that should get Rapier for free but didn't because it was a Superior weapon still doesn't get it for free, the Bard.