once and for all, can you wield 2 implements?

[elecgraystone]

Well it's clear Charles doesn't know what he's talking about. If you only get the power of the implement when you use it with a power then you can never use the power of a rod of reaving. Warlocks curse isn't an ability that allows implement use. Ask him to try again.

 

[Pyrrhus of Epirus]

Trip - I got exactly the opposite answer from CS today.

My question to CS:
If I character holds 2 impliments, 1 in each hand, does he gain the "property" benefit of each impliment.
I.E.
Rod of Reaving: Property: When you place your Warlock’s Curse on a target, the creature takes damage equal to the rod’s enhancement
bonus.
Rod of Corruption: Property: Whenever your pact boon is triggered, instead of taking its normal benefit you can transfer your Warlock’s
Curse to each enemy within 5 squares of the original target.

Could I have each of the above rods in a hand (ie holding 1 in each hand), use a minor action to place a curse on an minion, a standard action to attack and kill that minion, use the property from Rod of Corruption to forego my pact boon and instead transfer my curse to all minions w/i 5 squares and then use/trigger the Rod of Reaving property to kill all of those minions (by them suffering damage from having my curse placed on them)? This would potentially allow me to kill 26 minions for 1 minor and 1 standard action. Seems very cool but not sure it works RAW or RAI. Please clarify in full as the message boards seem to say that CS has responded both in the affirmative and negative.

Thanks,
*

The response from CS:
*,

This interaction is intended and works as you described.

Please let me know if you need anymore help!


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Andrew
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They really need to get on the same page!

 

[Tripgnosis]

ok, I was also confused by that answer. It seemed to mean (in the strictest sense) that the implement doesn't grant any bonuses (including passive ones) until you've used a power. Which for warlocks would kinda suck, cuz the first the a warlock is likely to do in combat is curse someone. And since he hasn't yet used a power, the rod of reaving wouldn't apply it's damage.

Sooooo, I called WOTC and spoke directly to a man named Matt, who said that HE thought Charles was likely referring to it's enhancement bonus, reinforcing my guess that Charles hadn't fully read my inquiry.

What Matt says is that you can simply NOT wield 2 implements at once, in any technical sense. You can hold both. You can, on your turn, switch which one you are wield. But never wield 2 at once. (at least until a feat or power is published that allows this) This pretty much coincides with my 2 weapon wielding reference I made previously. Basically since the PHB doesn't tell you how or if you can wield 2 implements, you can't. With weapons the book tells you how and so therefore you can.

You'll have to take my word for this since the conversation was verbal and not text, so I cna't very well copy and paste for reference. Sorry....

 

[frankthedm]

If a semantic quibble results in rules sanity, it's a good quibble.

I agree totally.

 

[Tripgnosis]

I guess this all boils down to a DM's call. Charles and Andrew and Matt and Tom and Dick and Harry all can't seem to agree. My guess is that when reading inquiries online, tehy kinda skim through and give a quick answer without really paying attention the the particulars, which REALLY make a difference. Which is why I called. A verbal discussion is much more fruitful. either way. I vote for Matt, I think his answer makes the most logical sense...

 

[elecgraystone]

Well what matt said about never WIELDING two impliments doesn't mean anything since we are talking about passive abilities. You don't have to wield an implement to get the passive. By Matt's point of view a rod of reaving never works, just like Charles' since you have to wield it and you don't do that while cursing. (wield means USING as per errata)

So far Andrew is the only one to give an answer that is book legal and makes sense.

 

[Xris Robin]

Matt's answer made sense to me. If you don't have to wield an Implement to get it's passive abilities, you could just leave it in your backpack. To get the benefits of it's powers, you must take it out and be wielding it. (But you don't have to be using it with a power. You really just have to say you've got it in your hand.) But you can only do so with ONE Implement. Taking out a second one does nothing.

 

[Minigiant]

Well the holy avenger states that you must use it to gain the benefit of its property. The Vorpal weapon enhancement states it must be used with that weapon. The RAW says that a property is always active as long as the conditions (if any) on it are met when turned on. By my interpretation, every magic item property is active on a player as long as the conditions are met, the item is the only one it its slot, and the property is not turned off.

 

[Oni]

I was under the impression that this had already been answered. Wasn't said that one could duel wield pactblades and receive benefit from both items, not one. I'm pretty sure I saw that bit of info floated here before.

 

[WalterKovacs]

Dualwielding pact blades is different though, one would be dual wielding them as weapons, but could only wield one as an implement. However, it's listed as a weapon that can act as an implement, allowing it to apply it's property as a weapon twice [since you would get the benefit of both wielded weapons].