Revisiting the Weapliment Expertise Nerf

[Prestidigitalis]

Okay. So I have a Swordmage who has been on the shelf for six months while we played other campaigns, but now it's time to dust her off and play her again. Reviewing her abilities in Character Builder, I notice with horror that Heavy Blade Expertise is not being applied to her Implement powers such as Sword Burst.

First, just so I'm clear, is the solution simply to switch to Versatile Expertise? Is there some subtle difference that I'm missing?

Second, why did WotC make the change in the first place? Why not just continue to allow Weapon Expertise to affect both weapon and implement powers?

 

[Lord Ernie]

Okay. So I have a Swordmage who has been on the shelf for six months while we played other campaigns, but now it's time to dust her off and play her again. Reviewing her abilities in Character Builder, I notice with horror that Heavy Blade Expertise is not being applied to her Implement powers such as Sword Burst.

First, just so I'm clear, is the solution simply to switch to Versatile Expertise? Is there some subtle difference that I'm missing?

Nope, that should do the trick.

Second, why did WotC make the change in the first place? Why not just continue to allow Weapon Expertise to affect both weapon and implement powers?

I don't have the PHB on hand, but at least for the Weapon Expertise feats, I don't think there was an update. The compendium at least doesn't list any. If that's correct, then Weapon Expertise never worked for the swordmage, at least by RAW.

 

[DracoSuave]

Nope, that should do the trick.

This.

I don't have the PHB on hand, but at least for the Weapon Expertise feats, I don't think there was an update. The compendium at least doesn't list any. If that's correct, then Weapon Expertise never worked for the swordmage, at least by RAW.

Weapon and Implement Expertise never worked for non-weapon/non-implement powers. That's why Versatile Expertise was created.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

If that's correct, then Weapon Expertise never worked for the swordmage, at least by RAW.

For what it's worth, Character Builder did include the Weapon Expertise bonus for Swordmage implement powers -- I have my old character sheets and it's definitely there.

 

[Lord Ernie]

For what it's worth, Character Builder did include the Weapon Expertise bonus for Swordmage implement powers -- I have my old character sheets and it's definitely there.

I believe you. I reckon it's a bug from the Character Builder that was removed since you last looked at your swordmage.

 

[DracoSuave]

For what it's worth, Character Builder did include the Weapon Expertise bonus for Swordmage implement powers -- I have my old character sheets and it's definitely there.

CB had a bug!?!

SHOCK

 

[Prestidigitalis]

CB had a bug!?!

SHOCK

Either that, or when the CB team implemented that feat it was understood within WotC that it was supposed to work that way.

 

[Riastlin]

IIRC, Weapon Expertise was never supposed to work for implement powers. However, Focused Experise was. The difference between the two was that Focused Expertise was applied to a specific weapon (i.e. longsword) as opposed to a weapon group (heavy blade). Versatile Expertise of course pretty much renders both feats obsolete.