Spearmage, Hammermage, Staffmage . . .

[Starfox]

Afraid I have to be in the "this is not a rule" camp too - a strategy guide is not a rulebook.

 

[jbear]

This has already been acknowledge by WotC as a mistake and is not an actual rule. There are a few mistakes in that book. For instance it suggests that you should stack untyped bonuses from the same named game element. see below.

Awww man! Seriously?

How can they botch things up like that with such ease?

Disappointing.

 

[TarionzCousin]

The Players Strategy Guide was uploaded into DDI this past Tuesday. So someone could check there and see what it says.

 

[jbear]

Nice, no point arguing about facts!

 

[lukelightning]

Staff mage? Is that like a court wizard?

 

[LightPhoenix]

The only reason I can think of to limit weapons as implements is to prevent wacky interactions with feats. Then again, there's already wackiness with the staff/quarterstaff, so why not? It's never really going to make much of a difference unless you're using both weapon and implement powers, in which case you're getting double taxed anyway.

 

[DracoSuave]

This has already been acknowledge by WotC as a mistake and is not an actual rule. There are a few mistakes in that book. For instance it suggests that you should stack untyped bonuses from the same named game element. see below.

It's been countermanded by Customer Service.

They're not exactly 'reliable' first sources.

'Acknowledged by WotC' isn't a meaningful statement.

But yes, that part IS a mistake, and possibly because the errata for same-named sources was put out before the book's publication was finalized.

It happens.

 

[igniz13]

First off, the swordmage can wield any weapon for it's Weapon attacks, so you can focus on those and just use weapon attacks. You loose your warding and swordbond but you could just use heavy armour if you wanted to and no-one cares about swordbond that much.

And if you really care about implement powers, you only need to wield a blade for when you want to use them. As someone else suggested, a spiked shiled would do it.

It would've been nice if the Swordmage were just a battlemage and picked a weapon group for it's implement though. Maybe arcane power 2 will bring that option.

 

[The Little Raven]

It's also written by Andy Collins.

So? Just because Andy Collins wrote it in a non-rule book doesn't make it an official rule.

Andy Collins was the guy in charge of everything you just mentioned.

Yeah, like the errata which was just incorporated into the DDI on June 1st.... which directly contradicts the claim you are trying to make.

Straight from the Compendium horse's mouth:

Implements are items wielded by certain characters to channel their powers. Your class description or a feat tells you which implements you can wield, if any. The implement keyword identifies a power that can be used through an implement, and the implement must be a type wielded by the power’s class or paragon path. For example, to use an implement with a wizard power, the implement must be a type used by wizards, such as an orb or a wand, and you must be able to wield it. If a power, like one from a racial paragon path, has this keyword but isn’t associated with a class or a class paragon path, you can use any implement with that power, as long as you’re able to wield the implement.

That's the latest rules update from Andy Collins and his errata team. The Player's Strategy Guide FAQ entry is not (a) a rule or (b) correct, which is why it wasn't incorporated into the rules update for the month which lists it as being part of the update.

So, when a non-rules book makes a claim that directly contradicts the actual rules update, both of which were done by Andy Collins, then I'm going to go with the official rules update, since they had time between PSG going to print and making sure the DDI reflects its claims... they didn't, and it should be pretty obvious why.

 

[DracoSuave]

So, then you're saying that Andy Collins doesn't overrule Andy Collins?


Most recent printing.

It's a FAQ on rules.

It's written by the guy who was in charge.

What else do you want?