Tools of Two Trades (Weapliment Expertise) Article Up

[Nemesis Destiny]

Here it is: Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Tools of Two Trades)


Some are decent. Most are ranging from 'meh' to 'terrible' mechanically, or are overly narrow in appeal. We have until September 19 to make them understand that.

 

[Kzach]

Gods why do they always have to make things overly complex?

For once and for all they should just bloody-well get rid of the entire concept of weapon vs. implement and make them one and the same. Characters should simply be able to wield whatever weapon they're proficient in as a bloody implement. It's not freaking rocket science.

 

[Obryn]

There's just too damn many of them, IMO.

Also, it'd be nice to add a generic Versatile Expertise with the new scaling. Boring, but necessary for corner cases.

This article could have easily been one functional page.

-O

 

[Ferghis]

The last of the trio intended for clerics should omit the word "melee" from the required weapon description. It seems like it would work well for bow clerics. I hope the wizards guys are reading this.

 

[WalterKovacs]

While it's a lot of options to try to cover each 'niche', like the artificer (wand + crossbow), the avenger (two hander + holy symbol), etc.

The ki focus one seems like it's almost the same as the original ki focus expertise but also allows you to use a magic weapon that doesn't benefit from the ki focus.

There are at least a few useful things in there in addition to just a basic "let's you use a weapon and an implement, or a weapon as an implement". Allowing someone to actually use a instrument with the bard is a closed loophole. While a generic feat that would have worked in any situation would have been nice, having riders makes them at least more interesting a less of a 'useful from 11 to 14 and 21 to 24 but otherwise functionally equivalent to versatile expertise'. That or they could have just errata'd the original feat. But I guess they may want to encourage 'iconic' weapon + implement wielders over mechanically superior variants.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

I have two weapliment characters, a cleric and a bard.

The bard likes forced movement, so he's fine with battle song expertise.

But...

The cleric would like mighty crusader, unfortunately he fights with a hammer and shield. Devout protector is underwhelming, especially since I am 15th level, and aren't making at-will attacks as much as I used to. Devoted priest is slightly better but still very circumstantial. (As opposed to the aforementioned bard who will benefit from the extra push pull slide several times each encounter).

Also, Eldritch Fusillaid expert seems aimed at Artificers, but all the artificer's I've met who use crossbows have Crossbow Caster, so this expertise won't benefit their implement attacks.

 

[CasvalRemDeikun]

The War Wizard's Expertise should have been Staff Expertise except for Heavy Blades and Light Blades. You could balance it by subtracting the Reach benefit. Seriously, the current benefit doesn't do squat. The minuses don't even come close to removing all the negative effects of the spells a blaster wizard or sorcerer is tossing out.

 

[Mengu]

The ki focus one seems like it's almost the same as the original ki focus expertise but also allows you to use a magic weapon that doesn't benefit from the ki focus.

And works only with at-will powers.

Some of these expertise feats seem handicapped, some are okay but unimpressive, a few are decent to good, and one is encouraging things that don't need more encouragement.

 

[Grydan]

I'm rather curious as to how often Wizards thinks players need to roll Diplomacy checks right after hitting with an At-Will attack.

 

[LightPhoenix]

The War Wizard's Expertise should have been Staff Expertise except for Heavy Blades and Light Blades. You could balance it by subtracting the Reach benefit. Seriously, the current benefit doesn't do squat. The minuses don't even come close to removing all the negative effects of the spells a blaster wizard or sorcerer is tossing out.

I think the feat is primarily meant for Swordmages and Hexblades. Putting the prerequisite as "Any arcane class" allows for more utility but isn't meant to make them broadly useful.