What is the point of implements?

[Imaro]

Okay, I've read through the 4e PHB, and I have a question...what benefits do non-magical implements(orb, wand, staff, etc.) bestow. Did I miss something or are they a necessity to activate the specific powers? Anyne wanna shed some light on this for me.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Okay, I've read through the 4e PHB, and I have a question...what benefits do non-magical implements(orb, wand, staff, etc.) bestow. Did I miss something or are they a necessity to activate the specific powers? Anyne wanna shed some light on this for me.

They add their enhancement bonus to hit and damage. Same as a magic sword does for melee people.

Edit: Oh, you said non-magical. You need to have one to activate your implement power.

 

[osmanb]

Hmm. I thought the book explicitly said that you don't need to have an implement to use a power with the keyword. Basically, it gives you a way to get an enhancement bonus, once you find a magic version. Until then, it just lets you apply the special (per-encounter) effect to a power. Very odd, especially for Clerics, who don't have any of those implement powers, right?

 

[Zelgadas]

Actually, implements are not required to activate implement powers for any of the implement-wielding classes, so non-magical implements are effectively flavor. Granted, you probably won't have a non-magical implement for very long; it's likely that you'll get a magical one pretty soon in your career, considering the treasure rewards guidelines. The one exception to this is the wizard, who can choose an implement mastery for the wand, staff, or orb. In order to gain the benefit of implement mastery, the wizard needs to cast the spell using his chosen implement, even if it's non-magical.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Not Implement Keyword powers...I mean your Implement abilities. You can't add your dex modifier to an attack roll, even if you chose wand as your implement unless you actually have a wand.

If you want wondering what they do for Warlocks...that would be: nothing at all.

 

[Nifft]

Not Implement Keyword powers...I mean your Implement abilities. You can't add your dex modifier to an attack roll, even if you chose wand as your implement unless you actually have a wand.

Yep yep yep, this.

I'm a fan of Defensive Staff.

Cheers, -- N

 

[ThirdWizard]

I'm a fan of Defensive Staff.

With a dwarf!

 

[Stalker0]

I think the staff and the orb are the better ones. The wand is kind of weak. There's no reason for a wizard to have good dex, none of his spells use it as a secondary stat, he already has a high int or AC, reflex, and his ranged spells.

With the staff I use con, which helps my hitpoints and fort defense. Wisdom helps my will defense with the orb. Dex....does nothing.

I think wand is the weakest of the three.

 

[Mort_Q]

A Rogue multied into Wizard would be killer with the right wand.

 

[samursus]

As for the Rod, the only use I can figure out is you NEED a base implement to enchant with the Enchant Magic Item Ritual... so if your game doesn't have readily accessible Magicmart, your PC Warlock can still make their own +implement (at 4th level)