[RPG] added on to secondary attacks with implement powers

combatdnd-4eimplementssorcerer

Background: The Wild Magic Sorcerer in my group often uses his at-will power Chaos Bolt. On a hit with an even numbered roll, he gets to make a secondary attack against a creature within 5 squares of the original target. This is a Charisma vs. Will attack that says: "Hit: 1d6 psychic damage…" He is wielding a +3 implement and has the corresponding Weapon Focus feat to add 2 damage to his implement attacks. Additionally, he has Chaos Power as a class feature, which adds his Dex mod plus 2 bonus to the damage rolls of arcane powers.

Question: What, if anything does he get to add to this 1d6 damage roll? Does he just do 1d6 flat damage? Does he add implement damage? Does he add Weapon Focus damage? Does he add Chaos Power damage? Some combination of these?

Best Answer

Player's Handbook 2 (page 219): Some powers allow you to make secondary (or even tertiary) attacks. A “Hit,” a “Miss,” or an “Effect” entry tells you when to make a secondary attack. Unless otherwise noted, the attack type and the range of a secondary attack are the same as the power’s, and the secondary attack doesn’t require a separate action. Some powers give you the ability to make a secondary attack at a point later in an encounter, after the initial effect takes place. These powers include information about the secondary attack’s action type, attack type, range, and effect

Emphasis is mine. From this text, since Chaos Bolt has the types Arcane, Implement, and Psychic, it follows that any secondary attacks that do not specifically say otherwise are the same.

As one of the types of Chaos Bolt (and therefor its secondary attack) is Implement, he should be entitled to all the benefits of using his implement for the attack, including the standard enhancement bonus to attack and damage. Using the same logic, the secondary attack is also Arcane, so any benefits to arcane powers that have all requisites met should also trigger.

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