Energy Types and Keywords

[Rhaegar14]

So, a lot of the cheesier exploits in 4e involve using a weapon with enchantment X to convert to Y damage type to capitalize on feat-or-feature Z without having to choose your powers with that in mind (or on a class that can't get those powers). For instance, Lasting Frost and Wintertouched with a Frost weapon.

But my question is, does this work from a RAW standpoint? I mean, logically, of course, but RAW and logic don't always line up. I ask because of this wording in Lasting Frost:


"Once per turn, the first target you hit with a power that has the cold keyword..."

A Frost Weapon's damage-change power states that it changes the damage dealt by the weapon to cold damage, but says nothing about keywords.

On top of that, what about bonus damage (from, say, Malec-Keth Janissary's L16 feature)? Does extra damage of a given energy type add its keyword to a power that benefits from it?

[NecroRebel]

This has always technically been the case, but the Rules Compendium made it explicit: if a power gains damage types it gains the associated keywords, and if it loses damage types, it loses the associated keywords (except poison, a special case).


Adding and Removing Damage Types: If a power gains or loses damage types, the power gains the keywords for any damage types that are added and it loses the keywords for any damage types that are removed.

I won't transcribe it, but directly below is an example of a character using a fire weapon to change a lightning power to fire, and explicitly says that that power would then benefit from fire-related feats.



Extra damage that isn't caused directly by a power wouldn't cause the power to gain or lose keywords because the power itself isn't being changed. It would be like treating Flurry of Blows as part of the triggering power; it doesn't work that way.