# Does a warlock's curse added on a staggering note count as a “damage roll” for purposes of feats which add to damage?

For the warlock question, I made a half-elf warlock with staggering note.

Staggering note, for purposes of this question, does charisma modifier damage.

This warlock has a number of bonuses that he can add to his damage.

His PP notes: "... and a bonus equal to your Con mod to damage from lightning or thunder powers"

He also has a quickbeam staff which provides energized (thunder) which "you gain a +3 bonus to damage rolls if a power matches the implement's damage type"

Staggering note provides thunder keyed damage.

How much damage is done on a successful hit by this warlock?

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Yes it does. It is defined as "extra damage"

Extra Damage

Extra damage is always in addition to other damage

since extra damage is always added on. And warlock's curse is a power then it qualifies as a damage roll:

Damage Roll

A roll of a die or dice to determine damage dealt by a power or some other effect

Being that it is definitely added on to the damage, and it qualifies as a damage roll then it is eligible for any powers that add to damage rolls.

The damage expression should be

 CHA + CON + 2d6 + Implement + 3

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It all depends on how you read the warlock curse ability. To quote:

Warlock's Curse At-Will Minor Action Effect: Once per turn as a minor action, you can place a Warlock’s Curse on the enemy nearest to you that you can see. A cursed enemy is more vulnerable to your attacks. If you hit a cursed enemy with an attack, you deal extra damage. You decide whether to apply the extra damage after making the damage roll. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn. A Warlock’s Curse remains in effect until the end of the encounter or until the cursed enemy drops to 0 hit points or fewer. You can place a Warlock’s Curse on multiple targets over the course of an encounter; each curse requires the use of a minor action. You can’t place a Warlock’s Curse on a creature that is already affected by your or another character’s Warlock’s Curse. As you advance in level, your extra damage increases. Level Warlock’s Curse Extra Damage 1st–10th +1d6 11th–20th +2d6 21st–30th +3d6

The important part is the line I bolded.

This line is very confusing and can be read in 3 ways. 2 ways which allow you to use the warlock curse with Staggering Note, and 1 way which does not allow it.

1. Curse damage always applies, however if you roll damage dice, you can decide to not apply it.
2. Curse damage may or may not apply, when you roll damage dice, you decide if yes or no.
3. Curse damage applies at the point in the turn, when you would normally roll damage dice.

This is generally understood by the community to be unresolved and up to the DM.

Quoting @Brian Ballsun-Stanton who is quoting the Char Op Guides

Crown of Stars (D366) The initial hit and effect is already quite spectacular, but it's the Sustain Minor that marks it as truly excellent. Once per round as a minor action, you can subject any enemy 10 squares away from you to a Charisma vs. Will attack that, on a hit, deals Radiant damage equal to your Charisma modifier. Non-standard-action attacks are what Strikers love, and even if it might not really allow you to add Curse dice to it (depending on how you and your DM interpret the wording in the PHB1 entry for Warlock's Curse in regards to how it interacts with damage that isn't a damage roll), it doesn't matter. Enjoy your deathlaser!

Again, bolded the relevant line.

So, if you allow static damage to evoke the warlock curse, this hit does

CHA + CON + 2d6 + Implement + 3 damage


If however you do not allow the warlock curse to be used on static damage, then this hit does

CHA + CON damage.

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