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A player's wizard that I DM for has picked up the Ice Sceptor from the Cairn of the Winter King adventure.

The Ice Sceptor has the following property:

Property: You gain a +2 item bonus to the damage rolls of cold attacks made with this implement.

One of the spells that the wizard casts creates a sustainable area of effect 2 zone of cold that deals 5 damage when creatures start their turn in the zone.

Does the Ice Sceptor's damage modifier modify the zone's damage? (thus making it 7 cold damage instead of 5 cold damage per turn in the zone)

What about feats that modify damage do they affect zones without specifically stating so?

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I really wish they would add these to the compendium. – wax eagle Apr 2 '12 at 15:06

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No,

Taking 5 damage is not a damage roll. There needs to be dice involved to count as a roll.

Damage Roll (from DDI):

A roll of a die or dice to determine damage dealt by a power or some other effect. Modifiers to a damage roll apply to the entire roll, not to each die rolled.

It's hard to generalize, but additional damage from feats would typically not add to zone damage if the damage is flat (not rolled). Take Weapon Focus, for example.

You gain a +1 feat bonus to the damage rolls of weapon attacks ...

To be certain, we'd have to examine the wording of the feat(s) in question.

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+1 Much depends on "damage" versus "damage roll." though they never make that clear save in the charOp forums. – Brian Ballsun-Stanton♦ Apr 2 '12 at 15:07
Also, when you crit, it still counts as a damage roll, even though you don't need to roll any dice. – Snowbody Apr 2 '12 at 15:31
If the Ice Scepter had said simply "+2 item bonus to the damage of cold attacks", would it then apply to a sustainable zone? – Mark Rogers Apr 2 '12 at 15:56
@MarkRogers possibly. – wax eagle Apr 2 '12 at 16:36
What about spell effects that require a damage role, like the effect flaming sphere has on adjacent enemies as the start of their turn. Would you get the implement bonus (assuming it worked for fire) on the damage role for this secondary attack? – Rantar Apr 2 '12 at 20:42
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