The only way they could have done the "40 damage cap" is if you argue that they didn't know their own damage caps when making kunark....?? I don't even imagine how that is possible? Of course they knew their damage caps... just in kunark they hadn't narrowed it down enough to really have guidelines on a "caster melee weapon" like the rod.
After doing more digging I found this
https://github.com/erfg12/EQClassic/...tack.cpp#L2454
This seems much closer to actual classic EQ damage caps... which... weren't much.
At level 20 the caps get lifted.
The idea that a caster with a staff in classic was MAXING at 6 damage till level 10?? It seems highly suspicious...
But then the real suspicious bit was when they get into higher level damage caps .... classic EQ just wasn't THAT itemized in terms of capping damages (they never thought that far until later ... which is why they were still making a 60/40 caster only weapon in their first expansion.......... and STILL making +40 damage weapons into velious....)