Just my two cents:
I'm trying to do a bit of thinking 'outside the box', and here's some thoughts:
1) Perhaps on the staff series, instead of a flat FT, something like a clickie ModRod effect (at a lesser rate), but doesn't go away on a hit and has some minor stats? So make it share a refresh timer with the ModRod and about twice the refresh time, then you can click it for x damage and gain x/2 mana or something.
1a) For stats, instead of Int and Mana, it has Charisma and either Magic damage or Fire damage. There is a dearth of +magic or +fire damage stuff that a low-end mage can equip, so it gives Mages something that isn't exactly overly powerful, but situationally useful, at a cost of a reduced overall mana pool.
I also had an idea for elemental staves as higher-end level 65 spells that requires a T2 drop to complete the quest for, and a combine with something that maybe drops Outer Prison level for a more powerful 'your powers combined' one, but that's getting WAY off topic here.
2) Scale the rune on the sword line so that higher end swords have a bigger rune? Because honestly, 50 points? Not going to do much when it's comin' from something that requires a Pearl as a reagent. By that same token, as it is supposed to be a 'tankier' pet toy, no Str, but give it better Sta and HP.
Alternately, thinking a bit outside the box here, I'm remembering as a young mage, I would frequently go into Thurg to get some Ethereal weapons for my pet to wield for the self-healing. Perhaps swords could proc a small sel-heal? Starting out at like 10 points for the low end one, and ending at maybe 100 for the Sword of Power. Or, cap it out at 50 for the sword, but have the proc rate better off. Or just replace the 50 point rune with a 50 point heal and have the proc rate increase as you get higher-end swords. Scale proc level so you can't give a level 1 pet a Sword of Power and expect it to do much of anything other than raw stats.
3) Spear line gets a blasty kind of proc, or perhaps some kind of debuff on the target (reduce MR and FR by like 10 or 20? Increase spell damage to target by 1%?), and gets Str and perhaps either Ferocity or something like that, but has no extra Stamina and MUCH less HPs. This is more of a 'raid/group DPS' kind of pet toy. Proc scales up as more powerful spears become available, but have required level for the proc, so you can't twink a level 1 pet with a Spear of Power and expect it to proc.
4) Make pet toys for pets ONLY. Race/Class: NONE. That prevents potential abuse by giving to n00bz. Failing that, required levels on the higher end ones.
