Currently elemental damage gives:

Flame --> Burning status effect --> Flame DoT applied (target takes fire damage)
Shock -->Concussion status effect --> Minor Vulnerability (targets take 8% more damage, can proc abilities like Flame Lash)
Frost --> Chilled status effect --> Minor Maim (targets do 15% less damage)

From Destruction Staff:

Flame --> Full heavy attacks do 12% more damage; single target abilities do 8% more damage (with staff ability on your bar)
Shock --> Heavy attacks do 100% splash damage; AoE abilities do 8% more damage (with staff ability on your bar)
Frost --> Full feavy attacks taunt target and give damage shield; block costs 30% less and block 20% more damage (with staff ability on your bar)

The basic logic behind this scheme is that Flame is for single target DPS, Shock is for AoE DPS, and Frost is for tanking. One one hand it's nice to know what weapon/damage type to use for different situations or builds, but on the other such hand pigeon-holing frustrates many players. So, how to leave these basic distinctions in place but leave room for additional playstyles and strategies?

One possibility is what I am loosely calling Elemental Alchemy: when a target is hit by two different elemental status effects, something new happens. For example, if the burning status effect procs on a target already suffering from the chilled effect. This new effect cancels both contributing status effects. (And yes, this logic could be applied to poison mixing with disease and possibly with those mixing with elemental effects.)

Just what new thing happens with each elemental status effect is wide open. I will toss out a couple of generic ideas, but please feel free to add your own. These are just placeholder examples:

Example One

Burning + Chilled --> Knocked up/back or Feared
Burning + Concussion --> Blinded (miss chance) or Silenced
Chilled + Concussion --> Knocked down or Stunned

These are very strong, too strong, but would give CC immunity.

Example Two

Burning + Chilled --> Burning fire DoT explodes as steam for 200% of remaining damage
Burning + Concussion --> Duration of Minor Vulnerability is doubled
Chilled + Concussion --> Minor Main on affected targets becomes Major Maim

Also very strong, but, these are more easily modified by playing around with variables such as effect duration.

And again, yes, stamina characters aren't left out as there could be combos for disease and poison. And yes, any enchant or the right siege weapons capable of inflicting these status effects would work, too, not just weapon and class abilities.

Anyway, what would you like these various combination to do? Perhaps even new status effects that don't currently exist(describe them)?