4e - Ranged Basic Attack powers

[cavanaht]

Melee basic attacks are used for opportunity attacks. And there are some powers that are treated as melee basic attacks.

I see a few ranged attack powers that can be used as ranged basic attacks. What's the use of that? Can you use those to some benefit?

For instance, the Sun Strike Invoker power can be treated as a ranged basic attack.

[Seerow]

if I recall there's a few powers that allow use of range basic attacks. For example I seem to recall a stance that allows you to use a range basic attack if an enemy moves towards you.

[Lateral]

Well, among other things, a Warlord can make you use a basic attack but not an at-will.

@V: No. I said "among other things". Warlord is the only one I've got off the toppa my head.

[cavanaht]

So with the absence of a Warlord...Ranged Basic Attack powers have little to no merit?

[tcrudisi]

So with the absence of a Warlord...Ranged Basic Attack powers have little to no merit?

Not at all. Several items increase the power of your RBA (bonus to hit, bonus to damage). Furthermore, several feats and powers utilize RBAs as well. For instance, the Deft Hurler feat allows you to Cleave and then make a RBA as a part of the same attack action.

Also, the Eagle Shaman is basically the leader for RBA's while the Warlord is primarily the MBA leader.

/edit - Optimizers love RBAs as there's so much juicy stuff you can do with them... but it is fairly obscure. If you aren't really an optimizer at heart, you don't have an Eagle Shaman, and you aren't a Seeker, you can fairly well ignore RBAs.

[Meta]

The seeker is the strongest RBA user and it's fairly potent. RBAs aren't as strong as MBAs but theyre more than competent just not as common

[gurban]

For a Sorcerer, Acid Orb + Sourcerous Blade Channeling = Acid Orb to the face as Opportunity Attack/Melee Basic. Don't know if that is official, but I let my players do it.

[tcrudisi]

For a Sorcerer, Acid Orb + Sourcerous Blade Channeling = Acid Orb to the face as Opportunity Attack/Melee Basic. Don't know if that is official, but I let my players do it.

It's not official. What you have is a Ranged Basic Attack that can be used as a melee attack. This does not make it a Melee Basic Attack.

There was a FAQ question or rules clarification on it somewhere, I'm just too lazy to look it up.

Is it a bad house-rule? Certainly not. Many rule the way you do, and honestly, the Sorc needs a bit of a bump.

[Mando Knight]

Also, the Eagle Shaman is basically the leader for RBA's while the Warlord is primarily the MBA leader.
The Warlord has a new (MP2, so not new new, but still relatively new) set of class features, letting him change over to ranged attacks. Combined with the normal "Warlord hits the monster with the Barbarian" tactics, he's almost an archery-focused group's best friend.

[Jaidu]

Also, the Eagle Shaman is basically the leader for RBA's while the Warlord is primarily the MBA leader.

The Animist Shaman is also excellent at providing basic attacks for either melee or ranged. Spirit Infusion grants a +2 power bonus to the attack and scaling power bonus to damage based on the shaman's Int modifier.

As mentioned before, ranged basic attacks have two advantages: team members granting them out of turn and item support. Eagle Eye Goggles and Bracers of the Perfect Shot can boost RBAs quite a bit and are relatively low-cost items, being level 2/12/22 and 3/13/23 respectively. There is also a nice seeker feat called Primal Eye that adds your Strength or Dex modifier to ranged basic damage. These are just a few examples, there are probably a lot more bonuses for RBAs out there.