[4e]Half Elves fighting the darkness!

[Tokiko Mima]

The Dilettante racial feature of Half elves allows then to choose another classes At-Will power, and it becomes an encounter power for them. However, the Wizard classes Magic Missile At-Will power specifically states that it can be used as a Basic Ranged attack. If it's used in this manner, doesn't it become an At-Will power instead of an encounter power since Basic Attacks are always At-Will? Which rule is more specific in this case?

[Surgoshan]

It can be considered a basic ranged attack for the purposes of anything that runs off of or requires or lets you use a basic ranged attack. Like I think there's new powers out there for the warlord that allow an ally to use a basic ranged attack.

So I'd say that, were a warlord to trigger something like that, the half-elf could expend his encounter power to take advantage of it.

I've not read the latest splats, though, so I don't know how many things there are that would allow something like that.

Short answer: No, it's not an at-will. It just allows the encounter power to use or be used by anything that needs a basic ranged attack.

[NecroRebel]

A basic attack isn't always an at-will. What gave you that idea? It does just so happen that basic melee attacks, basic ranged attacks, Magic Missile, and Eldritch Blast are all at-will powers that are also basic attacks, but that does not mean that all basic attacks are at-will powers.

If you're going by the first sentence in the "basic attacks" section of the PHB, read the whole sentence. It says "A basic attack is an at-will power that everyone possesses, regardless of class." Not everyone possesses Magic Missile and/or Eldritch Blast regardless of class, so clearly these are somewhat-different things.

So, to answer your question, a Half-Elf's Delittante power is an encounter power. If it is Magic Missile or Eldritch Blast, it is an encounter power that, curiously enough, can be used as a ranged basic attack. These things are not contradictory.

[Kurald Galain]

If it's used in this manner, doesn't it become an At-Will power instead of an encounter power since Basic Attacks are always At-Will?

By the rules, no (because dilettante doesn't say that it does). On the other hand, given that MM is one of the weaker at-wills in the game anyway, it wouldn't hurt anyone if you ruled it that way.

[Tokiko Mima]

Ok, so to be clear: the consensus is that a Half Elf could only use Magic Missile as a basic ranged attack once per encounter, even if the Half elf was allowed to make more than one basic ranged attack. The Dilettante text is therefore more specific than the Magic Missile entry itself, so Magic Missile's Special text entry is only actually useful to a Wizard who doesn't want to wield a ranged weapon. And just because something is a basic attack doesn't make it At-Will, even though basic attacks are defined as being At-Will.

[NecroRebel]

Yes, except that last sentence.

Basic attacks are not "defined" as at-will powers. It just so happens that some at-will powers are basic attacks, but this does not mean that all basic attacks are at-will powers. You've discovered a basic attack that is not an at-will power, after all.

The powers that everyone possesses called "Basic Melee Attack" and "Basic Ranged Attack" are at-will powers, and both can be used as basic attacks. "Magic Missile" is also normally an at-will power that can be used as a basic attack. Delittanted, though, it becomes an encounter power that can be used as a basic attack once per encounter.

[Asbestos]

It counts as a basic attack for the purposes of things that grant basic attacks, that's it.

I think that Swordmages have a number of encounter powers that say 'can be used in place of a melee basic attack' but that doesn't mean they can use them at will.

[kbk]

It counts as a basic attack for the purposes of things that grant basic attacks, that's it.

I think that Swordmages have a number of encounter powers that say 'can be used in place of a melee basic attack' but that doesn't mean they can use them at will.

This.

More specifically.
You use it once an encounter.
You have an option to expend this encounter power even if you would normally only get a basic ranged attack.


You're over thinking this, or trying to break this.

[Kurald Galain]

Basic attacks are not "defined" as at-will powers. It just so happens that some at-will powers are basic attacks, but this does not mean that all basic attacks are at-will powers.

Precisely.

For instance, "bluff to gain CA" is a basic attack (as in, everybody can use it) that can be used once per encounter.

[Totally Guy]

Ranged basic attack (P287) actually specifies that Magic Missile can be a basic ranged attack for a wizard. Which prompts the question, are you a wizard? If you are then you don't qualify for Magic Missle through diletantte.

But that brings us full circle for a wizard and warlock multiclass.

Maybe there is a way to abuse RAW by saying that Basic ranged states Wizards can use magic missile regardless of whether they chose that power at all.

[Asbestos]

Maybe there is a way to abuse RAW by saying that Basic ranged states Wizards can use magic missile regardless of whether they chose that power at all.

What? That doesn't work at all.