Does the Devastating Infusion "act as using kinetic blade" clause also apply to the ranged attacks?
Im trying to see if it's possible to use the Telekinetic Blast's secondary option of using the weapon damage in place of blast damage. So if the ranged option is also treated as kinetic blade then is definitely not possible.
Short answer: No, but.
The form infusion alters how the underlying simple blast works. With respect to the ranged version:
- The simple blast either does {1d6+1 per odd level} + Con as usual for physical simple blasts, or {weapon base damage} + Con with the loosened aether. This damage is applied to the target and the weapon.
- The form infusion causes the blast to always deal 1d8 + Con. No level modifier, no ability to modify the damage with aetheric blast or other composites, no indication that you can loosen the aether to deal weapon damage.
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The simple blast isn't normally usable in melee. Devastating Infusion allows you to do so as though you were using kinetic blade, with a number of additional buffs (such as two-handed grip on a one-handed weapon for extra Con bonus damage, compatibility with Vital Strike, and compatibility with the Flurry of Devastation form infusion.)
In other words, the ranged option is not handled "as though using kinetic blade" (no... but) you can't choose to deal weapon damage with it because of how the form infusion works.