D&D 5E Spells cast at higher level slots

[Queer Venger]

Can any spell be cast at higher level slot or only those that specify an effect at higher level?

PHB:
C a s t in g


a Sp e l l a t


a H ig h e r L e v e l


When a spellcaster casts a spell using a slot that is of a higher level than the spell, the spell assumes the higher level for that casting. For instance, if Umara casts magic missile using one of her 2nd-level slots, that magic missile is 2nd level. Effectively, the spell expands to fill the slot it is put into.

 

[pdzoch]

Page 201 of the PHB answers this question. You can use a higher level spell slot to cast a spell. But only spells with enhanced effects at higher levels will have a larger effect. So could you cast Alarm (1st level) as a 4th level spell. Yes, you spend the 4th level spell slot, but it will have no additional effect. Whereas, Animal Friendship (also 1st level) has and enhanced effect. So if cast at a 4th level would grant the benefits of the higher level spell slot (which in this case is an additional animal per increased spell level).

 

[Sword of Spirit]

There is one automatic benefit of using a higher level spell slot: it becomes a spell of that level. This makes it harder for opposing spellcasters to effectively dispel it with dispel magic or counterspell.

 

[MechaPilot]

Page 201 of the PHB answers this question. You can use a higher level spell slot to cast a spell. But only spells with enhanced effects at higher levels will have a larger effect. So could you cast Alarm (1st level) as a 4th level spell. Yes, you spend the 4th level spell slot, but it will have no additional effect. Whereas, Animal Friendship (also 1st level) has and enhanced effect. So if cast at a 4th level would grant the benefits of the higher level spell slot (which in this case is an additional animal per increased spell level).

While that is correct (as I understand the rules), I also feel it's sort of lazy. I recently had a player ask if he could teleport farther if he cast Misty Step in a higher level slot (I allowed it). I think there are a lot of spells that, like Misty Step, could easily have expanded options for use in higher level slots. Longer range, longer duration, affecting more than a single target (for single-target spell), a larger AoE (for AoE spells), etc. are all good options for things that could potentially be done by casting any spell in a higher level slot.

 

[CapnZapp]

Page 201 of the PHB answers this question. You can use a higher level spell slot to cast a spell. But only spells with enhanced effects at higher levels will have a larger effect. So could you cast Alarm (1st level) as a 4th level spell. Yes, you spend the 4th level spell slot, but it will have no additional effect. Whereas, Animal Friendship (also 1st level) has and enhanced effect. So if cast at a 4th level would grant the benefits of the higher level spell slot (which in this case is an additional animal per increased spell level).

There is one automatic benefit of using a higher level spell slot: it becomes a spell of that level. This makes it harder for opposing spellcasters to effectively dispel it with dispel magic or counterspell.

If this forum had an "marked as answered" function, I'd mark these.

As a note, I can add that in d20 your save DC depended on the spell level. Not so in 5E, where all your spells are equally hard to save against.

 

[Staffan]

While that is correct (as I understand the rules), I also feel it's sort of lazy. I recently had a player ask if he could teleport farther if he cast Misty Step in a higher level slot (I allowed it). I think there are a lot of spells that, like Misty Step, could easily have expanded options for use in higher level slots. Longer range, longer duration, affecting more than a single target (for single-target spell), a larger AoE (for AoE spells), etc. are all good options for things that could potentially be done by casting any spell in a higher level slot.

Could have, yes. But I think it's intentional that they don't, in many cases - particularly with Concentration spells, or spells with tactical rather than immediate uses (like misty step).

For example, take misty step. As you say, it would be easy to expand it by saying that you could teleport longer for a higher-level spell slot. But if you look at the game in the larger sense, you'll see that there are few to no ways of getting more than about a single move out of a bonus action. Rogues, monks, and the spell expeditious retreat let you Dash as a bonus action. Misty step gives you 30 ft and have the advantage of not provoking opportunity attacks or actually crossing the intervening terrain. That's pretty much what I can recall off-hand as PC-available bonus move abilities. All of that means that if you want to move more than a double-move you need to spend your action doing it (for something like dimension door), which in turn makes it more difficult to "kite" foes (outrunning them while attacking from a distance).

Take another example, death ward. It would be trivially easy to give it an upgrade saying that for each higher-level spell slot, you could cast it on another creature. So why didn't they? Perhaps they want the cleric to have to choose which party member to protect?

Haste could also have an upgrade giving it more targets, but that would lead to haste being expected in higher-level parties, and that's not good.

 

[khyberpunnisher]

For example, take misty step. As you say, it would be easy to expand it by saying that you could teleport longer for a higher-level spell slot. But if you look at the game in the larger sense, you'll see that there are few to no ways of getting more than about a single move out of a bonus action.

I don't agree about Misty Step. It's not a move for a bonus action. It's a move for a bonus action and a second level spell slot. If you added an extra 10 feet (or even 30 feet) for each spell level higher than 2nd, it would be a bonus action and an even higher level spell slot. Spell slots are limited resources, while a Rogue's Cunning Action allows him to Dash literally every turn.

 

[CapnZapp]

Misty Step is way more than merely a bonus move (a Dash).

It allows you to get out of being surrounded or grappled, and allows you to move without jump/climb/swim/balance checks.

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

 

[CapnZapp]

Can any spell be cast at higher level slot or only those that specify an effect at higher level?

All spells.

The only reason to upcast a spell with no higher effect is for dispel/counter purposes.

For example, an adventure game effect might say "You need to cast remove curse or similar at least at 6th level to unlock the [mcguffin]".

Then the very fact you cast your spell using your 6th level slot has value, despite it not being detailed anywhere in the PHB.



Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

 

[Swarmkeeper]

All spells.

The only reason to upcast a spell with no higher effect is for dispel/counter purposes.

For example, an adventure game effect might say "You need to cast remove curse or similar at least at 6th level to unlock the [mcguffin]".

Then the very fact you cast your spell using your 6th level slot has value, despite it not being detailed anywhere in the PHB.

Yes, and...

a PC might upcast if she has used all her lower level slots and only has a few higher level spell slots available at the end of an adventuring day and needs/wants to cast a lower level spell before a long rest.

Or, if a PC is multiclassing and he simply doesn't have spells of that level. For example: a Druid 2/Wizard 1 would have a bunch of 1st level spells but no 2nd level spells and would have two 2nd level spell slots to expend.

In either case, it's possible that the upcast spell may not have an added boost and the PC might not really be worried about dispel/counterspell, depending on the scenario.