Enhancing the Heighten Spell feat

[StreamOfTheSky]

So, I want to make Heighten Spell more generally useful, as it's usually only taken by Enchanters or sometimes Illusionists in my experience. So, I think these are all pretty sensible extensions of what the feat already does, it's likely others have already made these houserules.

1) The damage dice cap for any direct damage spell the feat is used on is extended to what would be appropriate for that level (example: a fireball at spell level 5 would cap at CL 15 and 15d6 damage).
2) You can use the feat with any "series" type summoning spell (summon monster/nature's ally/undead/etc...) to gain the benefit of the higher level version. For example, Summon Monster I could be heightened to spell level 6 and count as Summon Monster VI.

Are these reasonable or too powerful? Any other ideas to make the feat useful for other spell schools?

 

[Runestar]

This does make the feat extremely useful to sorcerers, who now no longer have to worry about taking higher-lv tier spells, when they can now easily upgrade their lower lv versions. Now, by taking fireball, shadow conjuration and summon monster1, they have access to all the higher-lv upgrades automatically.

I am not sure if it would necessarily be overpowering, might be a much-needed upgrade to keep them on par with wizards for all I know.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Yes, it'd be good for sorcerers especially, although they'd need to spend a full round action each time they used heighten spell to get that kind of utility until they can pick up the Rapid Metamagic feat, and even then Sorcs don't get any bonus feats, so it doesn't seem too powerful for them.

Also...why Shadow Conjuration? This rule would have no effect on what those line of spells could mimic or how strong they'd be. Unless I'm mistaken, to use a similar example, you could not use greater shadow evocation to mimic an empowered fireball, or a maximized fireball, or any other metamagic'd fireball. And the changes would not apply to the shadow spells themselves, either. So you couldn't just heighten shadow evocation by a level and suddenly be able to mimic fireballs with it.

 

[Runestar]

PHB2 does have the metamagic specialist variant which removes the extended casting time when applying metamagic feats to spells.

Also...why Shadow Conjuration?

I was under the impression that you could heighten shadow conjuration to mimic greater shadow conjuration and shades (same for shadow evocation). Although that is already possible using a shadowcraft mage, so it is really nothing new.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Ah, right. I don't pay much attention to PH2, but you're right. Still, same book has Abrupt Jaunt, which is way worse than metamagic specialist. Anyway...

I specifically limited it to summoning spells for #2, I did not intend for it to apply to shadow spells. And I know about Shadowcraft Mage, I love that build.

[sblock]In fact, part of the reason I'm adamant about not letting this rule include shadow conj/evoc spells is that I'll be making a SCM for my group, and if this rule were to further directly benefit his main schtick, it'd look like I was trying to powergame (excessively), when I just think it'd be a worthwhile rule to adopt in general. Well, maybe they wouldn't care, but I get self-concious sometimes.[/sblock]

 

[Urbannen]

Another option is to alter the magic system so that any spell cast using a higher level slot is "heightened". That way spellcasters don't have to "waste" a feat in order to get the benefit.

(I've never understood the reasoning for requiring a feat to do that.)

I'm not sure the idea of increasing damage caps on spells using a "Heighten Spell-like" is a good idea. There is already a feat for that: Empower Spell.

Certainly being able to substitute Summon Monster I for Summon Monster VI with one feat is too powerful. You completely bypass the assumed cost of acquiring the higher level spell: the cost of buying it or the opportunity cost for choosing it as your free spell over another spell (for wizards) or the use of a scarce high level spell slot (for sorcerers).

In fact, with this variant spellcasters will be able to get out of acquiring many spells they might otherwise need, such as Cone of Cold. They save money or get to use their free spells/spell slots on other things. It sounds generous, but it tips the munchkin scales in the favor of spellcasters.

It would be reasonable to create higher-level versions of damage spells, such as fireball II (4th level), fireball III (5th level), etc., each with a higher damage cap, but the wizard or sorcerer would have to acquire them as normal in order to gain access to them.

 

[Asha'man]

Personally, I have a house rule which doesn't go quite so far. It seems to work well:

In addition to the current effects of the spell, each level a spell is heightened extends any caps on the spell by 3 caster levels. (Note that the caster must still be high enough caster level to exceed the normal cap to gain any benefit from this). So a Fireball heightened to lvl 4 would have a damage cap of 13d6. A Dispel Magic heightened to lvl 6 would have a cap of +19 on the dispel check (still worse than Greater Dispelling, which is important.) And Scorching Ray heightened to lvl 5
would fire up to 5 rays (3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th and 18th).