question about heighten spell

[LordAO]

Heighten Spell is much better for Sorcerers than Wizards.

If a Scorecer has Heighten Spell and Improved Counterspell, he can counterspell almost ANYTHING, even with his limited spell selection. This combination can be quite effective.

Other than that, I agree. Heighten Spell is probably the weakest metamagic out there.

 

[Negative Zero]

... If a Scorecer has Heighten Spell and Improved Counterspell, he can counterspell almost ANYTHING, even with his limited spell selection. This combination can be quite effective. ...

not to hijack my own thread but...

isn't that kinda impossible? i mean, counterspelling requires a readied action, right? and you can only ready a partial action, right? and a sorc's meatamagiked spell is a full round action, right? so, how does that work, exactly?

~NegZ

 

[LordAO]

isn't that kinda impossible? i mean, counterspelling requires a readied action, right? and you can only ready a partial action, right? and a sorc's meatamagiked spell is a full round action, right? so, how does that work, exactly?

I don't know for sure. You may be right. But it has been mentioned before as being possible on a different thread.

 

[Destil]

The counterspell rules state that meta-magic has no effect on counter-spelling. Though who knows how that needs to be revised in light of improved counterspell...

 

[Will]

Heighten spell is basically the only thing that keeps low level enchantments worthwhile, I think.

Like mentioned before, would you ever cast Hold Person once you're 15th level?

Yeah, I guess if some lowly bandit gets uppity and you don't want your fighter to bother staining his sword.

I do think it's more useful for sorcerers, but that's generally the case for metamagic.

 

[Zhure]

Heighten also works adequately in conjunction with spellstoring magic items.

Normally a spellstoring item stores the spell at the minimum level needed to cast it. Heighten increases the miniumum level needed to cast a spell.

Thus, putting a Sorcerer casting Fireball into a ring of spellstoring will get a 6d6 fireball out, DC 14. By Heightening it to 5th level, the yield is a 10d6 fireball, DC 17.

Personally, I prefer to take Maxmize or Empower, but Heighten works out ok for non-numerical dependent spells. Using Dispel in the above example, a normal dispel is effectively 6th level from a sorcerer (1d20+6th level) but he could heighten it to a 5th level dispel (for 1d20+10th level).

Greg

 

[Quixon]

Someone recently pointed this out in another topic - the problem with Heighten isn't so much that it's bad on its own merits, the problem is that it sucks compared to most of the alternatives, whether those are other metamagic feats or simply higher level spells. For example, an Empowered Fireball is almost always going to be better than a 5th level Heightened Fireball. Hold Monster is always better than a 5th level Heightened Hold Person. There are almost always better options out there, often substantially better ones.

Oh I agree- Heighten would never have been my first choice as a feat. I just meant I could see it having some uses.

 

[Quixon]

The counterspell rules state that meta-magic has no effect on counter-spelling. Though who knows how that needs to be revised in light of improved counterspell...

Not a rules lawyer but I think Heighten would affect Counterspelling.

Heighten is different from reg. Meta-magic feats in that it actually increases the spell level(i.e a Fireball heightened to 6th level IS a 6th level spell). Where as other metamagic feats just make a spell use a higher slot-not change the level(i.e. Emp. Fireball is still 3rd level spell-just uses a 5th level slot).

With Heighten Spell and Improved Counterspelling a Sorcerer should be able to counter spell almost anything. Use the Reactive Counterspell from FR(don't have to ready action to counterspell)and you would have a Counterspelling GOD lol.

 

[MensurB]

Can't sorcerers use a higher spell slot to cast a lower level spell anyways? For instance, he runs out of third level spells but still has one fourth level spell, can't he just use the 4th level slot? Now that I think about it, I think the fireball would still be considered a third level spell though, sorry for the rant.

 

[Zhure]

Can't sorcerers use a higher spell slot to cast a lower level spell anyways? For instance, he runs out of third level spells but still has one fourth level spell, can't he just use the 4th level slot? Now that I think about it, I think the fireball would still be considered a third level spell though, sorry for the rant.

Wasn't really a rant, more like thinking out loud. You're correct in your conclusion.
Greg