question about heighten spell

[Celtavian]

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I found the Heighten Spell feat more effective for wizards than sorcerers. A wizard obtains Scribe Scroll for free, and is able to create heightened scrolls quite easily. I feel it is a great feat when used in conjunction with item creation feats, especially Scribe Scroll and Craft Staff.

It is also very good if you have a great scout who gives plenty of advance warning about battles. My wizard usually leaves quite a few spell slots open while he travels, and I can sit down a spend a bit of preparation time filling them with metamagicked spells. One of my favorites is heightened hold spells. I also like heightened evocation spells when dealing with enemy wizards due to globes of invulnerability.

Great feat IMO.

 

[Cedric]

I think Heighten Spell is best used with other Meta-Magic feats. If you tack quicken on a Fireball to make it take a 7th level spell slot...it's still only a 3rd level spell.

But, you can then tack on Heighten if you have it, to actually make it a 7th level Quickened Fireball, with the save DC's of a 7th level spell.

Does this make Heighten worth taking? Largely depends on your character. But if you use other meta-magic feats that raise the effective levels of spells and require saves...think about it. Those extra +3 or 4 points on the save make a difference.

Cedric

 

[Jens]

I think Heighten Spell is best used with other Meta-Magic feats. If you tack quicken on a Fireball to make it take a 7th level spell slot...it's still only a 3rd level spell.

But, you can then tack on Heighten if you have it, to actually make it a 7th level Quickened Fireball, with the save DC's of a 7th level spell.

... except that heightening by 4 levels (from 3rd to 7th) requires a slot 4 levels higher. So the fireball-that-is-hasted-and-heightened-by-4-levels requires a 11th level slot.

Edit: 3+4+4=11. Sheesh! (Thanks Bauglir)

 

[Cedric]

Hmm..maybe I didn't word that very well.

If you quicken a fireball, it takes a 7th level spell slot...but the DC save for it is still that for a 3rd level spell.

If you quicken it and heighten it though, it still takes a 7th level spell slot, but now it saves as if it's a 7th level spell.

Cedric

 

[Hypersmurf]

If you quicken it and heighten it though, it still takes a 7th level spell slot, but now it saves as if it's a 7th level spell.

It doesn't work that way.

If you use Heighten to give it the saves of a 7th level spell, it is a 7th level spell. That's what Heighten Spell does.

If you Quicken it as well, it becomes a 7th level spell in an 11th level slot.

You don't get "free" Heighten levels by adding other metamagic. You add the cost of Heighten Spell and the cost of Quicken Spell together.

-Hyp.

 

[Cedric]

I reread it..and I can see your point, but none the less, I still disagree. But yes, interpretting it the way you have been would make it much less valuable.

Using it the way I use it is not at all unbalanced, and I think it was how Heighten was meant to be used.

Cedric

 

[Bauglir]

No, Jens has it (almost) right. Heightening costs levels just like any other metamagic feat, and you can't take them concurrently.

So a quickened fireball heightened to 7th level would take up an 11th level slot.

 

[Hypersmurf]

From Sean K Reynolds, when he worked at WotC:

In terms of combining Heighten Spell, do the heightening first. So you'd heighten a fireball to 5th level (giving it a DC of 15+ your ability score modifier) and then could maximize it, which makes it 8th level. DO NOT do other meta feats and then Heighten Spell, or it gives a false conclusion: the above fireball maximized (6th) and thet heightened to 8th would not have a DC of 18+ ... the heighten is only by two levels.

-Hyp.

 

[Jens]

This question has been asked repeatedly here and elsewhere. I wonder if it will be spelled out in the revision?

 

[Quixon]

I reread it..and I can see your point, but none the less, I still disagree. But yes, interpretting it the way you have been would make it much less valuable.

Using it the way I use it is not at all unbalanced, and I think it was how Heighten was meant to be used.

Cedric

Sorry your way is incorrect - Hypersmurf and the others posted the correct way of doing Heighten with another Metamagic.

With your version -who WOULDN'T take Heighten and who WOULDN'T use it every time you used every other Metamagic feat?

"Hey gonna Maxamize that fireball-cool thats a +3 level adjustment-I may as well use heighten to get the DC up by +3 for FREE with Heighten also". Same for every other metamagic feat-you would get to use heighten for free.