Pathfinder how does heighten spell work

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Asked 4 years, 11 months ago. Active 4 years, 11 months ago. Viewed 5k times. Heighten Spell Metamagic Benefit: A heightened spell has a higher spell level than normal up to a maximum of 9th level. If it matters I always thought the spell was treated as the 5th level, and not the 3rd level.

Improve this question. Community Bot 1. Fering Fering Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. Improve this answer. I get that part. Its when you use heighten spell, so taking your quickened fireball and heighten it to 8th level. Where 10 is the base, 6 is the ability score mod. Basically don't expect your DM to allow this one - it's essentially getting Spell Focus with side benefits as a bonus feat.

Because Highten directly increases the level of the spell, and not just the spell slot, you can't reduce it to lower then the new level. This is interesting If you want to make heighten spell more effective look at Earth Spell, it raises the spell level of spell under heighten by one extra at no cost: eg raising magic missile to a 4th level slot with heighten will result it becoming a 5th level spell from a 4th level slot with Earth Spell.

The Incantatrix 10's ability can reduce the spell-level increase by 1, but never below 1. So an Incantatrix with the Heighten Spell feat cannot make ALL his spells Heightened by 1 level, and then preparing them in their normal level, because the Improved Metamagic ability explicitly states that a minimum of 1 level is required.

If that same Incantatrix uses Heighten to increase by 2 or more, the Improved Metamagic ability would lower the level adjustment. Now, as far as how Practical Metamagic interacts with Heighten Spell So, you could have Practical Metamagic Empower or Practical Metamagic Heighten , but those would be separate feats, and they require you to have the metamagic feat in question. As far as Heighten and PM So, based upon these vague rules, a 1st level Wizard could apply the Heighten Spell feat to his Magic Missile and cast it at the strength of a 9th level spell!?

I'm so confused!!! Pyrex First Post. Unlike other metamagic feats, Heighten Spell actually increases the effective level of the spell that it modifies. All effects dependent on spell level such as saving throw DCs and ability to penetrate a lesser globe of invulnerability are calculated according to the heightened level.

The heightened spell is as difficult to prepare and cast as a spell of its effective level. Click to expand From the SRD I downloaded. I think it is clear. But just in case it's not If you wanted to apply the heighten feat to charm person and cast the spell as a ninth level spell, it would occupy a ninth level slot and have it's save based upon being a ninth level spell.

Ah, so it's not as if really low-level casters can all of a sudden turn their 1st level spells into 9th level juggernauts, but that really high-level casters can take spells that they thought they outgrew, apply Heighten, and get whole new spells.

Thanks for the explanation! I only wish the original description was that well-written. I'm guessing the description takes into account the reader knowing that a 1st level caster casn't really cast a 9th level spell, huh?

I suppose I was looking at it through the "backwards logic" glasses. Felix Explorer. It's most useful for those spells that have a Save to Negate description. For instance, Blinding a 17th level fighter is almost as useful as Blinding a 3rd level fighter, but the 17th level fighter will have a much higher save And yeah, you can only [Heighten] a spell to the highest spell level you have available, 5th level Wiz can [Heighten] to a 3rd level spell, etc. Thanee First Post.

The biggest advantage of Heighten Spell is - for the sorcerer - that it expands the spells known at higher levels. Glitterdust or Slow, for example, are both next to useless except for their additional ability to make invisible seen or dispel Haste at higher levels, but with Heighten and a decent save DC they become completely viable spells, which can even compare with some higher level options. Bye Thanee. MerakSpielman First Post. Wasn't there some confusion about applying Heighten with other metamagic feats?

I don't remember what the debate was, though. MerakSpielman said:.