What's the deal with Heighten Spell? [Archive] - Wizards Community

What's the deal with Heighten Spell? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
bjorsa
03-26-08, 10:59 AM Why would anybody rather chose to heighten a spell 2 spell slots up rather than empower it? Or whatever other metamagic? Am I misunderstanding how Heighten works?
Shaggy_Shaggs
03-26-08, 11:01 AM You're still thinking in terms of magic as hp damage output, which is one of the worst uses for it. The real offensive power in magic is save-or-lose spells, and Heighten Spell improves saving throw DCs on lower-level spells that would otherwise be useful.

For example, Glitterdust is effectively a Mass Blind spell. Its saving throw DC is only 12 + (ability mod) though. Heightening it to, say, a 5th level spell, would push the save DC up to 15 + (ability mod), giving it a better chance of affecting higher level targets.
StevenO
03-26-08, 02:12 PM The base save for Charm Person is only DC 11+mod. Now Heighten that into a 9th level slot at that DC becomes 19+stat mod. BIG difference there.

Even for damaging spells it is sometimes helpful to use Heighten. A 3rd level Fireball with Empower may take a 5th level spell slot but it still doesn't get through a Lesser Globe of Invulnerability while using Heighten Spell to make that Fireball a 5th level spell would actually burn through a normal Globe of Invulnerability. Again an important distinction when you need high level spells to overcome defenses but don't have any spells that work.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
bjorsa 03-26-08, 10:59 AM	Why would anybody rather chose to heighten a spell 2 spell slots up rather than empower it? Or whatever other metamagic? Am I misunderstanding how Heighten works?
Shaggy_Shaggs 03-26-08, 11:01 AM	You're still thinking in terms of magic as hp damage output, which is one of the worst uses for it. The real offensive power in magic is save-or-lose spells, and Heighten Spell improves saving throw DCs on lower-level spells that would otherwise be useful. For example, Glitterdust is effectively a Mass Blind spell. Its saving throw DC is only 12 + (ability mod) though. Heightening it to, say, a 5th level spell, would push the save DC up to 15 + (ability mod), giving it a better chance of affecting higher level targets.
StevenO 03-26-08, 02:12 PM	The base save for Charm Person is only DC 11+mod. Now Heighten that into a 9th level slot at that DC becomes 19+stat mod. BIG difference there. Even for damaging spells it is sometimes helpful to use Heighten. A 3rd level Fireball with Empower may take a 5th level spell slot but it still doesn't get through a Lesser Globe of Invulnerability while using Heighten Spell to make that Fireball a 5th level spell would actually burn through a normal Globe of Invulnerability. Again an important distinction when you need high level spells to overcome defenses but don't have any spells that work.