Heighten Spell => Increased Damage Cap?

[Destan]

A fireball (Wiz/Sor3) normally has a cap of 10d6.

If I Heighten it, per the metamagic feat, it is in all ways treated as a spell of a higher level.

Question: Does Heightening a spell increase the max damage cap per spell level (pg 35 3.5 DMG) - thereby making a heightened (level 5) fireball have a cap of 15d6 instead of 10d6?

I'm thinking the table in the DMG is solely there to help balance new, researched spells, and that Heightened spells have no relation. But I'd like to make sure, because I have a player who wants to do just that.

Thanks,
D

 

[LordAO]

Heighten Spell merely increases the Spell's level and Save DC. It has absolutely no impact on the spell's effects.

If you want to increase the damage, get Empower Spell.

 

[AuraSeer]

I'm thinking the table in the DMG is solely there to help balance new, researched spells, and that Heightened spells have no relation.

You are exactly correct. A Heightened fireball is still limited to a maximum of 10d6 damage.

 

[Destan]

Thought so. Thanks fellas.

 

[Camarath]

There was a theard a little wile ago that addressed this issue (may have even been your player). We told him the same thing. Here is a link to the thread Behold! The true power of Heighten Spell!

 

[Destan]

Jeez. Only five days ago. I missed that thread.

It does seem pretty dang coincidental that my PC asked that same question just today, and used a 5th fireball as an example, eh?

Oh well. The answer's still the same: Nope.

Thanks again,
D

 

[frankthedm]

Don't feel alone, i knew a twit who wanted the same thing back when 3e came out.

 

[Derulbaskul]

I would probably allow it as it changes the spell's level, although I have yet to find a player who uses metamagic feats. My NPCs typically only use energy substitution and violate spell, and they're both fairly rare.

Cheers
D

 

[Plane Sailing]

As a DM I would be perfectly happy with allowing a heightened spell to enjoy an increased damage cap along with increased DC.

It seems perfectly reasonable to me that a spell using a 5th level slot (and the expense of purchasing a feat) would have the same damage cap as a native 5th level spell which effectively "cost" the caster less to use (no feat required).

Unless anyone can think of a game-breaking problem that can result from doing this? I haven't been able to yet.

The fact that the spell level caps are explicitly enumerated in the creating new spells area of the DMG is neither here nor there IMO. That is the very place where I would expect to find them, but they pretty much codify what you would expect to find by reverse engineering the spell lists. I find it strange that so many people seem to need to have every detail spelled out for them and they are not prepared to infer one thing from another.

Since you are the DM, it is your call. I'm convinced you won't be doing any harm by allowing your player to use heighten spell in this way.

Cheers

 

[green slime]

Unless anyone can think of a game-breaking problem that can result from doing this? I haven't been able to yet.

Remind me again; What would the point of Empower Spell be?

At 15th level could have a Empowered Fireball (5th level spell, 10d6 * 1.5, DC 13 + Int)

OR I could have a Heightened Fireball (5th level spell, 15d6, DC 15 + Int)

====

At 15th level could have a Empowered Magic Missile (3rd level spell, 5d4+5 * 1.5, DC -)

OR I could have a Heightened Magic Missile (3rd level spell, 8d4+8, DC -)

====

Once you hit those higher levels, Empower Spell will be less useful.